Veteran craftsmen of Byblos were on board as shipwrights to caulk your seams. All the ships of the sea and their sailors came alongside to trade for your wares.

• Ezekiel 27:9

These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:
Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.
Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.
Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

• 2 Samuel 23:8-12

The first Scripture above is the only mention of “veteran” in the NIV, but we are talking about military veterans when it comes to Veterans’ Day.

This is the first Veterans’ Day without my wife.  I think I might not do so well today.  Once I married my wife, Veterans’ Day became a big day.  She would search for Veteran benefits like a free donut or a free meal on Veterans’ Day.  Once we both became veterans, it was even more of a day to eat out.  I do not know if my emotions will let me leave the house.

My wife proudly served.  She would not shy away from being the only woman to stand when the church recognized veterans.  But she never, or rarely, talked about it.  Her commander abused her and then doctored the medical records to prevent my wife ever getting benefits.  The commander knew that she was about to be court martialed, but then they offered the commander a chance to retire and have her records expunged.  So, it would have been my wife, someone suffering from PTSD, against a decorated Lt. Colonel who retired to be a philanthropist of all things.

But if I were to choose my “Three” as the second Scripture mentions about King David, my wife was my first, the chief of my veteran three.

The second would be my platoon sergeant.  He struggled with alcoholism.  My first encounter with him was when he held a piece of pipe in his hand and if we, my commanding officer, his commanding officer, and myself, would just give him five minutes to rearrange a young private’s brain cells, the world would be a better place.  He calmed down and after I got to know the young private, I agreed with his sentiment, but just not the methodology.

But my platoon sergeant saved my neck many times.  He taught me more about being an officer and being a leader of men than I had learned in four years of ROTC classes and the other military or civilian courses on leadership combined.  He was my big brother who always had my back.

And I have to cheat regarding the third in my “Three.”  The photograph above is of my wife’s tombstone.  Her ashes are buried in a National Cemetery.  My third is anyone qualified to be buried next to her, whether a veteran or a spouse thereof.  Whether you served due to being drafted, served to avoid being drafted (which let you have more control over how you served), or you volunteered.  And even the wife who did not serve, whose ashes, or casket, are buried on top or below the veteran, and whose information is found on the back side of the tombstone in such cases.  Veterans’ spouses made tremendous sacrifices themselves.  When my wife joined me before going to Germany, she quit college in her senior year of nursing school, never having a chance to finish.

My point is that if you sacrificed in the defense of this country, you are the third of my “Three.”  Even the young private that needed his brain cells rearranged.

I salute you all.

And as my Eagle Scout days return to my memory, we should strive to honor our duty to God and Country.

Protect our freedom and defend the Constitution?  Yes.

Serve our risen Savior?  Service to God is the only thing that makes the rest of life make sense.

HAPPY VETERANS’ DAY

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.