2 Messages to the Military on Vets Day

These are both from the archives, but today seemed appropriate to revive them. The first recounts the day Buster, visiting Washington, DC and wearing his scout uniform, recieved a salute meant for our troops. An excerpt…

You see, last year, Buster visited Washington D.C. with his Boy Scout Troop. Buster is a big kid – over 6 feet tall, and built like a giant Scots warrior – and his scout uniform has a fair amount of decoration on it.

As he was leaving the Lincoln Memorial, he was stopped by an elderly gentleman who pulled himself fully erect and gave my son a grave and solemn salute. “Grazie,” he said, “grazie, Joe” followed by some more rapid-fire Italian.

Buster, who speaks a little bit of Italian, tried to explain that he was not a soldier, only a Boy Scout. “Grazie, but no…Boy Scout.”

The man said, “Ah, Boy Scout! Bene! Americani GI Joe, molto bene!”

Buster thanked him for appreciating our troops.

When he came home, he couldn’t wait to tell me this story; he said, “Ma, he looked like he was 80-90 years old ­ do you think he was around when we liberated Europe, and that’s what he was thanking me for?”

I suggested that perhaps he was thankful that Americani GI Joe, molto bene, is still on the job.

***

The second piece is an appreciation of our troops that I wrote back in June, when something – probably in the press – had ticked me off. An excerpt:

Dear Lord, our troops are scattered throughout the world, please bless and protect them. Please bless those soldiers who are injured, with skilled medics and doctors and nurses…bless those who are lonely with a sense of your nearness and consolation. Bless those who are afraid with the presence of your most excellent angels. Give them worthy chaplains, companionship, decent food, restful sleep, and most importantly a sense of satisfaction in duty and clear evidence of the differences they are making for the better, in the lives of those whom they currently train and protect in Iraq, and throughout the world. Guide their jeeps and convoys and ships and planes away from mines and enemy fire. And Lord, please, let them know, somehow, that while they are far away, and may often feel alone, they have the prayers and thanks of so many millions of us here at home, here in America, where life has more or less gone back to “normal” since 2001, thanks in huge measure to the troops I pray for tonight, and their CIC. Bless them all and keep them, Lord, and bless and comfort their families who miss them daily. We know that our troops have volunteered to put themselves in harms way for the benefit of all in this nation – even those who do not understand, do not wish to understand, will never understand – and we know that all they ask in return is that America keep the faith with them, and hang in there ’til the end, that America will not cut and run and render all of the work our troops have done, all of their sacrifices, meaningless. Pour out your blessings upon our troops, their families and our President, I ask in the name of Jesus, the Lord. Amen.