Don't Forget To Say Thank You To A Vet!

Let us Never Forget
Their Service

Veteran's Day

Many Americans mistakenly believe that Veterans Day is the day America sets aside to honor American military personnel who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained from combat. That's not quite true. Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor America's war dead.
Veterans Day, on the other hand, honors ALL American veterans, both living and dead. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for dedicated and loyal service to their country. November 11 of each year is the day that we ensure veterans know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made in the lives to keep our country free.

Many of you who are reading this are veterans and I want you to know that I am forever grateful for your service. I recently sold an item on Ebay and when payment came it was just like all other transactions. But through further communication with the purchaser I learned the young woman was on active duty in Iraq. I wrote to thank her from one veteran to another for what she was doing to preserve freedom for America and from a struggling democracy. Her reply, which since I don't have her permission, brought tears to my eyes as I realized the courage, dedication and devotion this young sergeant possessed. She wrote back thanking all who had previously served this one nation under God. That's the way true veterans are. They don't think of their service as something they need to be thanked for. Their motivation is much greater than that.

I remember as a boy looking at my dad's campaign ribbons and medals, still pinned to an old uniform hanging in the basement. Dad never said much about WWII. I would ask him about it and he usually told me a funny story, but never talked about what he saw or about the buddies who didn't come home. Dad has been gone for about seven years, but to this day I still communicate with one of his last surviving "Army Buddies." He has told me more than dad ever did. And he sent me some pictures of dad that I had never seen. I framed those and put them on the wall where I see them first thing every morning when I come downstairs. I see him in that uniform and a sense of pride comes across me and my heart swells.

I have a lot of friends who went through Vietnam. I was never deployed overseas and for a long time I felt a great sense of disappointment and some shame, although I know I shouldn't. In fact, I felt that way until last week in Denver. There was a gentleman who I spotted. He was jolly, cared deeply about others and I marked him as a pastor. Finally, on my last day I went over to him and asked if he was clergy. He asked what made me think that. I replied that I could see God with him when he walked in, I could see Christ in him as he talked to paid staff members and encouraged them. He shared with me how he had felt a strong call to the ministry and then he was drafted and sent to Vietnam where he served as a medic. He said that when he came home he didn't like people very much and so he never pursued his calling and felt badly about that, but had seen too much. I told him that I was clergy and always felt bad that I hadn't been deployed. He said, don't feel bad, but thank God. At that point we hugged, two men in a crowded room. No words were spoken and none needed to be. He was my pastor that day and I was his. Two veterans hugging with a quiet sense of what it meant to serve.

I could go on with stories I have heard. I could tell you about how Vietnam veterans were not greeted as heros. I could tell you about veterans I have ministered to who to this day cannot talk about what they saw....World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and all the other wars. I could tell you about men and women who were just teenagers when they were given a weapon, a uniform and orders to a combat zone. But I don't need to tell their stories. Our freedom as Americans tell it loud and clear. We just went through an election that in many countries would have involved riots and killing, but not so here because of our veterans.

Several years ago I adopted a policy that I would like to encourage you to do. I never see a man or woman in uniform without going over to them and saying thank you for their service. Please do that also. It means so much to them, although they will generally just say, "It's my pleasure." Tomorrow is Veteran's Day and I encourage you to join me in saying thank you to all our veterans. And whatever you are doing tomorrow at 11 a.m. stop and say a prayer. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.

Thank you my brothers and sisters for what you have done, for what you do and for why you do it.

God Bless You and God Bless America!