Celebrate Today!

In the United States today, we celebrate Veteran's Day.  We honor all those who are presently serving in the military, and those who had previously served.  There is no way we could adequately thank them for their sacrifice, and also thank the families for their sacrifice.  FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!

My son-in-law, Fielding, currently serving in the United States Submarines, in the State of Washington.  I'm so very proud of you, dear!!  And I'm also proud of my Daughter #8, Jeannie, for her unfailing support with their son, Xavier.

Jeanne and Fielding with little Xavier, August, 2012, Port Orchard, Washington.

Early this morning, as I ate my breakfast, on TV I watched Guy Gruters, a former P.O.W. (Prisoner of War) in Vietnam, tell of his capture and subsequent starvation and torture.  It had been a long time since I heard of such things, the atrocities.  Yet I could not stop tears from streaming down my face as he told of how his faith in God was the key to his survival.

One incident Guy related was the time the Viet Cong ordered him to climb inside a small metal box as punishment for not telling them what they wanted to know.  In the sun, in the jungle, the box was very hot.  As he was climbing in the box, one of the Viet Cong soldiers, slipped him a small piece of cardboard.  He was grateful to God; now, at least, he had a small fan.  He climbed in.  They locked the box.  He was on his knees.  Then he heard thunder in the distance.  In two hours it started to pour rain.  This cooled the metal box.  He survived.  Guy's homecoming was glorious!

FYI: visit www.guygruters.net for more info about Guy.  Visit www.catholicmil.org for prayers for our military and other resources.

One who did not come home, in the war in Afghanistan, was my nephew, Justin, killed in Afghanistan in September, 2008.  This was a severe shock for our whole family!  I cried for most of the day.  Then the next day I had an appointment to get photographed for our church's pictorial directory.  Should I cancel?  I decided to keep the date but told the photographer, "Be as quick as you can, my nephew was killed in Afghanistan yesterday and I'm on the edge of crying."  He was incredibly quick!

Westminster Abbey, London, England, November, 2008. Every year on November, the names of every British soldier killed in EVERY WAR are listed on boards.  Crosses with red poppies are placed in the lawn at Westminster Abbey.  Everyone in the entire country wears a poppy in remembrance.

England and the entire British Commonwealth also celebrates November 11 as "Remembrance Day."  Daughter #7, Marie, and I went to Remembrance Day in 2008 to the Army base and nearby town, Market Drayton, to honor Justin.  He had previously served in the U.S. Navy, then because his mother, Kathleen, was Irish, he enlisted in the Irish Regiment of the Royal Army.  Justin learned the Afghan language, Pashtu, in order to help the Afghan children; then he was killed by an I.E.D.

Justin and his bride, Vilma, before their wedding in her parents' home in Vilnius, Lithuania, July, 2006.  Justin is buried there.

What more can we do to celebrate Veterans Day?  Look at your TV schedule.  There's a concert tonight on HBO.  Perhaps your town has a parade.  There's a service at my church later which I'll attend.  Just thank God for these, Our TRUE HEROES!

And let's never forget: FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!