My military service lasted from late 1968 to June, 1970. By serving thirteen-and-a-half months in Vietnam, I was able to get out of my active duty obligation without having to spend five months at Fort Hood, Texas. It gave me a few months to readjust to civilian life before returning to Law School in Washington, DC. But it did not prepare me for the intensity of the anti-war sentiment of the early '70's and the deep division the war had caused in our country. There was a drastic change in a very short period of time.
It took a long time to feel comfortable with my career objectives, my place in the work force and my role in society in general. In many ways I felt out of sync, unmotivated and not at home in my own skin, and unsure of where my life was headed.
There are moments, even now, when I wonder how I was able to make something of myself, get thru some rough emotional times and fit into a country which has changed so drastically in the past 50 years.
I am grateful for my "religious" transformation when I came to faith in Jesus Christ in 1999. I am grateful for the "arranged" meeting in Colorado with Karen, my wife of over 45 years and the life we have shared since then. I am grateful for the heart attack I suffered in 2008 and the subsequent Agent Orange disability I received from the VA and all the care I have received from them to this day.
I am grateful on this Veterans' Day for all the American military Veterans, all those who have served our country as first-responders in a variety of disciplines and those who reach out to help those in need, and those who currently serve our country in some very difficult assignments around the world. But, most of all, I am grateful to God for His mercy and grace, His care and compassion, His promise of a better tomorrow and an eternal reward, for His provision and protection, and for watching over me, when I was not able to watch over myself. In Him we have it all...............
Thank You, Lord.
Sent from my iPad
Amen!
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