The following passage is from a sermon by John Hagee:

I want you to close your eyes and picture in your mind the soldier at Valley Forge, as he holds his musket in his bloody hands. He stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded from months of battle and emotionally scarred from the eternity away from his family, surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war.

He stands though, with fire in his eyes and victory on his breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this...

I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and now your children graduate too illiterate to read it.

I fought in the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote and you stay at home because it rains.

I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech and you remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business.

I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you and it has stolen democracy from the people.

It's the soldier, not the reporter, who gives you the freedom of the press.

It's the soldier, not the poet, who gives you the freedom of speech.

It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who allows you to demonstrate.

It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag!!!

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need."

Amen."

WOW! Very moving, touching and so TRUE! Thanks for sharing.

I went to my Uncle's Funeral a couple of months ago. He was a veteran of WWII. I saw the flaged draped over the casket and realized how much we take for granted in this country. Freedom is made up of alot of little things we forget.

Some people never forget!
My Dad died at age 85, he was a WW 2 Vet. Always put out the colors On vets day, Never made a big deal about being a VET. Although he had a ton of Funny stories about his Army days.
His favorite saying was " we didn't win the war because we were better, THEY just screwed up more than we did"
He eventually became a nurse at the Noth Port V.A His patients were from the Wars & conflicts. Again he would sit and tell me funny stories about his patients. Retired at age 74
At age 70 plus he joined the Coast guard aux. Was a very active member for years untill he took ill. Then just went to meetings.
To make a long story short when he passed away , my Wife nancy and I planned a small service for his close friends.
I was shocked when the room soon filled up with dozens of Coast guard [Aux] and his X patients [ some very old, some very ill some in Uniform] The coast Guard Aux. brought an Aux. Flag to lay over his coffin next to the COLORS, attached to the flag were all his medals and merrits. They all [ the Aux. and X patients took turns standing honor guard the entire night.
The most heart wrenching moment was when the Commander of the Fire Island coast guard Presented My wife nancy The colors off of there New Cutter. And saluted Her and My Dad.
When the evening ended an Older gentelman , a WW2 vet . A full bird Col. In Uniform Came up Kissed my wifes hand and said
We never Forget!!
True story that made the passing of my dad a little easyer.
Thank you .

Iggy Raven
Very nice touching and powerful.

Thank you.

That is how Vets should be treated. Pity our Gov't doesn't help many of them in thier later years.

AMEN is right.