I think of Easter and I remember the love that caused a man to suffer crucifixion because of the love he had for all mankind. That love is more powerful than you can imagine. That love stands out thru the ages as a driving force for good. Tell me you have not heard of this.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"
Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you have never heard of heroic acts to save another man or woman. Tell me that people thru the ages have not sacrificed their own life to save that of another; and most often that other was someone unknown to the hero.
August 14th each year, the American Flag is flown in honor of our victory over Japan in 1945. Now we also celebrate the Native Indian warriors of over 30 Native nations that served as code talkers for the U.S. Army, Army Air Forces, and Marine Corps.
I hope you don't take offense in that I am going to pivot to my personal knowledge of present day men that exhibited this love, but I had to show the most poignant example of this Love for another. In order to explain this and make sense of why people do the things they do. And now , finally; I have been able to put words on paper and describe the men I have met and I strive to emulate.
I am not qualified to expound on this Love story. I can only tell you of my experience and observations . I have been blessed to meet and spend time with some men that exhibited this powerful force and lived to tell about it. To a man, they tell a story of actions that can not be explained by logic or any emotion.
They would never claim to be brave. To a man, they did not attribute courage as the motivation of their actions. It was an unspoken force. An undeniable urge to take action. And yes they experienced fear, but that fear did not stop them from action. They truly loved their brothers in arms. They acted thru this love in ways that are epic.
So, in honor of this day and in remembrance of the sacrifices made because of Love; I want to tell you of my joy and honor to meet some of these men that followed in the footsteps of Love. In short, these men should be remembered and tales of the strength of their love for others should be shared. Share this with your children and your grandchildren. Tell them of this love.
I have added links to the Medal of Honor recipients below. These are true heroes, and men that I was blessed to be able to meet and share time with them. Please take a moment to follow these links and see for yourself how these men showed their love for their fellow man.
Roy Hawthorne, of The Navajo Nation. US Marine, Navajo Code Talker, WW II. Later joined the US Army and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and Purple Heart for actions during combat in Korea. A man that truly loved the Lord and served others. His actions in the military were followed by his service in the Ministry as a teacher, pastor , and minister of Christ. Rest In Peace Roy. You are missed by so many you touched thru your love. You left a legacy for others to follow.
David Mcnerney, US ARMY
https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/david-h-mcnerney Rest In Peace David.
Clarence Sasser, US ARMY, Medic.
"Woody" Williams , USMC , WW II. RIP. Woody went to meet his Lord last month. He will be remember by thousands. A servant to all and such a joy to be around.
Jon Cavaiani, US Army , Special Forces. Protecting the men from my old unit.
https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/jon-r-cavaiani Rest In Peace Jon.
Don "Doc" Ballard. US Navy. Medic. later joined the US Army. Doc is such a fun guy to be with. His stories and his life are what books dare to describe.
I shall stop here . There are more that I want to recognize, more that I broke bread with and we raised a glass in tribute to the dead, but I will wait for another day. This is too emotional for me to continue since these men have made an impact on my life and helped me to see the real force behind what seems like a miracle in real life. Today we recognize this love.
To those who are gone , you will be missed by family and friends. You stood in the gap. You gladly sacrificed life and limb for your brothers in arms. You made a difference and saved so many lives by your actions. Words cannot describe this properly. Your time of rest has come.
Rest easy for it is now our turn to stand guard over our liberty that
you paid for with your all.
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