The poem “God and the Soldier” was perhaps written in the colonial days of our nation. This simply written poem is saturated with the wisdom that is relevant to our nation and our Memorial Day observance. Here is the poem:

“God and the Soldier”

God and the soldier
All men adore
In time of trouble,
Then no more;
The battles won,
And all things righted,
God is forgotten-
The old soldier slighted.

Unknown

After the storms have passed, it is astounding how quickly we forget those who have provided refuge.

An English writer, by the name of James Allen, wrote a sentence that made me pause and think for a time. Here is what he wrote, “No duty is more urgent than that of giving thanks.”

Memorial Day is a somber day. It is a day to remember our fallen warriors . . . those who have given their all while serving in our Armed Forces. With a grateful heart and a profound sense of duty, we remember them today. Surely we must agree, when it is all said and done, we are the beneficiaries of their sacrifice. Those who have given their lives in service to our country gave the life that they had, and the life that they would have had.

General George S. Patton was not a man who beat around the bush, nor did he sugar coat his words. General Patton said,”It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”

It is heartbreaking to see our nation in a precipitous decline. We are immensely blessed. Have we forgotten the cost of these blessings? Above all have we forgotten God the source of life itself? There is no better source to understanding life, nor is there a firmer foundation for a nation or an individual to build upon than the Word of God.

Today, Memorial Day, if someone asked me what I would recommend he do. . . I would tell him to give thanks; it is his most urgent duty. Give thanks to God and for the lives of those given on our behalf, and in our defense. Secondly, spend time and consider Jeremiah 6:16:

Stand at the crossroads and look;

Ask for the ancient paths, and walk in it,

And you will find rest for your souls.

But you said, “We will not walk in it.”

Our nation, composed of individuals, stands at the crossroad. Before we choose our path we should ask ourselves this question, “If I get where I am going, where will I be?” I pray that our decision will be to ask for the ancient paths. By God’s Grace, we will find rest for our souls.

Semper Fidelis
Terry L. Blose, Sgt. USMC
1969-1970, Danang, Chulai, RVN