We remember...

                                                                                             

You may not agree with the war or the conflict that put them in harm's way. You may not support the government that sent them. You may not believe in the policies of the military. The men and women who put on the uniform possess an honor that many could not fathom. They are individuals who love this country and the people in it so much that they would walk away from their families, and their lives, and put theirs on the line for each and every one of us. Honor them, and never forget that freedom isn't free, they pay the price for all of us.

To my Ward, my best friend, my Man, my Daddy, my One, my only, my moon, my sun, my stars, my heart, my life, my dear true love, I am proud of you and I am honored to call you mine. You ARE my hero.

The Warriors Pledge

 Oh warrior, my brother, my sister: We once prepared for battle, and served our causes as best we could. Perhaps we are stained by blood shed by others, or carry scars from our own wounds.  Yet our task is not complete until we have acknowledged one another. Oh warrior, my brother my sister, I offer to you the following: I will honor your experience of service, recognizing that while your cause may not be mine, the terrors of war bind us together.  I will listen to your story, and share with you my own for without each other we cannot know the truth, nor can we tell the story to our children. 

I will value your life, even though in the past we may have sought to destroy one another and may indeed have destroyed lives precious to each other, today your life is precious to me.  I will give you the gift of my presence, that we may know each other as the warriors we are, complete our task, and welcome each other into our homes. Alan Cutter, NAVVVM, 1999

 

I pray for the day that the only way to visit a piece of your heart is not by touching a piece of granite. This wall bears two pieces of my heart, a special ops Army officer, panel 47W (12 years of service DOC 8-11-68), and a Navy flier (12 years of service DOC 4-26-78), panel 13E.

                                      

I pray for the day that no partner has to look at their other half with that look of love, and terror, and bravery on their eyes, and the fear that this may be the last time; that no parent has to hold their crying child and utter a promise they pray God allows them to keep, that no man sees his child enter the world over a video feed. 

I give thanks with a grateful, humble heart that my brave sailor does not have to leave, and that we are spared that fear and uncertainty this time. And I pray for each of his crew-mates and their families. I am plagued by a fear of my own selfishness, but he's mine - he's ours and we need him, and he's already given so much.

The Final Inspection

 

The soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as brightly as his brass.

Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
No, Lord, I guess I aint
Because those of us who carry guns
Cant always be a saint.

Ive had to work most Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes Ive been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
Ive wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here,
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, Ill understand.

There was a silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God,

Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well,
Walk peacefully on Heavens streets,
You've done your time in Hell.

"Today, a proud nation expresses our gratitude. But we do so mindful that no ceremony or parade, no hug or handshake is enough to truly honor that service. For that, we must do more. For that, we must commit—this day and every day—to serving you as well as you’ve served us." —President Obama

HIS POV: 
It is an honor to serve my country.  It is an even deeper honor to serve my family. June has once again touched my heart and I type this POV with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Things haven't always been easy, fun, or fair but with the Lord's grace and a devotion that is unrivaled we have managed to navigate the turbulence that is military family life... Thank you everyone for giving me something to fight for, thank you June for being my soft place to land.