Leadership Thought A Veteran's Day Service I Attended Last Night That I Will Never Forget 

Dear Friends,

Last week we commemorated Veterans Day, a day established in1918 to honor the thousands of men and women who have served in our country's armed forces.

Sadly for me, Veterans Day is a day that doesn’t receive the kind of attention it fully deserves. 

It appears that many of our younger generation who may not have  experienced the horrors of war, fail to appreciate the importance and significance of those in the military who have served to defend and preserve our country's freedoms.

Last night I attended a Veteran's Musical Concert, and of the almost 300 people who were present, better than 90% were 60 and above. 

Sadly in our churches today Veteran's Day is largely forgotten. Often there is little or  no mention of Veteran's Day, and no recognition of those who have served in our military.

I spend my summers in Watertown, N.Y., the training ground for the army’s 10^th Mountain Division, and as a result, there are plenty of military families living in and around the city. As soon as I recognize someone in military garb, I am quick to thank them for their service. From the positive responses I receive, it appears they are especially grateful for such recognition and appreciation.

I am the product of a military family and grateful for it. My dad rose to colonel in the army after earning his college degree in architecture. Following college graduation he joined the army, and he was appointed to oversee the plans for the construction of Oak Ridge, Tenn. where the atom bomb was secretly being built. Like a lot of those who worked in Oak Ridge, he had little knowledge of what would be the atom bomb and its capacity for the destruction of life.

While the bomb shortened and ultimately ended the war, there were many questions and concerns raised about it's morality. My dad was one of those who shared some of those concerns. As a consequence, he soon resigned from the  military to pursue his architectural career.

While proud of my dad's military accomplishments, I remain sad that he never felt comfortable talking about his time spent in the military  I suspect his silence was the result of the guilt he may have felt over playing a role in the atom bomb's production.

Today I continue to be grateful and appreciative of those who serve and have served in the military.

I confess that  I miss those Veteran Day parades that were once held all across America. I miss gathering along the side of the street to watch men and women veterans proudly parade by as crowds cheered in appreciation for their service to our country. From my perspective, those men and women who marched were, and still are, the real heroes of our nation.

This is why I spontaneously rose to my feet  last night and joined with hundreds of others in spontaneous applause as one by one each of the veterans  proudly stood to their feet at the sound of the music representing their branch of service. 

I proudly stood with tears streaming down my face as I watched the names and faces of those I knew as one by one they appeared on the front screen. They were veterans, members of the church where I sat and and where I once served as pastor in the 90's.

There was Bob Billings, a proud army veteran, who was the head of the of the search committee that brought me to the church. And then there appeared the face of Marine veteran, Ned Newland, a dear friend of many years, followed by pictures of Kyle Elam and Bucky Moran and a number of others who had in some way touched my life and ministry. 

Unfortunately the times have changed, and these men and women who fought to preserve our freedoms are often underappreciated at best and forgotten at worst.

But last night for a short while, these friends and military 'heroes'  were remembered and given the true honor and recognition they deserved. 

As I walked to my car following the service, I was filled with pride and gratitude over what I had experienced. In a world where many would disparage and belittle those who serve the military, I was overjoyed that there were still some around who cared enough to remember and honor them.

And as I drove home, I remembered the words of G. K. Chesterton who wrote, "The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." 

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom