I have been "celebrating" (if that is the correct term) Veterans Day for over half a century. I have watched hundreds of films showing both the devastation and victories of war. My favourite film on the subject is the 1941 classic "Sergeant York" starring Gary Cooper. As a boy, was that this man with such a violent temper made a complete turn-around when he came face to face with God - even to the point of refusing to go to war. He became a hero not because he wanted to kill, but because he wanted to stop the killing of his comrades in arms.
For the past 14 years I have been a participant in the "Remembrance Day" service here in Luanshya which is conducted on the Sunday nearest 11th November. For 11 of those years I have been the preacher at that service. In the past I have spoken on turning swords into ploughs, seeking peace through a relationship with Christ and thanking our fathers for the freedoms we enjoy. All of these messages were Biblically sound, but this year the service meant something more to me. This year we have a son in the military.
As I was preparing for the message I looked at the patriotic presentations sent to me by friends and family in a different light. The sacrifice offered by our fathers (both of whom served in the United States Navy) suddenly became more real. As I talked about the ultimate sacrifice made by (then) Northern Rhodesians – both black and white – in World War 2, I thought more about what a certain young man was preparing to sacrifice in service to his country:
our youngest son, Colin.Last week Colin telephoned and we spoke for over 30 minutes about his training and his plans. He made a comment that left me speechless for a moment: "Dad, I love my country and the more I am here the more I love it." Remember, this is a young man who never had the privilege of attending a high school football game, did not have a homecoming parade and never – not ever – heard the Star Spangled Banner played or The Pledge of Allegiance recited in school while in Zambia. In fact, he was almost always the only American in his class. We were criticised for encouraging him or even "allowing" him to enlist. His decision to enlist in the United States Air Force was entirely his decision and some members of his own extended family were not pleased. Colin's response: "My decision. My choice."
While we do not wave an American flag at our home or have a decal on our car here in Zambia (as suggested by the American embassy and the local police) we are proud of our young airman and look forward to seeing him in uniform some day.
Thank you for your prayers for us and our family,
Patrick & Sherry
