Happy Memorial Day

So today is the day of parades, grilling out and rememberances. It's amazing to me what men and women have and are still willing to sacrifice for the rest of us. For our freedom people have been willing to stand in the gap. They've been willing to leave their homes only to head into a war zone to be shot at, to eat less than desirable food and work their tails off to protect this country and to hopefully provide freedom to other people. Most of us don't deserve this kind of sacrifice. We exploit our freedoms and take these wonderful heros for granted. My father was a in the Air Force and used to jump out of airplanes to help save fellow soldiers who went down in a crash or were in trouble for some reason or another. He doesn't elaborate on much, but has told us a few great stories. I don't have the slightest clue how scared he was or how much he hated it or if he enjoyed being a hero, he really doesn't take much glory in it even though he deserves it. One story I won't ever forget was one he told about when they jumped in on a situation where they were determining who was dead and who was alive. One of the medics pronouced the pilot of the aircraft that crashed as dead. My dad had to make the final call because he was the highest ranking officer there. When he went to check on the pilot, he found a pulse and that the man was still alive. They put an IV in his foot and ended up saving his life. That is a hero! I've often wondered where that man is and how his life turned out. I wonder if his family knew that my dad saved his life. I wonder if his children and grand children knew that if it weren't for my dad and his determination and tenacity in that situation there would be no children or grandchildren. I also wonder how many other countless stories there are just like this one that we've never heard about. Again, these people are amazing and deserve more than just one day to be remembered. Let's also remember to pray for those in service today and all of their families...that is the most powerful thing we can do for them. Prayer can changes everything.