By Slone McNutt
Some chapters of history do more than tell a story; they ignite passion and call the living to act. The Alamo is one of those chapters.
“Remember the Alamo” is not merely a slogan, but a duty that transcends generations — a call that echoes across time.
As President Ronald Reagan reminded us, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It has to be fought for and defended by each generation.”
The legacy of the Alamo endures precisely because it demands that same vigilance and sacrifice. This year is the 190th anniversary of the siege faced there by 190 defenders. We must not let their courage die with them.
Without knowing how history would judge him, Col. William Travis wrote his famous “Victory or Death” letter. His message embodies the true spirit of a Texan, a unifying force across generations and neighbors, making its remembrance not just vital, but indispensable to the soul of our great Lone Star State.
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I am a proud Texan. Though born in Dallas, my roots reach deeper than my birth at Presbyterian Hospital. My first name, Slone, honors Brian Slone, my maternal ancestor who fought in the American Revolution. His daughter, Ann Slone, married Leander Calvin Cunningham, a Texan who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto.
My heritage came alive for me in 2023 when my family took a trip to see the Alamo. I stood before the Alamo Chapel, facing a modest stretch of grass, and for the first time, I understood that history is not just to be studied; it is to be lived, honored, and carried into the future.
There, a 2-by 3-foot bronze plaque engraved with the mere 220 words Travis wrote on Feb. 24, 1836 — the second day of the siege — stirred two powerful reactions.
First, when a student encounters the letter in such an awe-inspiring form, it is memorable.
Second, I questioned why a document so profound — one that embodies the very heart of Texas — should be seen only in San Antonio, when it deserves to be viewed at every courthouse in Texas.
We formed the Alamo Letter Society “to educate current and future Texans about their forefathers’ armed struggle for freedom and liberty through the placement of a large bronze plaque containing Col. William Barrett Travis’s Alamo ‘Victory or Death’ letter, in all 254 Texas Courthouses.”
Standing where heroes once fell, I saw that freedom is fragile, and now, it is our turn to continue that fight.
The sacrifice of the people of Texas in 1836 is not just an echo of the past — it is a challenge that should shake our Texan blood. Courage, loyalty, and the willingness to defend freedom are not bound by time. Our Texas flag calls us to stand, to act, and to carry forward a legacy forged in blood and bravery.
Remember the Alamo.
Slone McNutt is a sophomore at The Hockaday School in Dallas.
