Yesterday I got this letter from Sonja. I am so thankful to the Lord that He has reconnected us from our High School days in Windom, Minn. Sonja in this letter shares a very heart warming story concerning WWII vet’s! Please enjoy reading!
Steve and I have had a wonderful week and I want to tell you about it! On Wednesday Brent came up from Tucson and met his Air Force buddy Dan and his family at our house for dinner. It was a brief encounter, but a wonderful evening together. Then on Friday, Chris came from Yuma with two Marine buddies, Brian and Gabe, to our house to stay for the weekend. It was a great couple of days for everyone.In between visits from our sons, I attended volunteer training for Honor Flight Arizona. It is a program to fly WWII Veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the Memorial built in their honor…at no cost to them. Following the training I got to be part of the reception for the Veterans returning to Phoenix from D.C. It was amazing and something I will never forget. The Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group whose main mission is to attend funeral services of fallen American heroes and shield the mourning families from protestors, were there for the Veteran’s return. Sixteen Riders each held an American flag and made a corridor outside Security in the airport as families and friends joined them. As the Veterans came off the airplane, they walked or were wheeled through the corridor of flags with happy tears rolling down their cheeks. The average age of these men and women is 89. When we gathered to sing God Bless America, I couldn’t even get the words out…it was my time for tears!At the training they asked us to watch the following video onyoutube.com. It is called When They Were Young by Rice Drewry. It is a tribute to the ‘Greatest Generation’ putting their lives on the line in WWII. I think you will enjoy it too!So, as we enjoyed time with the young soldiers in my home this week and then thought of the older faces of the soldiers I had seen at the airport….the common ground is their selfless service for our country. We live in the land of the free because of the brave…never let us forget when they were young!In gratitude and love,Sonja
I then wrote back to Sonja wondering if I could get my Dad, U.S. Marines Sgt. Wally Moede prayed for at the Memorial in D.C……….
I wish your dad were alive and that we could honor him at DC, too. Maybe you could escort a veteran on a trip in honor of your dad. When the groups from here go they often do a ceremony for the Veterans that have passed on and read their names at the Memorial. If you want, I will find out if there is an Honor Flight NM or MN and they may do the same thing…..or it would be real easy to make it happen with the AZ group. Let me know.I learned that 16 million people served in WWII and there are 2 million of those folks still alive. Because they are aging, almost 1200 die each day and that is why there is an urgency to honor those heroes.Thank you so much Sonja for sharing!I called my Uncle Burton Moede to clarify Dad’s years in WWII, 1944-1947, he was on a ship headed to Japan, to invade that country, but then the Atomic bomb was used. My Dad along with 5 of his brothers, family of 13, served in WWII. Dad also was on the Great Wall in China during WWII guarding a huge railroad bridge that the British built. My Dad would be 85 now here on earth, he has been in heaven 21 years. Uncle Burton is 83 and served in Korea. he reminded me on the phone last night that it was in 1945 when the Americans and Russians agreed that the Russinas would take control of North Korea and the Americans would take South Korea.I really am thankful for Sonj sharing with us and reminding us that 16 MILLION people served in WWII. 2 Million still living passing away at a rate of 1200 a day. A couple of other notes here that God has brought to my mind is that Uncle Willard and Teddy Moede served in WWII and their minds were destroyed by the war. They both returned mentally and physically beat up. Uncle Bob Caraway, my Mom’s brother, served in the Navy and was on a secret mission is a submarine for 2 years. During that time Grandpa and Grandma did not hear from him! For 2 years! Uncle Bob, nearing 90, still will not discuss the mission.I am a better man for having a Dad that served in WWII, a great generation of men and women. I can still hear my Dad’s words of advice to this day. The folks of this time were honest and loyal and so hard working. They were a huge part of saving the world from satan. These folks did not go around bragging what they did, they just did it. The problem with our society as I was telling Pastor Paul Holt during our working lunch, is that so many are growing up with no role models. Even the church suffers from this. I am 57 and many of the people who helped form my ethics, morals, work ethic are gone to heaven and the younger people have never heard of them. Our society has gotten lazy, relying on to much technology and not enough manual labor. YES I AM OLD FASHION!!! I love talking to the WWII folks, I get inspired everytime! When I find a person who is teaching young people Biblical principles, morals and ethics, I love on them! They need our encouragement. When I see a young person, like I did yesterday who is practicing Biblical principles, I love on them, the love of Jesus Christ and lift them up! We must lift up our young people! Not only beware of what are young people are growing up in, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! BE A ROLE MODEL FOR THEM, OFFER YOURSELF UP TO THEM! I have yet had a person turn away from me, in offering them prayer and encouragement!!! I am not bragging here, I am stating this to encourage you to do the same! You never know what darkness some people are in, until you take the time to pray over them.Remember Mark 10:45 one of my favorite verses….For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
I was talking to a man in his 40’s yesterday and he has been going to a new church, and I asked him if they prayed over him. There were about 15 in the church. He said no. I said did they pray for you, he said no. What do you mean Dewey, in praying over people? I mean laying hands on people, hugging them and praying over them in the words that God gives you to lift this person up! AMEN! AMEN! We must lift people up, not push them down.When you go grocery shopping, or to any store, do you lift people up and show them the love of Jesus Christ?Does you light shine brightly? You should be the brightest light in the store! AMEN!
this is a picture of US Marine Sgt Wally Moede during WWII my Dad
