Earlier this summer, Wreaths Across America (WAA) Chairman, Wayne Hanson, attended the Annual Gold Star Mothers convention, this year located in Las Vegas, as a way to show our continued support and dedication to our mission. From the article below here is his address to the congregation there, on behalf of Wreaths Across America: “I know that if Karen was here today she would be speaking to you about WAA’s mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the children the value of freedom as she has done so well in the past. For those of you who were at Arlington National Cemetery this past December for the wreath laying, you heard Karen give a very emotional speech about the importance of “character” and how character played an important part in the lives of many of our fallen American heroes. I would like to speak to you today about Service and Sacrifices. The service of your loved ones and the sacrifices made by them and each of you. Throughout history, we as Americans can be proud of the men and women who served our country or are currently serving in our country’s military. A task today that they say is only taken up by 1% of Americans. However, it is through the service and sacrifices of your sons and daughters that we continue to live in the land of the free, because of the brave. Of course as each of you well know, in their service to their country, many have made the ultimate sacrifice and have died protecting our freedoms. I call these individuals Warriors. They came from all walks of life, good and decent sons and daughters, from farms and cities all across this country. They once may have served us hamburgers at a fast food joint or delivered the local newspaper to our door. They played baseball or soccer, were boy scouts or girls scouts, attended church in support of their beliefs, and maybe sometimes even got into a bit of trouble. But then something made them take stock of what it meant to be an American and each of the individually and voluntarily took on the obligation to put other Americans above their own self interest. They chose to serve in our Nation’s military to defend and protect is from harm and evil even when they did not have to, regardless of the outcome. They each understood the commitment – Duty, Honor, and Country. Again, I call the Warriors. Throughout history, Warriors have served to protect their homes and families from harm. They fought to preserve and protect our freedoms knowing that their service might reqire the ultimate sacrifice of their lives and the suffering of their loved ones who would deeply miss them. General Douglas MacArthur once said, “the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.” While they didn’t start these battles, no one deserves peace more than today’s Warriors and their families for they know the true cost of freedom. The Bible in St. John in Chapter 15, Verse 13 says “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” No one here today knows that better than you folks sitting here. For each of you have suffered the loss of a Warrior who didn’t flinch when their country called on them. They died protecting us and others from the savages of war, insuring the blessings of liberty and freedom for all. As a veteran who served in Vietnam, I was fortunate to be able to safely return home to my family and friends to continue my life. I cannot personally relate fully to the suffering each of you must have gone through when you received that early morning telephone call or knock on the door by a casualty officer informing you of the loss of your Warrior son or daughter. I can however, relate somewhat to the loss of a child as I lost my youngest daughter Julia, to her battle with cancer at the age of 30. None of us lived our lives thinking we would have to bury our children. That is not the way life was supposed to be. Please know that your Warriors are all heroes and they and each of you deserve our utmost thanks for their service and sacrifices. We owe them a debt we can never repay for they didn’t live to become veterans and experience the happiness of returning home to their families and friends, or to marry their childhood sweetheart and grow old and become grandparents. Time will not diminish their glory, service, or sacrifices. They will be forever young. In spite of your deep personal loss, I am confident that American will continue to remain the land of the free, because of the brave, so long as we never run out of Warriors like your sons and daughters who are willing to step forward and fight against those seeking to do us harm. They will never be forgotten. Thank you and God Bless you all.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 13:20:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015