Pledge to Remember
Veterans Day…
Dad joined the navy at 17 years old near the end of WW2 stationed in the Philippines. Years later as a kid I loved wearing his old white service hats or “Dixie Cups” as they were called. Great kid hat to keep the sun off your nose. Uncle Gary also chose to serve in the Navy and took an assignment on a submarine. He stood over 6’ 7” and held the weight and strength of a very big man. Big guy, very small spaces. Later, my brother-in-law David did the same on a nuclear sub. The nature of his duties, locations, and activities across the globe meant that David couldn’t talk about the months he spent underwater and away from his family.
Past and present, most of us have some close family tie, friend, or colleague who has earned the status of a Veteran. Exceptional men and women of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Airforce, Coast Guard, and now the Space Force. These who were drawn to serve and to stand in the gap for their country. Their inner strength to defend and willingness to fight for liberty and peace is worthy of this day of honor and our pledge to remember.
And beyond this day of honor, we can also remember to give of our hands, feet, and finances to support them when they return from battles with physical and emotional injuries beyond our comprehension. We can pledge to serve our nation by living to stand in the gap for them, to defend them and their families. And we can choose to stand in honor before our flag, and to kneel in prayer before our God for all those who defend our freedoms. We can choose to exercise the most cherished of our freedoms, that being to devote one hour of our time to vote our conscience.
As Americans, all of us are called to serve, and we have the same choice as our veterans. We can answer the call, or we can choose to stay secure on the sidelines. As we make the choice, let us remember what every generation of Americans has learned: Freedom will always demand defense, and Do not give away liberty for the illusion of security. Doing so becomes a path to tyranny.
On behalf of my Achilles colleagues and myself, we pledge to remember and to continue to defend the freedoms of these United States.
Here is a short tribute to our flag offered by Red Skelton:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HGHdFmu5GU
This is a good place to start if you have the resources to help our veterans:
Camp Hope
https://ptsdusa.org/camp-hope/
– Stan
Keep looking up, that’s where the answers are…
