God Bless All Who
Have Served Our Country

As far back as I can remember on November 11, my  Dad, a World War II veteran, and my sister and I would face East at 11:00 a.m. and salute our veterans. Apparently, this was the custom from the beginning of the Veterans Day remembrance, and I think participating in some kind of Veterans Day Blessing renews our appreciation of the American way of life and those who fought and died to protect us.

Too, I am sharing an image of the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial this morning. High school buddies served and died there; my cousin came back from that war a shell of the man he was. I remember the first time I walked the length of the Memorial, just after it opened. Many Vietnam Vets, some in wheelchairs, shared this experience with me. They left little remembrances of their fallen friends. I saw families touch the name of the a loved one who was lost. This was one of the most heart-opening experiences of my life.

These days most of our children don’t even recite the original Pledge of Allegiance. I feel sad that they miss this wonderful opportunity to understand the principles our Founding Fathers stood for and brought forward in our Constitution. A friend sent me this YouTube. It’s Red Skelton’s Veteran’s Day Pledge of Allegiance. When you think that this show was live, that there were only 48 states at the time, I think you’ll be as amazed as I was when I  watched the video this morning. Sitting here with tears of joy, remembering all my family and friends who served in the Armed Forces, I humbly share this Veterans Day blessing: