May 26, 2003
Greetings from the home of the free,
Bakers, plumbers, teachers and accountants,
Put on a uniform, kissed families goodbye,
Not always grasping why they were going,
Answering a call they would not deny.
From places like Muncie, Three Forks, and Huntsville,
New York, Boston and Klamath Falls,
Sent to DaNang, and Baghdad, and Normandy
Pusan and Sarajevo and the Berlin walls,
Crawling through forests and wading through swamps
Chopping foxholes in frozen ground,
Gingerly stepping through wire and minefields
Hearts hammering at every sound.
Screaming in the maelstrom of fire and fury,
Praying that the horror will end,
Courage and fear are constant companions,
Never knowing which to befriend.
In the moments between silence and turmoil,
Questions seep in like poisonous mist,
Waiting for God to bring some serenity,
Wrestling with a troubling list,
Will I be maimed or taken a prisoner,
Will I be able to handle the pain?
Will what I am doing make any difference
Or is this struggle all in vain?
Will my children be raised by another,
Will I be there as their lives unfold?
Will I be remembered by those I’m defending
After my body is buried and cold?
These are not people who set out to be heroes,
Just our neighbors who answered the call,
Ordinary people who line up for our country
Maybe they aren’t ordinary at all.
Rows of white headstones, a quilt of remembrance,
Mark the places for us to pray,
For the people who made the ultimate sacrifice,
Whose names we honor on Memorial Day.
Hope this finds you praying for peace,
David
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13