The following is an excerpt from a Memorial Day speech I delivered in 2017 to the Rothbury Community Church Congregation. I thought it was fitting to re-use it here.
During his speech at the Vietnam memorial dedication on Nov 11, 1984, President Ronald Reagan perfectly articulated what it means to lose a soldier, Reagan Said,
“There is a special sadness that accompanies the death of a soldier, for we’re never quite good enough to them-not really; we can’t be, because what they gave us is beyond our powers to repay. And so, when a soldier dies, it’s a tear in the fabric, a break in the whole, and all we can do is remember.
I stand here today as a former soldier who has been, and will forever be, changed by war and the gift of life donated freely by my brothers and sisters in arms, who sacrificed all for a nation of millions, most of whom they never knew.
Before I begin in earnest I feel it only fitting to address my sense of utter unworthiness to be delivering a speech on this occasion. The accumulation of all the accomplishments of my life pale in comparison to the deeds of the brave men and women we honor today.
It is with this in mind that I poured my heart into crafting the most elegant, respectful, and poignant delivery possible. My goal was the perfect combination of thankfulness, remembrance, and honor. A speech that would stir the heart and touch the soul in a perfect balance of honor and nostalgia.
Try as I might, I continually failed to appropriately articulate the memory of those who epitomize the word of God laid down in John 15:13:
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.“
I am not sure how long it took but after many hours of struggle I realized that to continue in this manner was an act of futility. Instead of trying to create the perfect speech I decided to let the hero’s honor themselves:
On January 25, 2008 in the Konar Province of Afghanistan, Staff Sergeant Miller and his small element of U.S. and Afghan soldiers engaged a force of 15 to 20 insurgents occupying prepared fighting positions.
Staff Sergeant Miller initiated the assault by engaging the enemy positions with his vehicle’s turret-mounted Mark-19 40 grenade launcher while simultaneously providing detailed descriptions of the enemy positions to his command, enabling accurate close air support.
Following the engagement, Staff Sergeant Miller led a small squad forward to conduct a battle damage assessment. As the group neared the small, steep, narrow valley that the enemy had inhabited, a large, well-coordinated insurgent force initiated a near ambush, assaulting from elevated positions with ample cover.
Exposed and with little available cover, the patrol was totally vulnerable to enemy. As point man, Staff Sergeant Miller was at the front of the patrol, cut off from supporting elements, and less than 20 meters from enemy forces. With total disregard for his own safety, he called for his men to move back to covered positions as he charged the enemy.
While maneuvering to engage the enemy, Staff Sergeant Miller was shot in his upper torso. Ignoring the wound, he continued to push the fight, moving to draw fire from over one hundred enemy fighters.
He then again charged forward to allow more of his teammates to safely reach cover. After killing at least 10 insurgents, wounding dozens more, and repeatedly exposing himself to withering enemy fire, Staff Sergeant Miller was mortally wounded. His extraordinary valor ultimately saved the lives of seven members of his own team and 15 Afghanistan National Army soldiers.
At only 19 years old Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by performing acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. On December 4th, 2006 PFC McGinnis was serving as an .50-caliber Machine Gunner as part of the 26th Infantry Regiment in the Northeast section of Baghdad, Iraq.
That afternoon his platoon was conducting combat control operations in an effort to reduce sectarian violence in the area. While manning the .50-cal Machine Gun, a fragmentation grenade thrown by an insurgent fell through the gunner’s hatch into the vehicle. Reacting quickly, he yelled “grenade,” allowing all four members of his crew to prepare for the grenade’s blast.
Then, rather than leaping from the gunner’s hatch to safety, Private McGinnis made the courageous decision to protect his crew. In a selfless act of bravery, in which he was mortally wounded, Private McGinnis covered the live grenade, pinning it between his body and the vehicle and absorbing most of the explosion. Private McGinnis’ gallant action directly saved four men from certain serious injury or death.
There is no heroic story detailing all the amazing deeds accomplished by Specialist (SPC) Brown. Like most fallen soldiers, there is simply the story of a wonderful person who gave his life too soon in defense of our county.
Specialist (SPC) Lunsford Brown was one of the kindest and easiest going people I have ever met. He was a gentle giant who had a quiet demeanor and a charming friendliness. A friend to all including my wife Kara and I (Kara was closest to him as they were in the same company and worked next to one another for most of their deployment). Brown was the kind of soul who was impossible to dislike, his smile was infectious, and his presence simply made any situation better.
SPC Brown was killed on September 20th, 2003, in a mortar attack on Abu Ghraib prison. He left behind his wife Sherrie and their three-month-old baby girl Amber. Brown is missed and will continue to be remembered by his friends and battle buddies.
I know of nothing more appropriate on this occasion than to ask the question… “What brought these men here; what motive led them to welcome death in the blink of an eye without hesitation?
Your thoughts, like mine, naturally and immediately drift to words like duty, honor, heroism, gallantry, and courage.
While those are noble ideals I can tell you that having seen death, felt true fear, and although not the popular thing to say… I would not willfully run into harm’s way simply out of a sense of duty. I would not trade life for honor. Nor would I bargain my future to be a hero. As for the ideal of courage, I would ask what drives courage? Why would someone be courageous? Why would someone have courage to the point of death?
1st Corinthians 13 says,
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
You see true Courage does not exist absent of love. Men may try to disguise it as Duty, Honor, Heroism, and a host of other ideals, but hidden deep at the root of those values is love, and to sacrifice life takes love. Love for each other, love of country, love of family, love of ideals, love of your brother, love of your friends, and most importantly the love of God.
I believe the answer is always love, and there is no love greater than the love of God. A love so strong and so perfect that he sacrificed his son for his creation. God loves us even though at times we don’t seek to know him. He loves us even though we are vial, sinful, and undeserving people. He loves us despite ourselves. He is the creator of perfect love and sacrifice. Whether our broken world acknowledges it or not, it is love that allowed the brave men and women we remember today to perform their heroic acts.
So on Memorial day I ask you to be proud of the soldiers that give their lives in our service, be sadden by the fact that these heroes are lost, reflect upon why the world is in a state where a heroes sacrifice is needed, and understand that the love of God is the only way to truly be free!