Submitted by: Joel Hendon(3,374) Joel Hendon Log in to become a member of Joel Hendon's Fan Club!
As everyone is aware, most Americans celebrate Memorial Day with scarcely a thought to it's real meaning. But those of us who were close to some of those who have fallen, find it difficult not to feel a sadness beyond words. But to dedicate a day to those young fellows seems so very lacking in our effort to repay them for laying down their lives. President Ronald Reagan, an eloquent speaker with an outstanding command of the English Language could pay them the best tributes of anyone I know.
I read one of his quotes that would bring tears to your eyes, but I have since been unable to put my hands on it. I cannot recite it verbatim but I will give you the basic content of it. He mentioned that those young men actually gave up two lives, the one they were living at the time and the one they would have lived later as a businessman, a husband, father and citizen. He also said there was little that we could say that would be even near fitting them, and in fact all we could do was remember. Here is portion of another of his Memorial Day address at Arlington Cemetery in 1982:
"I have no illusions about what little I can add now to the silent testimony of those who gave their lives willingly for their country. Words are even more feeble on this Memorial Day, for the sight before us is that of a strong and good nation that stands in silence and remembers those who were loved and who, in return, loved their countrymen enough to die for them.
Yet, we must try to honor them -- not for their sakes alone, but for our own. And if words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice.
Our first obligation to them and ourselves is plain enough: The United States and the freedom for which it stands, the freedom for which they died, must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost; it imposes a burden. And just as they whom we commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must we -- in a less final, less heroic way -- be willing to give of ourselves."
We have had some really difficult and horrible wars. The first one I can remember was World War 2 which was brewing for a few years before the cowardly attack on our naval fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. I was 11 years old at that time, the youngest of five boys in our family. This war was fought largely with infantry and armored units and the slaughter was horrible on both sides. All four of my brothers served honorably in that war and we lost one of them. Then soon after that war ended in 1945, the Korean conflict arose. I and the next two brothers older than I served in that one. My Dad had died in the interim and I can recall how devastated my Mother was when I was drafted into the army. As I have grown older, I now wonder how she held up under all of this war duty of her entire brood of boys, especially after the loss of one. But we were fortunate, I guess. Three of us returned unscathed, one was burned severely in an explosion in Germany and another died.
But while I was serving in the Korean war, I was assigned to an Anti-Aircraft Artillery unit and never did have any close calls. So I make no claims to deserve being recognized on Memorial Day. It is those like my older brother and thousands upon thousands of other good old boys who didn't want to die but served nobly and honorably.
And most of all, even though I did not witness it, was to hear those who did, tell of their closest buddies getting blown apart. A close friend of mine who had been on the front line told me of many cases where he had to watch a boy die. He said that he had heard more than one as they were dying, call out the word, "Mama". What a gift it would have been for him to have been able to cling to his mother at this time.
Nothing makes my blood boil more than for the miserable ingrates who have never been called on to sacrifice anything, to denigrate our troops and, I am told, to curse and spit on them as they return. Our troops not only deserve our thanks but any action we can take that will make them feel better and appreciated. If you pray, always mention them in your prayers. "…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16)
Author Biography:
Joel Hendon was born September 20, 1930 near Gadsden Alabama. He attended public schools in Cherokee County, Alabama and after serving a tour of duty in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, attended Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, Alabama majoring in Business Administration. He became a Christian in 1948, and although he followed secular work as a career and retired from Allied Signal Aerospace in 1997, he is an avid student of the Holy Bible and related works as well as biblical history. He produces a bi-weekly publication, The Household of Faith Ezine which is free for the asking. Archives are accessible at: http://www.piedmontcoc.org/archives.html He is also the author of Final Stronghold, published in 2003, available from Amazon.
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» left by Susan Thom(8,322) Susan Thom (93 days 23 hours ago.)
hi joel,
my dad was in the marines, and was shot in Pearl Harbor, in the leg. he was one of the lucky ones who made it home to go on to be a cook, a husband, a father, a friend, and a family member. thank you for a great article,
best regards,
sue thom Respond to this comment
» left by Joel Hendon(3,374) Joel Hendon (93 days 13 hours ago.)
Thank you Susan for your kind comments. Memorial Day seems to mean more to me than any other day we observe, excluding the Lord's supper in memorial to the death and suffering of Jesus Christ, on our behalf.
I often think of my brother, I was twelve, he was twenty-two. It has been so long since then, I can only barely remember him, but I do remember that he was the kindest and mildest mannered one of our family, and above all a Christain.
» left by Teresa Ortiz(4,542) Teresa Ortiz (92 days 21 hours ago.)
Hi Joel, thank you for sharing this heart felt and much needed article. I am with you on your last statement. Lord continue to bless, heal and minister to our military men and women. Blessings to you. Teresa
Joel, thank you for an important reminder -- you say, "... I make no claims to deserve being recognized on Memorial ..." Well, sir, I salute you as well as all servicemen who served time in order to ensure mine and my family's freedom. Thank you! Respond to this comment
» left by Joel Hendon(3,374) Joel Hendon (91 days 13 hours ago.)
Thanks so much Judi, I do appreciate your recognition of all veterans service even like mine. I am humbly thankful to God for sparing me the experience of killing someone or being killed. But evenso, it makes one feel a little bad to have been spared any of the real bad stuff when you see a young man, as we witnessed the other day, freshly back from Iraq, in a wheel chair, no legs, but he and his beautiful young wife obviously very happy just to have each other alive.
I got just close enough to the action to witness some of the horrible results of war. God bless our troops, both men and women.
» left by Kimberly(523) Kimberly (89 days 3 hours ago.)
Hi Joel,
Your a hero in my eyes! I have many relatives and family friends who have served. Some didn't make it home. Some speak openly of their experiences, but most don't speak about it at all. God Bless you and thank you for sharing. Kimberly Respond to this comment
» left by Joel Hendon(3,374) Joel Hendon (89 days 1 hour ago.)
Hi Kimberly, thank you for reading my article and commenting. You flatter me with the hero consideration. I never really had a chance to be one but would probably have failed miserably if I had. Those who attained hero status, in my eyes are the ones who risked their lives to save a buddy. I've heard of many who ran out under heavy fire to pull a wounded friend out of danger. There is a comaraderie that is attained in the military service that one never gets over. After the war was over and all of us returned who were still alive, I began to realize just how easy my tour had been. One of my personal acquaintences was blinded and another was suffering from battle fatigue or something. I saw him often sitting on the sidewalk up town, leaning back against a building. Whenever I would stop and talk with him, he'd start crying. He died after two or three years. Thanks again for the kind words.
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