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<\/a><\/p>\nA TIME OF REMEMBRANCE \u2013 <\/b>MEMORIAL DAY in the USA is a time to remember those who gave the supreme sacrifice <\/i>for our freedom. It is estimated that over 1,305,000 military personnel have died on behalf of the United States of America since its inception. 1,305,000 people may not sound like very many compared to the total US population of 300,000,000 plus people. However, every single person who died was a HUGE LOSS to the loved ones that were left behind. Moreover, their death is a HUGE GIFT to every US citizen.<\/p>\n
FREEDOM COST THEM EVERYTHING \u2013<\/b> These brave men and women all DIED <\/b>to give us the freedom, prosperity, and privileges that we enjoy today in the United States of America. Let us remember with thanksgiving those who gave their lives that we might have the privilege to live \u201cin the land of the free and the home of the brave.\u201d<\/p>\n
MY PERSONAL STORY<\/b> \u2013 During \u00a0my tour of duty in 1967 with the US Navy in Vietnam, I traveled to \u00a0the city of Manila in the Philippines. My visit to the city included the \u00a0cemetery where the US soldiers from World War II were buried. What a \u00a0sight! I gazed in awe at the seemingly endless rows of white crosses \u00a0(over 17,000) marking their graves.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 My namesake, Lewis Richey, one of my Dad\u2019s best friends, died in that war while fighting in the Philippines. I couldn\u2019t help but wonder if his name was on one of those crosses. The sight of all those crosses was a vivid reminder of the great price that has been paid for freedom.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 It was a deeply moving time for me. As a soldier myself, it struck close to home. This was partly because I was in the midst of a war in a distant land, far removed from family and \u00a0friends. But it was primarily because of the contrast between all those crosses and the one cross they represented.<\/p>\n
THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM \u2013 <\/b>What is the Cross behind the crosses? As I looked at all those crosses, I couldn\u2019t help but think of what the Cross symbolized, and what it means to me personally. What is the significance of the cross?<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 When Jesus Christ died upon the cross, He defeated Satan, thus liberating us from Satan\u2019s dominion of sin and death. Satan, as the God of this world, is the architect of war. He, who was a murderer from the beginning, has come to steal, kill, and destroy all humanity. But Jesus Christ came so that we might have an abundant life (John 10:10). Upon receiving Christ, we are made free and alive by His life that now dwells within us. Hallelujah for new life in Christ!<\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making the supreme sacrifice for our eternal freedom. And thank You, Lord, for all those brave men and women in the US Military who have sacrificed their lives for our human freedoms.<\/p>\n MAY THEIR SACRIFICE NOT BE IN VAIN \u2013<\/b> Today, in America, we enjoy the benefits of the great sacrifice of our fallen soldiers. Therefore, we should do whatever we can to ensure that those American soldiers did not die in vain! Furthermore, we should all endeavor to preserve, uphold, and cherish the freedoms, values, and privileges that these brave men and women have preserved for us through their sacrifice.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n