|
|
When asked to speak at any occasion honoring our service members, I feel a keen sense of gratitude and a weight of responsibility to uphold our veterans with the highest respect, which they deserve. That weight is felt even more heavily on this day that honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. My own time in the military was relatively brief. In 1991 I enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard and served with Company B of the 134th Signal Battalion as a Multichannel Transmission Systems Operator until 1997. I am among the 40% of pre-9-11 soldiers who didn’t see deployment during their enlistment. Even so, I am so thankful for my time in the military. It ingrained in me a deep love for our country, and it has given me a few occasions, like this one, to stand in front of people and draw attention to the heroes of our nation–soldiers who gave their lives in the line of duty.
On Memorial Day we are charged with the duty to remember and commemorate. Part of remembering is pausing, being present, reflecting, and giving voice to what can so easily be overlooked on any other typical day of the year. The fact that we have the luxury of taking our freedom for granted speaks to the power of what our fallen veterans paid for with their lives. Though their bodies have been stilled, what they secured with their blood was not silenced. That freedom continues to roll on like a wave. Their impact on our country is a gift that we enjoy every moment of every day, whether we remember to thank the givers or not.
In the land around us now and around other parts of Pipestone County, veterans dating back to the Civil War are laid to rest. According to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, since WWI more than 600,000 U.S. soldiers have died in combat. This figure includes WWI, WWII, and wars in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, as well as operations related to Iraq and Afghanistan. A portion of that 600,000 accounts for soldiers who lost the battle in their own minds when they brought the horrors of war home with them. They, too, paid with their lives. Today we gather in honor of them all, and with our presence, with our voices, and with our hearts, we say, thank you.
As we gather here in southwest Minnesota, we come together in spirit with many others across our nation. Today thousands will gather in Gettysburg, Penn. to attend the 158th Memorial Day Ceremony, one of the longest running Memorial Day celebrations in our country. At Arlington National Cemetery, just across the Potomac River from our Nation’s capital, members of the Old Guard have placed American flags at the bases of more than 260,000 headstones, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5 miles from there, hundreds of others are gathered at the Vietnam War Memorial. This wall displays the names of 58,000 men and women who either died in combat or are missing in action. Among those 58,000 is the name Michael Virgil Peterson of Pipestone, Minn. According to Peterson’s profile on the virtual wall for the Vietnam War Memorial, Peterson was on the school’s golf team, and played trombone in the band. He loved pheasant hunting and water skiing. Corporal Peterson and his sergeant were killed by a hand grenade while on night patrol. He was more than a name. He was a young man with aspirations, and he was loved by family and friends.
I think the Vietnam War Memorial most powerfully depicts the relationship we have with those we honor today. When reading the names of fallen soldiers at the wall, one can’t ignore his or her own reflection in the black marble, and in that moment you know that your life is intertwined with theirs. They died for what we enjoy now, and we live now with the responsibility to carry on the work for which they gave their lives. Corporal Peterson is one name, one life. I know there are many others represented in the hearts and minds of us gathered here today.
To commemorate means to recall and show respect. There are some practical ways we can do this, and one of them is what we are doing right now. On a weekend that is often celebrated with cookouts and road trips, it shows respect to carve out time to solely focus on the somber reason this day was established as one of the 11 federal holidays. This day initially commemorated the fallen soldiers of the Civil War, but quickly grew to include all soldiers who gave their lives in battle. Knowing the history of this holiday is another way to honor those we commemorate. A third way is to decorate the grave of a veteran. This is in good keeping with the original name of this holiday as Decoration Day. Again, this requires intentionality and time, which puts our focus on those who are most deserving.
We can also commemorate veterans who have passed away by caring for veterans who are still with us. This can be as simple as thanking a veteran for his or her service–whether we personally know him or her or not. It can mean financially supporting organizations who directly care for veterans or finding ways to bless veterans with our own time. It can mean honoring our flag and showing signs of patriotism in our own lives–maybe even by helping retire the Avenue of Flags this afternoon right here in Pipestone. Finally, we can honor our fallen by praying for those who continue to defend our country and for the families they leave behind. I would like to close today by doing just that. Please bow your heads with me.
Heavenly Father, you know what it means to give your life for those you love. We come to you today to say thank you for the men and women throughout history who gave their lives for our freedom. Help us to honor them in the way we live our lives. We pray for families who grieve the loss of these heroes even now. Lord, help us to not take their sacrifices for granted. Please give us eyes to see the needs of veterans around us, so that they would know they are valued and respected by their country. Thank you that we can be here today to remember and commemorate. We are humbled and sobered as we consider our debt of gratitude. Thank you for dying for us so we could know the depth of your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.