15 Years Old

I met a man a few days ago who had to be in his 80s or 90s. He was wearing a hat that had a logo on it that read, "Veterans of Underage." I rarely miss an opportunity to thank military veterans when I see one. This day was no different. Assuming his hat meant he was one of those men who lied about his age when he signed up for military service, I asked him how old he was when he enlisted. He response floored me. "I was 15," he said.

Immediately my mind raced back to the days when I was 15. Days when you could find me hanging out with my friends. Days you would see me playing baseball, or football, or some game on Atari 2600. Yet, here was a man who suited up in military attire, took up arms and set out to free the world from madmen like Hitler and Mussolini. What a contrast!

I can't help but wonder what his mom thought the day he came home and told her he had enlisted. To be honest, its hard to imagine. For those of us born after that generation, I truly believe we have no clue. It was a different world then. A world in which boys didn't lose themselves in a virtual gaming world. No, this was the real deal. A world in which you didn't get unlimited lives. This was a world where the blood was real and the risk was high. This was a time when heroes weren't rock stars or athletes. It was a time when our heros where boys who were willing to preserve our freedom even if it meant losing their very lives.

I didn't have time to hear this man's whole story, but I'm sure he had one that would have kept me on the edge of my seat and brought me to tears. I struggle a bit when I see men like this because I know they won't be with us much longer. What a tragedy it will be, and how much poorer we will be when that generation is no longer with us.

I look around and I see a world consumed with this idea of entitlement. A world that's screaming for their rights and what they deserve. A world for the most part unwilling to make any sacrifice to preserve the freedoms and liberties we have. Of course, I'm not referring to our military men and women of today. They are a small remnant though in a world that's forgotten what it took to get where we are. Today if a 15 year-old boy or girl were to lie about their age and enlist, the military would have a lawsuit on their hands. Yep, times have changed.

I'm not advocating 15 year-olds in the military. I'm pretty sure you'll agree that the idea of today's 15 year olds in the military is quite a scary scenario. I'm thinking I wouldn't feel all that safe. At the same time, somehow, the idea of this gentleman I met being a defender of my freedom set me at ease. Perhaps, it was the gaze in his eye and the weathered skin that told the story of a man who had been to hell and back. I'm not sure. And perhaps, my view of this man at the age of 15 is way off. Still, somehow I know that even at 15 years old, I would sleep well knowing this man was defending my freedom.

At 15, I was shooting spit wads across the room, my mom had to wake me to get ready for school and I complained when I had to mow the yard. At 15, this man was dodging incoming shells and firing at the enemy. Indeed, times have changed. I'm just so thankful for all those "Veterans of Underage," and the parents who made those incredible sacrifices. Without those heroes, it is no doubt that my life at 15 years-old would have been much different.

A World At War

As I stood glued to the television yesterday afternoon, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Here, on our soil, our enemy struck. Sure, he was dressed in a uniform that made him appear to be one of our soldiers, but the truth was, he was the enemy. An enemy with an agenda. An enemy who set out to take down as many of our soldiers as he possibly could. I'm sure as the whole story unfolds, we'll begin to find out what it was that made this man go off. What it was that made his brain snap so that he would carry out such a horrible attack. Was he in opposition to our foreign policy? Was he part of a much bigger group with an much larger agenda? Was his recent conversion to Islam a contributing factor? Or, was he just chemically imbalanced?

Perhaps, it was all of these or then again, maybe it wasn't any of these. Whatever the motivation, the fact still remains that he set out yesterday with a plan that tragically took the lives of several American soldiers and wounded many others. I think that for most of us, we expect to hear about this kind of stuff happening on foreign soil. But here in America, at one of our Army posts, now, that's a really hard pill to swallow. I mean lets face it, as long as there are enemies miles and miles away from our country's boundaries we aren't all that rattled. But when we find one here, we are often left scratching our heads.

Here is something we all have to remember though. We have enemies. The United States has always had enemies. Since the time we declared our independence, we've had to fight to keep it. All the freedoms we enjoy, have come at a heavy price. Countless men and women have spilled their blood to give each of us these freedoms. As long as we live here, that fight will never end. I know there are those who oppose war and other armed encounters but their very freedom to disagree with it, was purchased by that very thing. I'm not saying I like war, I think only a fool would say that. But I'm not so naive as to think that freedom doesn't come with a price. There is never a time when I meet a man or woman who is either serving in the military or has served that I don't go out of my way to express my appreciation for their service. I understand that it is because of them, I can walk outside and breathe a breath of freedom every morning. That's a freedom I pray I never lose sight of.

Since the fall of man, this world we live in has been a world at war. It is a world full of evil people with evil plans. They are often motivated by hate, and a desire for power and wealth. It would be great if that wasn't the case, but it's the truth. If there is not a force or forces committed to thwarting evil, then evil will rule. Peace would be great, but true peace will never come until Jesus returns. Even that peace will come as a result of him thwarting the plans of the evil one by a war unlike one this world has yet to see. Peace isn't the result of avoiding conflict, it is only produced by refusing to back down from necessary conflict.

Kimberly Munley, the officer who took down the shooter at Fort Hood, who I'm sure will say she was just doing her job, is a hero. She chose to confront evil and as a result, who knows how many lives were saved. It's people like her and all those who wear the uniform to whom we owe a debt we could never repay. Let's remember all those who were wounded and their families as well as the families of those who lost their lives yesterday. Earnestly pray for them. And take note that Veterans day is coming up next week on Nov. 11th. Determine to find a veteran and tell them thanks. They are extremely easy to find. They usually pridefully wear a cap or have a bumper sticker that promotes a branch of service or declares their love for this country. Trust me, I search them out all the time.