Dear Readers,
The month of May brings attention to our fallen; and additional families each year endure the Memorial Day Weekend in a new and solemn light, when a loved one has only recently joined the ranks of those honored at the end of this month.
It is because of the never-ending toll that strips away our country’s youth that I humbly submit this tribute. While I wrote this piece for a specific young man, I hope that sharing it now will – in some small way – bring a sense of comfort to the many military families forever blanketed in sorrow each year on Memorial Day.
May God continue to Bless and Keep our Military Families in His care,
Annette Brochier Johnson
THIS SOLDIER HAD A NAME
“Another soldier fell this Friday” and the broadcast continued on;
This time the news became surreal, for the war had touched us, too.
This soldier had a name.
For those of us without a son, the past had met the present
Releasing a stream of déjà vu.
His son would be well cared for, as would his little girl.
Friends and family would come forward
To reassure each other as a generation had before.
“I’ll share my room with my
Cousin, Mommy. I’ll share my daddy, too.”
This soldier had a family.
Ever resilient, the ever constant family values
Were embedded on the hearts of all who shared this surname;
A covenant simply scribed in red, white, and blue.
Camping trips are a summer tradition;
This year will be no different, as summer will not hide.
The campfire will burn and crackle
When branches again entwine,
Sharing growing pains with Siblings,
Watching Cousins meet anew,
Recalling Grampa’s keyboard melodies,
And laughing at what campground antics bring!
This soldier had a voice.
Let each heart in its own tempo listen closely,
So that occasional off-keys and tears may soon transform
To joyous song and comfort all in reverie…
Save a chuckle for that chorus when you congregate and sing!
Peace within will bring forth smiles,
Finding solace now in small hands clasped
Tightly ‘round the photos of One of America’s Finest.
He is forever their very own soldier.
Remind them that there are others, too, who thank God for soldiers like their daddy
Whose service and sacrifices keep us safe in a world of war-torn strife.
This soldier had a mission.
And in serving, he shared The Word with whom he shared a common fellowship and duty.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV
