Friday, August 3, 2012

One Battle Away

A young man left home early one morning knowing this was the right thing to do, he went down and signed his name on the dotted line so to say, loaded up with a large number of other scared faces to go off and defend his homeland just like his Daddy did, never to return home again.

He may have been killed in the first battle he was ever involved in, never hearing the bullet with his name on it, or he may have been looking into the face of the enemy as his life was taken away, some details never make it back home to the family as it really happened.

He may have advanced quickly through the ranks, leading other young men into battle, a born leader who is admired by all, and excels in everything he does, until the day he is captured and tortured as a military officer who in reality is actually no more than a boy.

Returning home he shares his experiences with no one, he no longer talks to anyone, unless in anger feeling no one understands, losing a leg is something you can’t fix he says, he moves away from his hometown feeling ashamed of who he has become in his mind.

He may have served his time proudly without any injuries, he is one battle away from coming home for good, he packed his gear and left for his final day in the field, his packed gear was loaded and shipped home at the end of the week, his body never recovered, a memorial service at the church to remember him does nothing to help his parents and young bride understand.

The majority of his friends made it home just fine, with tales of facing the enemy and defending our homeland with pride, respect for the men and women lost, and the ones recovering from injuries is a respect they will show for the rest of their lives.

Studying Civil War records of my ancestors is the inspiration for these scenarios, scary how many of our family members are going through the same things today, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Say a special prayer for the men and women who are defending our homeland today, pray for their safe return home, they are putting their lives on the line everyday to keep our freedom intact, and while you are at it remember our ancestors who stood up for us in the past, because without them we just may not be here defending the freedom they preserved for us then.

10 comments:

  1. Amen to that! Speaking of ancestors, do you use the paid one, or the work your butt even harder, one?

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    1. Hey Ms. A, I used the work your butt off one and researched the libraries when I was back in SC on vacation, now I have shelled out a few bucks and it has been worth it to me for what I have found, looking through Civil War service records and the info I have found sure answers a lot of questions.

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  2. well said. Fascinating isn't it how things really never change. God bless them all and the loved ones who wait for them...Amen.

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    1. Thank You Joanne, it is amazing how the same things seem to happen with each conflict as far as the sacrifices the soldiers and families at home suffer, yes I agree God bless them all.

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  3. Reading your post was quite sobering, Jimmy. Lest we forget is always on my mind so I pray for the military all the time. I have been amazed by the number of wounded men participating in our recent events. God bless them all.

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    1. The wounded coming home and getting themselves back together is really eye opening, there are so many going through this than we really know, we have to appreciate the sacrifice they went through to keep us safe.

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  4. Beautifully expressed post, Jimmy!

    And it is scary how many of our family members are going through the same thing today.

    "they are putting their lives on the line everyday to keep our freedom intact, and while you are at it remember our ancestors who stood up for us in the past, because without them we just may not be here defending the freedom they preserved for us then."

    Amen!

    God bless them ALL!

    Thanks for sharing this reminder, buddy!

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thank You Ron, Yes Sir God bless them all, our families have fought from day one to keep us free and to stand up for what is right, protecting our homeland is number one and this is what it always boils down to.

      A Great weekend to you also Buddy!

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  5. A lot of people have paid the price that allows us to live the way we do. I thank and respect those who have paid the price in the past and also those who will pay it in the future.

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  6. Yes Sir, Most do not realize the sacrifices made to keep our freedom, as many who paid the price till now is only a drop in the bucket, compared to the price we will pay to keep it sad to say.

    You have to respect those who stand for us daily.

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