“Permit me, then, to recommend from the sincerity of my heart, ready at all times to bleed in my country’s cause, a declaration of independence; and call upon the world, and the great God who governs it, to witness the necessity, propriety and rectitude thereof…Let us, therefore, act like men inspired with a resolution that nothing but the frowns of Heaven shall conquer us.”
General Nathaniel Greene, who was one of General George Washington’s most trusted generals of the Revolutionary War, wrote those words on January 4, 1776, to his Rhode Island representative to the Continental Congress, Samuel Ward.
Those words so aptly describe the American Veteran. Whether we look upon the battlefields of Yorktown, Gettysburg, Havana Harbor, Verdun, the Ardennes Forest, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Kuwait City, Mogadishu, or the streets of Ramadi, our great American fighting men and women have been, “with sincerity of heart…inspired with a resolution,” to serve and die for our great nation and the cause of freedom. Veteran’s Day was originally known as Armistice Day and it was on November 11, 1918 that World War I ended. Upon signing the proclamation, President Woodrow Wilson ended with these words:
“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation.”
Veteran’s Day has always been special to me, not only as a veteran, but also as an American who is grateful for the ultimate sacrifice made by all our veterans, living or deceased, fallen on the battlefield or returning home to an either grateful or presumptuous nation. This Veteran’s Day is uniquely special to me because my late and great son Sergeant Eddie Jeffers gave his life in defense of his country just 54 days ago. Eddie believed in his cause and willingly gave his life for it; so have hundreds of thousands before him.
One question comes to mind on this Veteran’s Day, to me personally as both a Gold Star Dad and an American: “Am I worthy of this sacrifice?” As a Christian I know that I’m not worthy of the blood of Jesus Christ; it is a gift from God. But as an American, am I worthy of the sacrifice of our great veterans? Do I have an overwhelming love and gratitude for such a blessed nation as the United States of America? I pray so; I pray that when I meet my Jesus He will tell me, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.” I also pray that when I see Eddie and the rest of the great Christian soldiers who have gone before me, that they will also say, “well done thy good and faithful American.”
Being an American is a wonderful privilege and blessing; the great majority of inhabitants on earth want to be Americans. We are a model and a magnet for those who desire freedom; freedom to worship the god of their choice, to prosper, to live a life without fear of retribution for exercising such freedom. This blessed nation did not just come into to existence or evolve out of nothing. It was founded and is being sustained by the shed blood of truly Great Americans. That term Great American is severely overused today and has lost some of its luster, but to our wonderful vets, it completely describes them.
It seems only fitting that “one nation under God,” founded by Christians for the purpose of religious freedom and of life, liberty, and the pursuit happiness, that shed blood would be required. It is what Jesus did for our salvation, and it is what we have done and will continue to do to maintain our freedom.
My prayer for all of you is two-fold:
1. That you have accepted the wonderful, precious gift of salvation that is provided in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
2. That you will honor, cherish, and fulfill your civic duty of an American; doing so with great delight and assuming the responsibility that comes with the privilege of being an American.
I leave you with one quote and wish everyone a reflective and blessed Veteran’s Day. This quote is from John Quincy Adams and is a good reminder of what is required of every American citizen:
“Posterity—you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.”
Oh Dave, that was a beautiful way to express Veteran’s Day! I could say so much about how grateful I am to be living in this wonderful country, and how, as someone born in another country- that I realize just how much I am blessed and fortunate to be here. I don’t want to make this about me, although I too pray and hope I can be something positive for this country which has welcomed me. My family and I were out a little while ago doing some much needed yardwork, and we had one of our guys fly over in an F 16 (we get to see that often as they come from over in Homestead). Andy looked at me and said was it our guy?! I yelled “It sure is!” They make me so proud- it overwhelms me so that I usually tear up- and did so more this time. I am so grateful to be a child of Jesus, so proud to have a wonderful family, to live in the United States of America and so very proud and forever grateful for those who fought, and often died for my right to have all these Blessings. Thank you Dave for your service, and thank you for raising such a wonderful man as Eddie. God Bless you, and all our soldiers, Past and present. Love Carolyn
Dave,
Well articulated. I enjoy watching war stories, whether the old victory at Sea series, Vietnam diaries, Oliver North’s and various documentaries about our wars, current and past. When I see the faces of our finest on the battlefield and realize the tremendouse cost they paid to protect our way of life, my heart brakes, for in a sense, we don’t deserve their sacrifice, just as we didn’t deserve the sacrifice made on our behalf by the Son of God. But we, who know Christ and those of a similar mind set, understand that we are receiving a precious gift that needs to be honored and respected. Only men such as yourself know more fully what it means to give a son that others might live in freedom. My fondest desire, is that God would move to revive America once again to a knowledge of the savior. During several of the mightly revivals of the past, taverns closed due to a lack of customers, as did brothels and gambling dens. Church’s filled up and the land had respite from the sin and evil that plagued it. How desparately America needs a mighty move of God upon it. Evil appears to be surrounding us on every side and seems poised to strike a fatal blow on this great Republic. Only God can deter the wicked plans of men and devil. I used to see many many flags raised on Veterans days in the past, but see fewer and fewer in recent years. As those who fought in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the other wars fought in recent history die off, it’s being replaced by a generation that doesn’t see the big picture, but is blinded by sin and rebellion. I so often think that we didn’t deserve the sacrifice made by our fighting men. It’s one thing for men to die to protect our famillies and freedoms. It’s another thing to also protect a country that is turning more and more into Sodom and Gomorrah. But they are one package and can’t at the present be divided. The freedom currently available to abortionists, pornographers, prostitutes, thieves, kidnappers, adulterers, pedophiles and drugies are protected by men such as Eddie, even though I’m sure he abhored these things. But I trust he labored for the good people of America who he had in mind when he joined the service. But a division is coming and those who continue to follow their evil plans will be punished and the righteous will shine forth as the sun. I thank God for men like Eddie. Unselfish, brave, couageous, caring, and putting these things into action. Action of which we are the recipients. I’m glad that Eddie knew the Lord. It means a great deal to me that you allowed your son to fight for our freedoms and that men like Eddie went to a far away land, leaving the comforts of home and family to protect us. Thank you. I look forward to the day when I will see my savior and am presented to the father. I also look forward to meeting Eddie and giving him a big hug and thank him for his service to God and country. Lou
Dave,
The previous writer, Lou, should be nominated for Modern Day Prophet. I have been reading through Ezekial, and Lou sounds a lot like him.
Dave, what you have written is profound and moving. I came across this quote many years ago visiting some friends in Missouri. Here it is:
“These shall resist the empire of decay,
when time is over, and worlds have passed away,
cold in the dust the perished heart may lie,
but that which warmed it once, can never die.”
The spirit in Eddie, the ideals he fought for, the love he had for his country, and the Hope which he wrote about and felt as though it rode alone on his shoulders, will never die.
Men like you and your son, and many other brave men and women in this country will always make that hope live, will hold and will cherish it their hearts, will carry that hope onto the battlefields of the world, and will, by God’s grace, accomplish His will.
God Bless you on this Veteran’s Day
Cliff Jones
Dave,
What a fine tribute you wrote for Veterans! Eddie and many other have given the ultimate sacrifice to preserve freedom for all of us. The quote you closed your tribute with by John Quincy Adams is relevant to this day and I hope that we do make good use of the freedom that present and past generations of Veterans sacrificed so greatly for!
God Bless!
rochester_veteran