My Soldier

Many years ago, December 1970, I welcomed a young soldier, a helicopter pilot, home from Vietnam.  He returned with a silver star.  He was a hero.  He did not feel like one. 

He was 19 years old when he left, but much older than his 20 years when he returned.  I will never forget the relief of knowing he was safe, but I did not understand that his battles were just beginning.  

I knew him as a boy when he left…that boy did not return from war.  To this day, my heart still grieves when I think of him and how his experience changed him.

Yes, the Lord can heal all wounds, but the scars remain and remind us of things we long to forget and cannot. 

I long for the day when all of his scars, and ours, vanish, and the memories are no more.  I long for that day when there is no more need for comfort and all will be well with his soul.  

But for now, we can only say “Thank you”…not really ever knowing what we are thanking them for; only God knows the depth of their sacrifice.

So to our valued veterans, thank you so much!