Memorial Day- a Veterans Twilight Years

Just a song a twilight, when the lights are low, 
And the flick'ring shadows softly come and go, 
Tho' the heart be weary, sad the day and long, 
Still to us at twilight comes Love's old song, 
comes Love's old sweet song.

Behind tall wire fences, tall hedges, and multi-million dollar houses, gated elites  communities, the big deals of our society. The cocktail party circuit, the power brokers of our community, on this Memorial Day, are enjoying life with their outdoor cooking- exotic cocktails. Most of them do not have any military family members to remember, they, and their families, were making the big bucks while the children of the poor hardworking "neighbors" of their nation, were giving life and limb on the battlefield. And, on this Memorial Day, most veterans, like this 85 year old veteran, is working, still making a living. 

Enabling this type patriotism, a government headed by a commander and chief who does not have a valid social security or selective service card. This alleged president is a pretender, a hoax. Using the social security card of a long dead Connecticut citizen. Both president Obama and his wife, lawyers, pretending to be protectors of the constitution, gave up their law licenses, along with their scruples.

A big sign in the veterans hospital, Fayettville NC proclaims "The price of freedom is visible here." Back when this now totally blind veteran had a shatter of vision in the left eye, he could see the phalanx of wheelchairs, real men with white canes, at every veterans facility.  Behind the masks of the people that work there, their hypocritical smiles, just because they smile at you does not mean they are happy (At the VA hospital in Durham, we sat there with numbers, waiting to be called. a battle scarred officer, just ahead of me... Crippled, marks all over his face. I said to the employee, who drew his blood just before she drew mine, "You just saw a real hero." Her reply, "I don't know why you old men do not just go ahead and die.") The employees at most VA hospitals, should just pack up and go home. The doctors at these facilities are required to ask the question "have you considered suicide?" My answer, always, "everyday of my life." (for a very long time, I will confess, I kept a bottle of pills just for that purpose. In my early years of total blindness, loneliness, tribulations and aggravations from every side- no one to assist with anything, I actually thought I could not make it on my own. But, our blessed lord kept reminded me, I AM ALL YOU NEED. I do not believe that god would have condemned me for suicide, nor anyone else that has reached a place who cannot continue with life. I have said that to many family members of friends who took that way out. We know that God forgave Moses, David, Paul, for murder. He is certainly capable of forgiving suicide. It has taken most of my life to fully realize the sovereignty, as well as the mercy- grace, of my creator). 

The Veterans Administration, Government, those of you that pay taxes, would be very happy if all veterans committed suicide. Just think how cheap it is to bury a veteran in a cheap "tin" casket with a flag. compared to giving a veteran the healthcare which he deserves. The taxpayer, in servitude to government- stupid beyond words to describe, goes right along with the support of the unproductive- welfare- entitlements- illegal's- government tax grants, to anyone for anything. Most veterans know that the best men they knew, are already buried.  Until The Korean War, battlefield deaths were buried on foreign soil (126,000). Korea, the government started bringing veterans home for burial (50,000 Korea, 58,000 Vietnam). I was still in service, but in a reserve capacity during Vietnam. I still remember the screams of my neighbor across the street, when her only sons casket was brought into their home. Killed in Vietnam. 

In Shakespeare's "McBeth", lady McBeth was constantly washing her hands after she helped murder the king. She said their was not enough perfume in Persia, water in the oceans of the world, to cleanse her hands from what she had done. WWI, one newspaper headline, "Great Battle Fought, Only One Combatant Killed." Just one man killed, but he was so important to his family. He only had one life also. There is not enough water in the oceans of the world, all the wars in history, to cleanse the hands of warriors, who have ended the lives of their fellow man... No matter the circumstances. During the Civil War during the Battle of Cold Harbor, over 20,000 were killed on both sides. Battle field covered with the bodies of dead soldiers and dead horses. One dying General, who's horse had been shot from under him, was negotiating between the corpses, and one dying soldier said to him "General are we winning?"

With death, you never win. Like the holocaust of Jews in Germany, like the holocaust of the unborn in China and even in America, the killing of gods greatest creation, the human body, is never winning. The human body- the human mind, capable of so much good: capable of so much horror: capable of beautiful words- beautiful music. Capable of so much love, toward everyone because every person is your neighbor, and Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31) Most young men's brains are not fully developed- wired until the age of 25. Young men, casualties of war, capable of so much love. Just think of what it does to young men to see their friends spattered by IUD's on the battlefield. Until WWII, bayonets were often used in warfare. Using the closeness- civility of swords- bayonets- horses, gives an entirely personal appearance to war, rather than the impersonal callousness of drones and bombs, dropped from the air by planes. Can we even imagine what it does to the lives of children? Who want only the security- safety from parents in homes. Again, Jesus told us, that it is better for a person to have a millstone hung around his neck, and dropped into the ocean (Matthew 18:86), then to abuse children, any children, any skin color, even those in so called third world countries. The eliteness at Memorial Day events, those who can afford to take a holiday. Those that make so much money from continuous warfare, do not think of the young men and women, who gave and then gave again, some everything, without any thoughts of discretion. Our fellow citizens living in Multi-million dollar homes, know nothing of communal showers- slit trenches, there is no pleasure in another's pain. But, the very least our fellow citizens can do, is demand that government care for the productive, instead of the unproductive. That in the big-bucks spent on trash television and other shows, should emphasize that lifestyles in America would be far different if not for the sacrifice of those in love with this country- willing to defend her. I have never understood those who get a thrill from sleeping in a tent on a campsite. But, they have the privilege of going inside a building during a storm.  

Those who relax on Memorial Day, do not know the reality of Memorial Day. Just as those who do not observe our lords supper, do not know the reality of redemption- salvation, paid for by the ultimate sacrifice, God himself, taking on the sin of the entire world. 

The only Memorial we are instructed to observe is the remembrance of what Christ did for us on a cross. We remember that his broken body, when we take a small piece of bread, is for our healing (Isaiah 53:5 1 Peter 2:24). In memory, we take a sip of wine "remembrance" of his blood, forgiveness of sin. 

On this Memorial Day, 2015, twilight years, this old veteran remembers those who gave their life for their country (and they had only one life also), as well as remembering, for the Christian, what Christ did for us on Calvary. this is true Christianity, true patriotism, and there is no reason the two remembrances ( in spite of this blarney of separation of church and state ) should not remembered together. 

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