On Veteran's Day

Today, as we all know, is Veteran's Day.

Across the Fruited Plains, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Appalachians to the Sierra Nevada, from the Dakotas to Brownsville, TX, a self-proclaimed grateful nation honors our Fallen and our survivors and offers great thanks to all those who have served in the Armed Forces in any capacity.  As a current member of a struggling, yet somehow operational and efficient war fighting force, I appreciate the outpouring of support from this great nation.

However, this is not the purpose of this piece.

At the risk of sounding as if I speak from atop a high horse, or sounding as if I am patting myself on the back, please try to understand what it is I am about to say.

The decision to serve, although at first I was a bit reluctant, became an easy one.  Indeed, with every passing day, the idea of sacrifice becomes easier to accept and embrace.  What is my point, you ask?

It is this: On this Veteran's Day, I extend a honest and heartfelt thanks to my friends, family and loved ones.  It is you who make this present calling of mine possible and fulfilling.  It is you who drive me to do what it is I do, and it is you who grant me the opportunity to offer such a sacrifice.

And, know this:

Amidst the the present chaos, the instability, the uncertainty and the fear, amidst the trouble that brews globally and here at home, amidst the darkness that looms over our homes, our churches and our country, know that there are men in service of this country that are unbending, committed, faithful, heroic, and will not in any way, shape or form, forsake the duty that has been bestowed upon them.  Know that they stand, ever vigilant, with you in mind, waiting and watching, and indeed hoping and praying, that the opportunity arises to honor the oath that they took . . . and to heart they took it.

Know that despite what you hear about the military, no matter how bad it is, know that these men are watching over you, that these men will bleed themselves dry for everything that you and I believe in.  They will bleed themselves dry for God, for family and for country.  They will not forsake their morality, their principles, their oath, their faith, our this country.  Politics is irrelevant to them.  Know that these men believe in the same things you do, and it is this that drives them.  Take comfort in the fact that these men are out there, that they have a firm grasp on reality and that they fully understand the mountain we as a nation must climb in order to escape this dark valley we find ourselves in.  Know that these men understand not just where their loyalties happen to lie, but rather where they must lie.

If the world collapses around us, if this nation falls to pieces, if we, as a people, as a nation, as a culture, stand on the brink of utter annihilation, know that there are men, brilliant men, honorable men, faithful men that know their oath was made not to a single person, not to a single office, but was made to the Constitution and to the people, and most importantly, to God.  They understand that their oath goes beyond a mere document and incorporates the Good, the True and the Beautiful.

These men are prepared to go to their deaths not only for this country, but for this country and for God and His Divine Truth.  There are men who sacrifice for more than just this country, and are prepared and willing to fight the enemies of Truth, whether they attack from outside or from within.  Know that these men are prepared to die at the hands of those who were once their comrades-in-arms, should it come to that.

In these tough times, times in which the future of our nation is cloudy and uncertain, take comfort in the knowledge that if it all falls to pieces tomorrow, out of the ashes the Truth will resurrect, and it will be riding on the shoulders of these men, no matter how few, no matter how bloody and beaten, no matter how defenseless.  If it all falls to pieces tomorrow, we may not get to see the resurrection of Truth in our lifetime, but the Truth will survive, and it will survive because of the men that I have been writing about: The Old Guard, The Remnant, The Few.

Culture may collapse, society may break apart and chaos may reign for some time, but these men are out there, and these men will bear the light of Truth and ensure its protection.

It may seem that I have gotten off topic, but I have not.  These men, and men from the past, are and were willing to go to their deaths for more than just freedom and their country.  They go to their deaths for God and for family and for truth.  These men join the military to fight for Truth.

Consider the thought that these men are in the military for a very, very specific reason.  A dear friend of mine said, after we finished discussing the reality that our lives are about to become very difficult, that if he goes to his death, "it will be for my friends and those that I love."  And indeed, if these men go to their deaths, it will be the same for them, and they will also go to their deaths for God.  In the words of the great Colonel Dick Winters: "I wasn't a hero in the war, but I served in the company of heroes."



In the movie The Watchmen, the main character, after learning his friend was behind a great number of evils in the world, was faced with a choice.  His friend offered him the world if he would come and join him, and not reveal the truth to the people.  The main character couldn't embrace this lie, and his friend threatened him with death.  The main character simply said, "I guess that's always been the difference between you and I, I will never surrender, not even at the risk of annihilation."

These men will not surrender, not even at the risk of annihilation.  Ultimately, these men will conquer.  Out of the ashes of destruction, heroes will rise.

Sleep well tonight, knowing that there are men in the military who take their task to heart.  Believe me, I have been blessed and honored to get to know them and serve alongside of them.

To Our Fallen.