Eddie Lowe
Just A Thought
John 15:13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
To say I am proud of my country would be an understatement. As we reflect on our nation’s 250th anniversary this year, my mind goes to this scripture and the meaning behind some of the words. Look at the word “lay.” In the original Greek, this word means “to put down.” The word “life” in Greek means “breath.” No injustice is done by summarizing this verse by saying, “The greatest love is when someone gives up their last breath for you.”
In the graveyard here at Piney Grove Baptist Church, there are some 71 veteran graves. By my best count, there are four World War I graves, 29 World War II graves, one World War II and Korea marker, 13 Korea graves, nine Vietnam markers, and one Iraq marker. There are also approximately 14 enlisted men’s graves.
To me, that is astounding.
Some 70 men landed on foreign soil in the face of danger so that you and I could live free.
A common trait among veterans I have known is silence when asked about their service. In my own family, there were veterans. I had an uncle who fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. I had another who served in Korea. There are distant cousins who served in Vietnam. All saw the horror of war and came back to live normal lives while quietly living under the shadow of sights and sounds nobody but a fellow veteran could understand.
Up in the foothills of Round Peak, there is a marker for my great-great-grandfather, who served in the Civil War.
Our country was founded on the pursuit of liberty and freedom. But what does freedom cost?
For the men in our church cemetery, modern-day freedom asked them to sacrifice part of their youth. As I look upon their markers, I can only imagine the thunderous roar of a German 88 gun or the horror of a landing craft door being pelted with machine gun fire on the shores of Normandy.
I have heard personal stories from a door gunner in Vietnam who, at the end of every day, washed the blood of fallen soldiers from the helicopter after they had been picked up from the battlefield.
Another story shared by an elderly janitor one rainy day stunned me. He said rainy days were difficult for him. When I asked why, his simple response was, “I brought something home from Germany.” Curious, I asked more questions and learned he still carried shrapnel in his leg from World War II, something he rarely ever spoke about.
Imagine the fear of being far away from the Blue Ridge Mountains while digging into the soil of Korea. Imagine enduring the heat of the Vietnam jungle at 20 years old while the enemy lurked overhead in the canopy.
Many stories passed down through generations are easily forgotten by those who never served.
George Santayana once wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Later, Winston Churchill paraphrased the same thought by saying, “Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it.”
To close this month’s article, I would also like to pay respect to a special soldier buried in our church graveyard: PFC Adam Marion, recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. PFC Marion was killed in action in Iraq. His tombstone reads, “Freedom isn’t free.”
Those simple words carry profound meaning.
To have freedom, someone must pay.
Whether it is the sacrifice of life, the sacrifice of time, or even a sacrifice some people never consider, the prayers of a mother or father for a child serving far from home, freedom always comes at a cost.
A father who served but never came home. A mother who answered the call to service and spent months away from her family. An uncle who returned from combat but never fully seemed whole again.
These heroes, whether still among us, buried in foreign soil, or resting quietly in graveyards we pass every day, gave the greatest love.
They deserve our support. They deserve our respect.
Freedom is not free.
