Remembering our Veterans

...Mansel Parkinson, Ernest Jones, Jimmy Ray, Roy Barber.  If memory serves me well these are four WW II veterans still serving as soldiers of the cross at the East Side church of Christ where I labor.  These are four of the finest men I know and my, they are good to me--always have been.  I love them not only as my brothers in the Lord, but also as "father" figures and friends.

And, only deep in their hearts do they know what they faced when they battled for our country.  I recall bro. Jones telling me once, “We were young and we just did what we had to do,” a humble, gracious reply followed quickly by him pointing to the heavens and saying, “And all I have, He gave it to me.”

Throughout the congregation, there are many others who served in our armed forces whether wartime or peacetime.  We keep a list of our military family in the church bulletin.  I look out and see folks with a son or daughter currently serving our nation. 

I came across the following some years ago and have used it at military funerals...thought it would be worthy for us to remember what Veterans Day is about: remembering…an early thought of respect....from the Wildwood...

It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given us Freedom of the Press.

It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us Freedom of Speech.

It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the Freedom to Demonstrate.

It's the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the Right to a Fair Trial.

It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves under the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag,

Who gives the protestor the right to burn the flag.

--Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC