Song for Sunday: The Caissons Go Rolling Along

Veteran's Day is tomorrow. 

My father served in the army. He was a Vietnam era vet, though he never saw action. I was born on the army base at Ft. Leonard Woods, MO. So the army is the military branch I connect to most easily. But I post this Song for Sunda, which has been in my head this week, in honor of all U.S. veteran's of every branch. May God richly bless you all!!

The Caissons Go Rolling Along

(The Army's Official Song)

Over hill, over dale
As we hit the dusty trail,
And the Caissons go rolling along.
In and out, hear them shout,
Counter march and right about,
And the Caissons go rolling along.

Then it's hi! hi! hee!
In the field artillery,
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
For where'er you go,
You will always know
That the Caissons go rolling along. 

In the storm, in the night,
Action left or action right
See those Caissons go rolling along
Limber front, limber rear,
Prepare to mount your cannoneer
And those Caissons go rolling along.

Then it's hi! hi! hee!
In the field artillery,
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
For where'er you go,
You will always know
That the Caissons go rolling along. 

Was it high, was it low,
Where the heck did that one go?
As those Caissons go rolling along
Was it left, was it right,
Now we won't get home tonight
And those Caissons go rolling along.

Then it's hi! hi! hee!
In the field artillery,
Shout out your numbers loud and strong,
For where'er you go,
You will always know
That the Caissons go rolling along.
That the Caissons go rolling along.
That the Caissons go rolling along.

                   ~Brigadier General E. L. Gruber
         (I guess it is now "The Army Goes Rolling Along" , but this is what it was when my father
           served.)

Thank You, Veterans!!!

In Flanders Field

In Flanders Field

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. 

             ~Lt. Col. John McCrae, Canadian Army

We have work to do. Let us keep faith.

Veteran's Day -- we really don't get it.

It is the last hour of Veteran's Day.

I wanted to post this earlier but I was looking for a picture (which I never found) that I had seen a while ago on a friend's facebook page. It had a picture of a soldier and talked about him coming home. One line stayed with me:

"He's probably not okay."

To those who, like me, have never been to war:

We have no idea. No idea what it is like to be in constant danger. No idea what it is to see friends injured or killed. No idea what it is like to have to kill. 

We can be willing to listen, to pray, to support, to put up with mood swings and fear. Some of us can offer jobs, others provide a meal for a stressed soldier's family. We can all pray. 

But ... we can't get it. We can only love them and hold them and stand by them. They deserve it. 

To Veteran's: 

Thank you!!

That's really all I can say, but I mean it. 

And if you need help, reach out. It's not weakness to ask for what you need. You already paid for that help a thousand fold. 

God bless you. Happy Veteran's Day.

Westboro Baptist Church

They're at it again.

Westboro Baptist Church is protesting at the funeral of another fallen soldier. This time, it is at a church just a few hours from me that is a member of the same region as my church. I know the pastor slightly and have friends who will attend the funeral to help form a shield between it and the protesters. The family has also invited the Patriots' Guard Riders to be present as an honor guard.

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog article on a bumper sticker I saw that read "Remember: Jesus Loves All the People You Hate." Westboro Baptist Church needs to get that message, learn that lesson. Their constant, explicit  message of hate is absolutely contradictory to God's word.

Think about it. The idea that God hates people because of sin is downright ridiculous. I mean, sure, he hates sin. However, if he hated people because of sin he would have sent the whole lot of us -- not just people who commit one particular sin or another but all of us straight to Hell with no questions asked. He has the authority to do that.

The authority, but not the will. So instead of sending us to Hell, He died for us. All of us. Any of us who follows Him gets to be with Him. Because He loves us. Period.

But, um, there is more to this...

......because if Jesus loves everyone we hate,

then Jesus loves...

                the people of Westboro Baptist Church

and we are supposed to do that, too.

Argh. I don't want to. I mean, have you heard what these people do? This whole thing just boggles my mind.

In a previous post about them, I wrote that we should not hate Westboro Baptist Church because that would be sinking to their level. I think I can manage that.

But there is a world of difference between not hating and actually loving them. I don't even know what that would look like or how to go about it. The idea kinda freaks me out, but it is commanded:

"Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you."

*Sigh* -- I am not even in the hardest position -- I have never been personally, directly affected by the actions of Westboro Baptist Church, but I srill can't get my mind around this.

How does it work? Any ideas?

I think I will begin by praying for them... and see where to go from there.

Memorial Day

I never met my great uncle, Russell. He died in World War II. His three brothers, including my grandfather, served as did my grandmother's brother, two of my uncles, my father in law and my father. Not to mention numerous other friends and relatives. In gratitude to them and the hundreds of other solders, sailors, airmen and marines, I offer this.

It is a  poem that has become iconic. Written by a doctor in the Canadian army after he had just treated, and then performed the funeral for, a friend and former student, it reminds us of the sacrifices of war.

In Flanders Fields 

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
            Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) 

For more on the story of this poem, click here.


As you enjoy Memorial Day, remember those who serve, those who have served and those who made the Supreme Sacrifice.

Veteran's Memorial

"Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure."

                                                                                                     ~Abraham Lincoln



Today, in honor of Veteran's Day, my town dedicated a new granite WWII Memorial Monument to replace the old decaying wooden one. It was at the request of veteran's and the town paid for it without  using any local taxes or government grants. It was all private donations from local residents, organizations and businesses. It was put up this week.

Jordan took pictures of both the building and the dedication. He go to learn about Armistice Day, weight load limits, cranes, monument building, granite and patriotism.

I hope that he learned how important it is to thank veteran's. I think I will set an example. To all of you military men and women, current and former, young and old, living and dead, whatever war you served in or if you served in peace:

THANK YOU!!