May 30,
2023
Mr. Lance
M. Fritz
President
and CEO
Union
Pacific Railroad Company
1400
Douglas Street
Omaha, NE
68179
Dear Mr.
Fritz:
In 1947,
shortly after World War II, a private group called the "American Heritage
Foundation" wanted to do something to commemorate America as a country and
ignite the flame of patriotism anew in the hearts of American citizens. Because
of this, they worked with the railroads and the government institutions to put
together a special train that would visit each of the 48 contiguous states of
America. Known as the Freedom Train, it carried many different exhibits
inside of it, including a copy of the Bill of Rights, a copy of the
Emancipation Proclamation, and a copy of the Mayflower Compact.
This train
traveled to each of the states, inspiring many Americans to keep the love for
their country alive in the way that they lived. Even after the national tour
ended in 1949 and the exhibits were returned to their institutions, people
still had the fond memories of how it felt to have one love for the one country
that they lived in.
Twenty-six
years later, in 1975, another train was run for the Bicentennial celebrations,
this time underneath the American Freedom Train Foundation, which was operated
by Ross S. Rowland, Jr. The train, operating as the American Freedom Train,
once again carried the exhibits, and expanded to include a replica of the
Liberty Bell and one of the early lunar rovers. The train ran until 1976, and once
again left a positive impact on the citizens.
In 2026,
America will celebrate its 250th anniversary. Our hope is to see the
American Freedom Train once again reignite patriotism in our citizens by
running for this auspicious occasion.
We believe
that the American Freedom Train will:
1.
Reunite
Americans under the banner of patriotism, regardless of their political party.
2.
Reconnect
the nation with the major milestones of its past through the exhibits and
displays.
3.
It
will help show that, despite our economic and social struggles, we are still
the freest and finest nation in which to live.
I am a
patriotic 17-year-old train enthusiast who is looking for the leaders of this
country to rise to the occasion. If there is any event where the American
Freedom Train should return to operation, the 250th anniversary
of our nation would be it. I hope that you support this cause.
Let's work
together to make this happen again!
Best
regards,
Azariah
Easey