Veteran's Day Retrospect

Mark 10:45 "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

As children growing up in the 60's, we were either playing cowboys and Indians or Army. The television show Combat was very popular with us young boys. The drama depicted an Army platoon fighting its way across Europe during World War II. Actor Vic Morrow played the part of Sergeant Chip Saunders, a seasoned veteran of many conflicts.

​The ultimate prize before we began battle was to "call" who was playing the part of Sgt. Saunders. This meant you were in charge, yelling orders, and coordinating the attack on an unnamed battleground in a field in southwest Georgia. I remember sitting around one day after successfully taking our simulated objective. We talked and bragging about our fathers and their heroism during WWII. My good friend Grant stated that his father "received a medal from flying in planes over Germany". Not to be outdone and having a Marine father that served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, I simply stated that my Daddy "won the war". There were a few moments of silence and then we boys went on with playing.

Although our calendars are littered with special times - birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and many more, on November 11th, we celebrated Veterans Day. It was originally known as Armistice Day. It is distinct from Memorial Day which honors those who died in military service. Veteran's Day honors all military veterans. This includes persons who served in the United States Armed Forces, to include the Coast Guard, and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

One of the many reasons we celebrate this day is raise awareness and pay respect to our brothers and sisters who have served the United States as members of our United States Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines and Coast Guard. These patriots are forever regarded as veterans of this great nation. Veteran invokes honor for their service because they all sacrificed more than you can imagine. Never expecting a thank you, they served and sacrificed and are proud to have been a part of something bigger than themselves. Quite often they could never imagine the importance and good that they were and are a part of.

Many of our veterans have passed due to injuries or illnesses incurred during service to this nation. Many still bear the scars of war including those that can never be bandaged. Yet, they all served without hesitation and simply went on with their lives after serving our Nation. Many continue to serve, protecting and defending our country, the greatest Nation on earth.

Our Veterans, all good men and women, accepted their responsibilities and created new legacies to take our next generation to a level we could only imagine. Just as we receive Grace because of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, our veterans, who unselfishly served, have ensured our freedom and liberty. So, I ask you to take a moment and extend a prayer for all our veterans.  Look them in the eye and thank them for their service.

God Bless our veterans, heroes all.

Blessings,
Jim Silvi
Lay Servant