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MEMORIAL DAY

Posted by Dr. Bill Blanchard on

Since the dawn of our nation’s founding, every generation has endured a time of testing.  From the first battle at Lexington, to the burning of the White House in 1812, to Teddy Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill, to the carnage and human cost of the Civil War, to the death and destruction of World War I, to the surprise attacks and subsequent liberation of World War II, to the wretched winter campaign of Korea, to the stalemate in the jungles of Vietnam, and to the most recent wars against terrorism and tyranny in the Middle East, this nation has been through all types of trials and conflicts that, as Thomas Paine suggested, “try men’s souls.”  And today, we are also facing grave challenges and dangers.  The cast of characters may change, but the goal of the enemy has always been the same—to take away the freedoms, liberties, and unalienable rights given by Almighty God to every man and woman in this world. 

On this Memorial Day, let’s think back to the noble and pure nature of the American warrior.  All throughout history, conquering soldiers have looted, raped, pillaged, plundered, and murdered the people they subdued.  Americans in uniform, however, have served as a significant exception.  They came to liberate, not to conquer! 

Today’s US military contains many professionals with specialized skills, most of them are married, and many of them have children.  And as you may know, military life is extremely taxing on families.  As many of them return home from war or deployment, some meet newborn babies for the first time.  Though the cameras capture the joy of these reunions, reality suggests that the struggles don’t simply end when the soldier arrives safely at home.  Money can be tight, patience can be thin, relationships may need to be restored, and a war zone can do cruel things to otherwise happy and well-adjusted people.

So, as we celebrate Memorial Day, to our Veterans as well as to our current personnel serving in our armed forces, I want you to know that God’s people are praying for you and you are making us proud in the process.  Your work is not only noble, but it will leave a legacy long after any of us remain here on earth.  May God keep you safe and preserve your families in your absence.

A grateful citizen and a devoted pastor,

Bill Blanchard

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