Honoring the Sacrifice for Freedom

I'm Jim Daly this is Focus on the Family today is Memorial Day a time when we honor the sacrifice for freedom. I would like to honor and leave you with Guild number third 2004 during Iraqi freedom. I McIntyre died in the Korean War. You are to meet you tomorrow. I will work to enrolling with healed Vietnam in 501 S. Cardinal.

They both took part in the Battle of the Bulge and was killed in action James Mauldin. The guide is normally the I left my brother that going away about a year ago, an army sergeant serving in Afghanistan.

His name was Gary Reed Clotfelter, he died in the jungles of Vietnam in 19 nine.

JW won't forget you anytime soon, some moving recollections of loved ones and friends who gave their lives for our freedom. And it's our hope that today on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, you'll be inspired to reflect about the price of freedom and to remember we got some incredible stories of loved ones who gave their lives serving our country and John. These are just names on the list. Every person who is not only served our country but died as a result of defending our freedoms they deserve to be honored and to be remembered and today we want to do that we want to provide you with stories that you can hang onto soldiers don't think of their wants and their needs in the midst of battle.

There focused on the mission and we had the privilege of speaking with someone who was right there who did that Dave Reber he was a Vietnam vet and nearly lost his life in July 1969, serving with the U.S. Navy. If you didn't hear that conversation.

We got the CD of it, just checked the link in our episode notes. Dave now provides comfort to our men and women of the military. He speaks around the world and a lot of our bases to encourage these men and women to remember what's most important in life and what they're doing in the honor of their service. Here's a short conversation I had with Dave Reber on today's Focus on the Family. Dave had some fantastic unbelievable opportunities to watch God answer prayer. You talked about some of those tells about how God answered your prayer to comfort the friend of a fallen soldier whose casket was being flown even hard to say but being flown from Baghdad. Many of us have been on those flights were the fallen have been scurried back home. It's one of those fascinating God jigsaw puts it together.

You don't even have the framework if you don't have a boundary to pick and choose from. I was on a deal detour is a resiliency coach with the conference soldier fitness program, which is what I do as a contractor for my country and I got in at 1159. Midnight rolled up to a stop beside a big C-130 and bingo is midnight. I stepped off that plane my feet hit the ground. 12 o'clock midnight and I jumped on around around and was standing behind C-130 as they offloaded casket knots not call that the time Scott transfer case or something other than that it's only a casket after sent home for internment and as it was sitting there.

The lights were bright on me and the attending chaplain recognized me from the Air Force Academy where I spoken for graduation and he's a mystery for jointly and I walked up and as I did walked up the ramp.

I looked into the eyes of these young warriors who were standing for attention was still mud and blood in spring gunpowder from the morning battle and the last officer killed in the war in Iraq. His remains in that transfer case were laying there and the chaplain says join me.

It was a God moment as I walked up look at those 19-year-old average age young warriors stood behind the skull of the casket for the civilian and he said to me chaplain, would you pray and I just prayed out loud. I prayed first for the gentleman's mom and dad when you would would pray for his parents and then I prayed for those young warriors standing still and smart attention for that prayer at the ramp at the back of that C-130 and then it just popped in my head and I said got some work back home. There's the very best friend is very best friend since someone to comfort his very best friend.

I heard the wind of a Black Hawk is the blade cookie that a nightmare of Baghdad hope my eyes. My general that I was assigned to Stephanie's watch showing me the circle finger tell me it's time to get on.

So I finished the prayer jumped on the Black Hawk and started my holiday tour.

It was for Thanksgiving on the trip back many many hours sitting all across the Atlantic could not go to sleep. I got to the United States, and of course everything goes through Atlanta and I'm sitting over there. I don't think the trouble sound without us having to get a passport and boarding pass through Atlanta and I'm sitting there and I look up and the departure time is posted on a little marquee for 1159 and my mind raced all the way back to when I landed, and I remember that whole moment. It was so clear, I looked at and being a little worn out, totally worn.

I went over to that agent has to leave at 1159 the leave at midnight.

You know it and you just say 1159 so you get your paycheck to include the hours of today, instead of postpone for week right. She said no will leave Olympic knots and that we will really midnight. She said 1159 a signalman arguing over 60 seconds and she went down does whatever those people do to get the airplane ready came back up and I saw her face and it was not a she was not a happy camper. I walked over and I said all right were not leaving at 1159 I said, she said were both wrong.

There's an estimate power leaving at 3 AM. I went across the aisle and here's where the miracle starts.

I sat down and suddenly for the first time in that darkened gate. There's no airplanes, leaving its quiet the lights around.

I've got three hours of rest I got sleepy for the first time after that to her in a rack. I started to doze off, and suddenly I feel a bump in a lookover and a man came up and did not sit down beside me sat down up against me.

I don't like people touching me, especially when I don't know and I pulled my shoulder away and I looked over ready and I said a four letter word mood and when I said good surprise then appointed had to be a thousand that the tar portal.

I said I said Sir I'm sorry but he said I saw your backpack in your desert boots are you coming home are you soldier coming home from the war and I'm thinking all know he thinks were to lose the war from a soldier so I told them what I did as a resiliency coach etc. etc. and then out of courtesy answer for you coming from. He so I'm coming from the memorial of my very best friend and when he said those words very best friend my hairpiece to I looked at him and I said your very best friend. He said yes or he was killed.

I said in Iraq. He said Sir yes Cindy I said I Second Lieutenant. Oh, Sir, yes, the price of Thanksgiving said he was the last officer serving this guys not touching the night sit back, his eyes a bit. He said Mr. who are you and I said I am the man on the mission to come to tell you the rest of the story about your best friend how he died, he gave his life, respect, and then I turned I said after complete dossier on that investment. I said, and there's another best friend went who was the last in his name was James and he's Capt. right there.

I introduced him to a brand-new very best friend right there God that started weeks before going through the backside of the earth to make one kid airport in Atlanta. Never everything that you're alone. God knows God loves one.

As much as he loves such passion and heart is retired Vietnam veteran Dave Reber.

He is still serving our country looking for opportunities to point people to Jesus Christ so that God might do a miracle in their lives. And wow, what an amazing man to be sensitive to that young man who would just lost his theory best friend when Dave pointed him toward the very best friend. He could ever have.

Jesus Christ and maybe maybe you've lost a loved one recently to whether they served in the military or not, you know.

Proverbs 1824 says that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother and God understands he feels your pain and that verse meant a lot to me when I was that orphan kid growing up in this case, God lost a son to crucified by Roman soldiers in a brutal death, God watched his son die but it was so that we might be free and you can learn more about spiritual freedom that comes from a relationship with the captain of the host is Dave Reber just described him when you read our online booklet called coming home an invitation to join God's family. No one's going to force you to do it. It has to be from your heart and from your free will. That's how God wants it. He doesn't want a robot. He wants you to say I choose you, Lord, save me, and when that happens man. He is in your heart for eternity. Learn more about that coming home book and the most important decision you'll ever make. We got the link in our episode notes and that were going to turn a corner now and hear some of your stories about your heroes. Let's start with Jule from North Carolina.

My brother and the Marine 18 years old was 42. Now they just called, they remain and we are waiting for them to bring him back to Tampa, Florida, winking all military on where so with his family. We will know we got I'm calling about the mountain. There was a captain in the US Marine Corps. He died in 19 2008 in Afghanistan by way of an that he would definitely want to live life to live life courageously love God holy family gracefully love.

Thank you for the alternate great uncle Emily. He joined me in the Civil War really find that that was a great letter writer my great great uncle Chris and Mike writing our people and create an image of God. Here Steve story Leslie when he worked the wallpaper. I'm sure they don't harm it not interesting that He was assigned to the hundred and first Airborne Division known as the screaming Eagles.

Cindy was sent to Vietnam to deliver December 1969. He said he had a date. The war would be over figured out himself. He said April 12, 1970. We will all be home everything which I would receive a letter like this to return home in Oklahoma City to mail letters and love gospel tract in March that in seven letter stated in the year for over 10,000 miles been saved and made peace with God. Brandon and his two best friend to work the door came in the door looking very sad tears flowing. They told me I felt like I love you brother so close upgrade with rollover said well remind them of sleep home 1275 centers are April 12, 1930 home home with Jesus Christ ago. The city's hometown.

I'm calling my father, Maj. Billy Jenning. He was killed in a crash in 1966 and he was concluding his year-long assignment in the Republic of Vietnam. Even as early as 19 for the war in Vietnam, but already grossly unpopular and shallow support for this elders and their families in the military community at Fort Benning, Georgia, where we live. My little brother's first grade teacher, organized a letter writing campaign from her children to soldiers in Vietnam doesn't letters to my father and his men and returned my father wrote a letter to the first-graders in which he explained why he and their father's brother uncle friend was hiding in a tiny country so far away.

He wrote dear Mrs. Harold and first-graders at key school. Thank you so much for your nice letter I've read each one and I deeply appreciate your reference very proud of your fathers and I assure you there is nothing that they would like more than any home with you right now. However, because they believe as strongly in the basic American heritage that men be free throughout the world. They make it for me here because we are a rich free country. Other smaller, less fortunate countries look to us for guidance. This is not the first time and will probably not be the last time that brave man like your father's lap to help another country against an enemy that would destroy and take away those things that are so dear to us. Thank you for being such wonderful children like you always enjoy the freedom that Americans everywhere have always cherished and held so dear.

Sincerely, Billy K name nature United States Army almost 50 years and five name-calling and the abandonment non-veteran.

This letter has helped my brother and I to know that our father sacrifice, nor those of all war veterans was not in pain. In 1991 was provided to the rank of major in United States Air Force and with my father's Oakleaf. I'm so grateful for his legacy and for the service of all our men and women in especially made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and our freedom that my brother always slam on the cloud today and found that I was nominated United States Academy highlight even caught a lot of different pilots in various countries. The client and he was killed 1990 doing what he believed in doing what he believed.

That certainly fits so many of the brave men and women who have served and are serving today in our Armed Forces were celebrating Memorial Day with you as we feature some powerful stories from family members and friends who want to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom of the stories are so important and worthy of our consideration and if I may, let me recommend you spend some time doing that today because it's so easy to treat. Today is just another holiday where we fire up the barbecue have some fun together as a family and there's nothing wrong with that. Take the time to enjoy each other's company for sure, but we also need to consider what Memorial Day truly means, and why were celebrating it. What's the point.

Well, it's that these heroes we been hearing about their service and sacrifice on our behalf. They've given it all to help us enjoy our freedoms and I want to encourage you to share the stories with others with your family and your children, especially because the stories are part of our history as a nation and we dare not forget them. And with that we have one more story from Dave Reber we mentioned before that he's a veteran of the Vietnam War served as a brown water black beret in a gunboat patrolling the rivers of Vietnam until a grenade altered his life forever. Today Dave has a ministry of encouragement to our active military troops offering them hope and perspective even as they prepared to lay down their lives on the line for this nation peered out the story he shared with us about a trip he took to Iraq that day. When you are in Baghdad you had a chance to hold the soldier can even mention this hold the soldier in your arms as he gave his life for this country talk about that experience he was 19 years old. He was from Indianapolis, Indiana.

I was the right math right time right places.

I would put the steps of a righteous man ordered of Lord I didn't know when I had just arrived just got off your point that in our little short get together for making our plans already was lit up at one time.

When that happens it's not good. Something big happened and five were hit 3.2 would live to had already died but one was 100% 3rd° and as I rushed up the steps. One of the attending physicians recognize me and he said to Dave that way fast and they ported me and I got into his room and I slipped my long under his head and all the skin peeled off. He was fully conscious and but he was blinded, but the eardrums are deep set and they were sick, they survived he could hear and I just cradled Hill and I said to him I said you know that this is not hospital it's a sanctuary and you know that this is not the gurney. It is an altar and you know you are more than a soldier. Your sacrifice upon the altar freedom and only half of the grateful. I have come today to tell you thank you. And when I said the two words. Thank you. His body shuddered drifted off and it was the last I cradled his head, only for another second is the doctors came in and they try to continue his life as best they could and what happened after that. I'm not privy to, other than the fact that he did not like course could not make Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to Mrs. Bixby he said is cutting my attention to the war Department that 575 of your sons died gloriously on the field of battle for the he said my words cannot assuage your grief nor are they intended. But he said I must say, and I'm not quoting in that part but I do quote what he said in the license that addressed her the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice on the altar freedom gentleman at this I say these words Tristan theologically that they are sent. But I want to say to God himself. The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice on the cross for your son Jesus on Memorial translates John Fuller special Focus on the Family episode featuring some stories from Vietnam veteran Dave Reber, along with several reflections from listeners like you wanted to honor friends and family members who died while serving and protecting our nation. Jim as we were listening along. I was so moved and I realize this Memorial Day takes on special meaning for me. Last year we went to Arlington Cemetery. My uncle Perry had served in Vietnam. His lifelong career in the Air Force and I he's buried there in Arlington and that place and that ceremony just riveted in my heart how special this country is in the lives that were given for our freedom. That is so good.

John, as I said earlier I hope this program has caused everyone to stop and reflect today that we have so much to be thankful for our quality of life and safety. We enjoy the freedom of speech and our religious freedoms. All of these were bought with a price from those early patriots who fought for America's independence for all the years of all the wars and battles to preserve the ideals that this great nation stands for and all of that is possible because of the heroes we been hearing about today.

Now, even if your family doesn't have any direct ties to the military. We all benefited from their sacrifice and service and what I'd like to recommend during this pandemic is at least as were beginning to be out and about. If you see somebody from a proper distance just say thank you.

If you have an opportunity buy them a coffee or something like that just let them know that you're recognizing their service to this great country. I think that be a great way to celebrate. We love to hear from you as well. Dave Reber has written an amazing book about his own military service and how God saved them when so many thought he would never survive. I love that both war and recovery the spiritual journey will be happy to send a copy of that to you to make a generous donation of any amount today Focus on the Family you can make a contribution online or when you call us. We got details in the episode.

Of course we have that free booklet. Jim mentioned both online and send a hard copy for you find that on the website as well. On behalf of Jim Daly, and the entire team. Thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family I'm John Fuller inviting you back. As we once again help you and your family thrive