Beth Chapman: God bless our veterans

What can be said of veterans – those who serve in any of its distinguished branches? The answer is simple – not enough! They protected and provided. They cared and conquered. They defended to the end and hoped they would live to tell about it. God bless our veterans.

They received a pauper’s pay for a hero’s job, and they risked their lives for an entire country of total strangers. Better yet, they risked their lives for ideals, principles and freedoms someone else created and on which this country was founded. They bravely fought so we could live, stayed awake so we could sleep, and they did it all so we wouldn’t have to – Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines and all their special forces. These heroes and heroines were willing to fight and die if necessary for their country, for our causes and for our God-given rights and multiple freedoms. They fought so we could speak freely and vote at the ballot box on Election Day. They gave up time with their families so we could spend time with ours. They did much for little and oftentimes received no appreciation.

On our very best days, we are not as patriotic as veterans on their worst days. They have paid the price for our freedom. Freedom is ours because we accept it, it is theirs because they earned it.

Thank a veteran today and pray that God blesses them – those of all conflicts and wars, shapes and sizes, rank and file. They epitomize the price of freedom and its great value to our nation.

A Tribute to Veterans

There will be no battlefields in Heaven,
No wounds, sadness, or strife,
No darkness of death or shots fired,
Only peace and health and life.

There will be no foxholes in Heaven,
For they will all disappear,
And all nations will bow before God,
All conflicts will be made clear.

There will be no wars in Heaven,
For fighting no longer will be needed,
No angry bombs bursting,
The enemy will have conceded.

There will be no war rooms in Heaven,
Because all the strategies will be done,
All the battles will be over,
All the victories will be won.

There will be no barracks in Heaven,
Just mansions on streets of pure gold,
All the wars will be fought,
All the war stories told.

There will be no bugle’s cry,
No taps or reveille,
No day or night, no wounded or dead,
Just joy eternally.

All battle stations will be empty,
No one left on the front line,
All the ships will be in port,
All the jets and tanks resigned.

All services: Army, Navy, Air Force,
Coast Guard and Marines,
Will join in unity,
A mighty force never seen.

All troops will be called up,
But not to a foreign land,
But to stand before God’s throne,
And receive their final command.

And it will not be enlistments or commissions,
To put them in harm’s way,
But the just reward of serving,
Will be given to them on judgment day!

Beth Chapman is Alabama’s former State Auditor and 51st Secretary of State. She now owns and operates Beth Chapman & Associates, LLC. This is her weekly column, “Around the Capitol” published in newspapers and blogs throughout the state. She can be reached at [email protected]