Dear Steel Tigers,
As I write, it's Veteran's Day. What a debt of gratitude our nation
owes to all its veterans, including us! I'm thinking especially about
two groups, though: those who fought in World War II and those trying
to bring peace and order in the Middle East at this time. The World
War II memorial will be open next April and dedicated in May. By that
time only 4,000,000 of the 16,000,000 veterans of that war will be alive.
I hope that many of them will be present for the dedication ceremonies.
No war is insignificant to its veterans, but very few of us have been
drafted "for the duration" as they were, and very few of us
served in combat for the months and years that some of them did. The
World War II veteran is to be respected and thanked by all of us. The
following poem was used in the Memorial Service at our 2003 Reunion
in Colorado Springs. Several have asked for copies of it, so I include
it here. It speaks particularly of the "old" soldiers who
are leaving our ranks daily for their heavenly home, but it's applicable
to us all.
A
Soldier Died Today
He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion
Telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.
And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His long tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a soldier died today.
He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary
Very quiet sort of life.
He worked and raised a family
and went quietly on his way;
the world won't note his passing,
Though a Soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing
And proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier
Is oft unnoticed and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow
Who leaves his kids and wife
And goes to serve his Country,
And offers up his life? |
The
politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives
Are often disproportionate
To the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier
Who offered up his all
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.
It's so easy to forget them
For it is so many times
that our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys
Went to battle, but we know.
It was not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger
With your enemies at hand
Would you really want some cop-out
With his ever waffling stand?
Or would you want a Soldier
Who loves home, country, and kin,
Just a common Soldier
Who would fight until the end?
He was just a common Soldier
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days,
Perhaps just a simple
headline
in the paper that might say:
"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
FOR A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."
-Author Unknown
|
To all our heroes of whatever
war, we say "Thanks, friends!" for a job well done. Please
remember to pray for our military and civilian forces in Iraq and Afghanistan
and for their families. And pray for guidance for our President, his
advisers, and for the leaders of other nations in bringing peace to
a troubled world.
Your chaplain,
Jim Spiller |
