A Forgotten Hero

To be honest, some of my initial thoughts this Memorial Day morning were to wonder which restaurants might serve free meals to veterans.  I’ve heard there are some, although I’ve never taken advantage of such offers.  Today I might try. 

I heard recently that there is a Veteran’s Cemetery in the state of Michigan, maintained and arrayed much like Arlington’s place of honor.  I resolve to go visit that local cemetery, perhaps soon, and consider whether that should be my final resting place, when my time comes.  My relatives and family, like most nowadays, are buried in various cemetery plots around the country.  In this country, sadly, we no longer have family plots at the cemetery, but thankfully there still exists “family plots” for our soldiers, a unique and once VERY honored family.

Yes, I am a veteran, and on a day like today, I remember.

I arrived for 8AM mass this morning, only to be told the bulletin was wrong (again); there was no 8AM mass, but there was one at 9AM.  And so, I have this hour to ponder, on the veterans I have known.  One such man immediately came to mind, one who most people probably won’t recall this day, yet he saved more soldier’s lives and captured more enemy soldiers than any soldier in the history of this nation, of this I am quite sure.  And I’ve had the great honor of personally meeting this man, and so I will remember him above all this day, and his sacrifices.

Last night perchance, I watched the Memorial Day Concert being performed on the White House lawn.  The music and songs were most beautiful, as were the honors and recognitions of the sacrifices of veterans, current and past.  I shed many tears as I watched and listened; I wonder if anyone else still cries over patriotic songs.  One of the speakers said that over one million soldiers have lost their lives in defense of our country, soldiers dying to preserve this great nation.  And yes, it is GREAT.  There is no need to “make America great again.”  We are, and have been a very blessed country, although our children are now taught otherwise in school.  Just as we have Supreme Court Justices who interpret the Constitution “as it should be interpreted today,” there are historians in our schools teaching our kids history as “it should be remembered today.”  In their opinions.  They ignore the truths, the times, and of course the blessings of the past.  They firmly believe that it is neither in the past, nor certainly in the present, that “In God we trust.”

It’s approaching 9AM, so I will end these musings.  A glance at the hymnal in the pews shows there are few songs there to honor our country, so I’ll go over and ask the priest or choir leader if we might end the mass singing “God Bless America,” while there still exist a few people who might know the words, and cry as they are sung.

And, oh, that veteran who saved so many lives for our country, the one who no one likely remembers this day?  He’s hanging on the cross over the altar.  Real veterans never forget what He did, as they go off to risk their lives for this country, even today, and they know He is with them.