“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” ‒ Ronald Reagan

Hello and welcome to our visit on this Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

 

On the left in the photo is my dad, Cecil Abbott, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In the middle are my brother Donald, who retired from the U.S. Marine Corps and served overseas, including in Vietnam, and my stepfather, Jose, who retired from the U.S. Army and served in Korea and Vietnam. At the bottom is my grandson Brady, who serves in the U.S. Navy and is awaiting deployment to his duty station.

 

I also think of my mom’s brothers who served, Uncle Asa, Uncle Waymon, and Uncle Jack, along with my cousins Don and John. Other members of our family come to mind, as well as those we worship with, those we have worked with, and others we have met along the way. Today we honor all who have served in the United States Armed Forces, in wartime and in peacetime.

 

I’d like to share a prayer I found online.

 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the service and sacrifice of our veterans. Bless them for the hardships faced and freedoms protected, watch over and comfort their families, and grant them peace.

In Your holy name we pray,

Amen.

 

I never wore the uniform of our country, but I had the privilege of serving those who did through my work with the U.S. Air Force, at a Veterans Administration hospital, and with the U.S. Army. When I interviewed for the VA hospital job, the fellow interviewing me asked, “Would you be able to show respect and honor to those veterans who come to our facility seeking help?”

 

I gave him a firm yes. I wanted the job, of course, but that answer came from how we were raised. We were taught to respect those who serve in the military, and we were taught what God expects of us. The Apostle Paul put it this way in his letter to the local assembly in Rome:

 

“Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.”
— Romans 13:7, Christian Standard Bible

 

Showing that respect and honor is our duty as citizens, and all the more so as born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.