Memorial Day

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Fred Rogers of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” had a practice of thanking God for the people in his life who had passed away. I am thankful today for my daddy and my husband’s daddy, both of whom were veterans.

Neither of our daddies went into the Army because of a desire on their parts and neither was drafted. In 1941 Ray’s daddy got a letter from Uncle Sam inviting him to join the Army. If he refused, he would be drafted. Ten years later my daddy got his own invitation to join.

Both of our fathers went into the military with the understanding that they would serve for one year. So many “volunteers” had that expectation when Ray’s dad entered the service in 1941 that radios were playing the popular song, “Goodbye, Dear. I’ll Be Home in a Year.” Trouble was that December 7, 1941, was one of the dates in Ray’s daddy’s year. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor that day, that “be home in a year” got extended to however long it took, which for Ray’s dad was “four years, one month, and seven days” — an exact quote that we heard again and again during the last decade of his life. It wasn’t a complaint; it was a badge of honor for him, I believe.

Both of our fathers served during wartime, but their experiences were vastly different. Ray’s dad Wes served in Europe. First, he and thousands of other American soldiers spent ten months in England, preparing for the Allied invasion of the German-occupied European continent. Then, Wes landed on France’s Utah Beach on the day after D-Day. He continued with the soldiers of the First Army through every major military campaign until the Allies entered Germany and the Germans surrendered.

Daddy served during the Korean War, but rather than America entering that war while Daddy was serving, the war ended just a few months after Daddy went into the military (how sad it is that though the war ended, the conflict there has never ended and is still volatile to the present day). In those few months while the war continued, Daddy received orders to go to Korea, but — believe it or not — problems with his teeth prevented him from going. Army dentists pulled all of his top teeth and supplied him with dentures. Somehow this resulted in the decision that he would not have to go to Korea, but would remain in the United States.

I am grateful for both of our fathers. God worked in their lives in His perfect wisdom. Many years ago, when we took our homeschooled children on a trip to Washington, D.C., we walked within the Korean Memorial on the Washington Mall. I was overcome with the reality of how close my daddy came to being one of those American soldiers slogging through the mud in Korea.

While I was growing up, my fun-loving Daddy used to love to stick his false teeth out to surprise children and to hear my brother Steve and me say, “Daddy-y-y-y-y!” As I remember fondly the times my daddy did that, I am grateful for those missing top teeth that prevented me from possibly having a missing daddy while I was growing up.

Instead, Daddy got out of the Army at the end of November in 1953 and welcomed a new baby girl, Eva Charlene Boyd, on the second of December. By God’s grace, Ray’s daddy made it through while actually serving in the midst of combat. Seven years later Wes welcomed a new baby boy, Raymond Wesley Notgrass. Twenty-two years after that the baby boy married the baby girl.

Often God doesn’t tell us the details of why we live the details we live. Why did our daddies come home? Why did other daddies not come home? Why did my daddy live only to age 72 while Ray’s daddy lived to age 92. We can think of thousands of why questions.

The amazing why questions — and the ones that matter eternally — are those asked in this 1892 hymn by James G. Dailey:

Why did my Savior come to earth
And to the humble go?
Why did He choose a lowly birth?
Because He loved me so!

He loved me so, He loved me so;
He gave His precious life for me, for me,
Because He loved me so.

Why did He drink the bitter cup
Of sorrow, pain and woe?
Why on the cross be lifted up?
Because He loved me so!

He loved me so, He loved me so;
He gave His precious life for me, for me,
Because He loved me so.

Our faithful response to every why question is to trust our Father Who never fails us. As the hymn says in the third verse:

Till Jesus comes I’ll sing His praise
And then to glory go,
And reign with Him thro’ endless days,
Because He loved me so!

He loved me so, He loved me so;
He gave His precious life for me, for me,
Because He loved me so.

Today we remember with gratitude those we have known who have gone on before us. We look forward to the day when we will reign with Jesus and with them forever and ever.

It is a trustworthy statement:
For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.
2 Timothy 2:11-13

 

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