Today my veteran husband gets a free Subway sub or small 7-11 slurpee as a thank you for his service to our country. A haircut for $3.99 if he wants it. A discount at the bowling lanes. A blooming onion. While we certainly appreciate the gestures of gratitude from our communities on Veteran's Day, I would like to share with you a "thank you" you have probably never heard before--but you should. The following was written to a group of Marines by Naval Chaplain Lt. Daniel Nichols, but it applies to all veterans of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you can get through this without crying, you are a stronger person than I am!
Have you stopped recently to consider what it is that you’ve accomplished? I’m not certain if many of you have been able to witness new-born liberty, but just a few miles north of us, hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing what we take for granted every day—for the very first time. Let me relate an experience shared with me only a few weeks ago. I’ll do my best to give the telling it’s due. A corporal with Division had been on a routine soda run, and like other times, a small crowd of children gathered around to watch. As was his normal routine, the young marine offered candy to the delight of those gathering nearby. Upon completing his purchases, the marine turned to find an older Iraqi man standing before him holding a broken cross. Puzzled, the corporal asked if he needed some help, all the time mindful and somewhat intimidated by the growing numbers around them. “I am a Christian,” said the man, holding up the broken cross, trying to connect with the young man. The marine smiled, nodded, and moved to the side to be on his way, but the man insisted in his broken English. “I am a Christian, you are American; I thank you.” The marine turned, puzzled by the exchange, offered another smile. “I could probably fix that cross for you if you like,” he replied. The older man smiled, clearly not understanding. “Never could I carry such a thing before, not in public, would kill me.” He made a distinct motion with his hand, crossing it over his throat. “You, American marine, saved me, wife, and children.” Again, the marine nodded. “You’re welcome,” he managed after a long pause. Then he turned, climbed back in his truck, and looked back one last time at the man. “I pray for you... for Marines!” shouted the man over the din of the motor. Then he lifted the cross and declared, “Freedom!” Marines, no matter how tedious your tasks may seem, you have brought freedom to a people long oppressed, and their gratitude to you will last for generations. Perhaps you will never know exactly how it is that you have changed the lives of these people, but you have and continue to do so every day, with every flight hour, every shift, every turned bolt, every floor swept, every report printed. Few else can claim the same. “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9) Prayer: Eternal God, give us courage to labor as your servant people, healing broken people and rebuilding devastated communities, providing safety for the weak and hope to those who have none. Position us among the poor with words and deeds of freedom.
*The above is an excerpt from the book Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan, a Gold Medal Winner from the Military Writers Society of America in 2010. Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front won the gold medal in 2013. For more stories of faith and courage, also see the World War 2 and Vietnam War editions.
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