VETERANS DAY 2017

As I stand here this morning there are four that I know of who are veterans: John Clayton, Dane Gift, Bill Salmons, and me, Richard Hoyt. [We have several others who were not at our worship on November 12: Larry Fox, Dave Pickens.] We all have different “stories” to tell, but there is a common thread. Whether we were a Marine, Army, Navy, or National Guard, we all served our country.

I was at a Veterans' service in Germantown Hills, Illinois, at the invitation of my youngest grandson and saw a cavalcade of veterans. There was a Second World War woman who served and has three sons who all have served. There were the Korean War vets with their baseball caps signifying that they had served. There were the Vietnam veterans who had the privilege of taking advantage of the Central Illinois “Honor Flights” to Washington, DC, along those who served in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and current service members. It does not matter when or where — we all served.

About the Second World War veterans families: I had four uncles who all returned from service. I have served, my son has served, and my granddaughter has an Air Force ROTC scholarship to Michigan Technological University for next fall. I would also like to honor the mothers and wives. My grandmother had a four star “Blue Star” flag. There are at least two mothers here who have a Blue Star banner. They served in support.

At the service Friday the whole school was in the gymnasium (K – 8). A chorus of first graders sang, the eighth grade chorale sang a medley of patriotic songs, and the band play each of the services' songs — Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marines and no one kneeled. It was sight to see. Even some of the classes were dressed in red, white, and blue, and as they sat in the bleachers they formed the flag. Obviously the teacher had this planned! It brought me to tears!

During the time I served in an aviation battalion the biggest piece of equipment that we had was a “Deuce and a Half” [an M35 2½-ton cargo truck] (other than a CH-47 Chinook helicopter). The Peoria Air Guard had several pieces of equipment on display for the children. One was so big that the tires came up to my head with two sets of steering axles and two sets of drive axles. What was neat was the sergeant could “rattle” off the military number and everything it could do in one sentence without taking a breath! A PVC just stood there and was silent — obviously they were well trained! I can remember looking at a Huey helicopter in flight school and thinking that “I can never be able to fly something like that,” but I have flown it for over 700 hours.

As the rest of the congregation sits here this morning, take the time to honor the veterans. It has only been in the past few years that people think about them. But at Martin's yesterday when we received our “free lunch” the cashier was sure to thank each of us for our service.

Also, today all of us here are veterans of another service — our service to the Lord. Every one here has their “story” to tell how the Lord has blessed them and how they have shared the Lord to others. Each of us has a talent to use and have and continue to use it for His service.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

Written by Richard P. Hoyt, 2017, Dowagiac Church of Christ