Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. It's a day to honor those Veterans who have served our nation. On Memorial Day we remember those who are no longer with us. I'd like to remember my Dad today ( I know it's not Memorial Day-but this is my blog and I think I can take editorial control and post this)

Dad served in the Army (1st Infantry)where he was a Chaplain. He initally went overseas July of 1945 for the invasion of Japan (just 3 days after marrying my mom) and told us frequently had it not been for the Atom bomb dropped in August that he might not have been here.

He was stationed in parts of Japan in the Occupation and formed relationships with Japanese believers. I still have letters from some of these people that he ministered too, many of them sent pictures and stories of their families after the bombings.

I have his trunk (Army issued) with his name and serial number on it and have placed memories of his service to our country in that box for my kids to keep and remember. I also have many of his old sermons placed in a wooden box that he brought back from Japan.

One letter of interest to me is from Dad to his home church pastor. Evidently Dad was concerned with serving communion to people who weren't Baptist. He thought this might hinder him when he came back stateside to pastor very Southern Baptist churches. It was also an issue with him on Baptism too. The wise old pastor said "son, do not try to over analyze the situation. God has put you there to do the work. Do the work!" Good advice in a time of war.

Mom and Dad were separated for the first 2 years of their marriage. It was very difficult. I found one article that Mom clipped from an army magazine talking about how war marriages can survive. Their's did for 48 years.

He never really talked about that time over there. I know that he ministered to many men over there and that many of them came to Christ under his preaching. I'm sure that he's greeted many of those people in heaven.

Thanks Dad for serving Jesus and for protecting our country in her time of need.