Thank a Veteran

I was so glad when Mrs. Cornell asked me to write this article for the Gazette on Veterans Day. Sadly, Veterans Day is a rather obscure holiday in our calendars. It doesn’t bode very well in popularity to holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or even Halloween. But to me Veterans Day is very important. I come from a family with a strong military background. My brother was in the Persian Gulf War. I have three uncles who served in the Armed Services and my father-in-law was the First Scout in World War II. A First Scout was the soldier who walked out in front of the troops in a battle (and sometimes even in front of the tanks). I have read that the average lifespan for a first scout in battle is less than 30 seconds.

Veterans Day, originally called “Armistice Day,” was the day celebrating the end of World War I, which happened at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, November 11th. After World War II, President Eisenhower made November 11th a national holiday celebrating veterans from ALL of the wars and called it Veterans Day. The Bible teaches us that we are to, “Honor those to whom honor is due” (Romans 13:7), and this obviously includes honoring those who laid down their lives for others.

As a Pastor, one of the things that I am honored to do is to visit “shut ins.” These are wonderful people who have limited mobility and they now are “shut in” usually in their homes and in assisted living facilities. Many of these people are amazing with fascinating life stories to tell! About ten years ago, I visited a man named Mr. Al Lindberg, who was from Hillcrest Baptist Church. Al was 95 years old at the time and lived at The Frewsburg Rest Home. Al was one of those soldiers who actually landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day! I asked him to please tell me what that was like. He said he could never forget it.

We left England very early that morning and walked up a gangplank to our ship. Eventually we climbed down from the ship using mesh ropes to get into our Higgins boats. We rode in these Higgins boats for a long time. Any man who ever said that he wasn’t scared as we approached the shore was lying! Then we landed on the beaches. Pastor, I was one of the lucky ones! I made it alive. I had safely crawled 200 yards up to the shore. Then I looked back and saw dozens of young men (19, 20 and 21 years old) who didn’t make it. As I looked back on the shore, I saw an agonizing sight. I saw their bodies floating in the water along the shore. Every day I say a prayer for those young men, and I thank God for them.

As I sat in front of this gentle unassuming thin man, I was amazed as he shared his story. That day Mr. Lindberg taught me how much our veterans have paid for our freedoms. Veterans Day is truly a time to remember and honor those who “gave up all of their tomorrows so that we can enjoy today.” On November 11th be sure to say “Thank you” to a Vet. Call or text him/her and let them know that you appreciate their service!

Rev. Daniel Soderberg is a graduate from Jamestown Community College, Toccoa Fall College and North Park Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church in 2006 and has served four Covenant churches in Pennsylvania and Jamestown, NY. Pastor Dan has a strong background in campus ministry. He served as the Executive Director of Impact Campus Ministries and watched it grow to 50 schools in our region. Currently he serves as a Pastor at First Covenant Church at 520 Spring Street in Jamestown New York. He and his wife, Karen, have three adult children, and seven grandchildren.