These Are My JOTtings...

Memorial Day: Blessed Day of Remembrance

Today in the United States is the day that we remember our honored military personnel, who lived, fought and died for our country. However, I would like to be very clear on this point. There are many, who have lived, fought and died in the service of protection for their own countries throughout History. They deserve our respect and our lasting tribute of honor as well.

Many wars in Human History have pitted the young boys of warring countries against each other in unnatural settings. In other circumstances these same youth might have been friends, sharing life together rather than sharing a mutual death on the battlefield.

In the United States itself, the irony of family members and friends fighting on opposite sides of many battles is seen in stark clarity during our American Civil War between 1860 and 1864.

By the way, there was nothing civil about the Civil War. It received that name due to the fact that in this case, we were not fighting other countries. We were fighting ourselves. The North and the South of our country was in strong disagreement. The War nearly tore our country apart. (There are very few individuals and families on the East Coast of the United States, who can't trace their ancestry to men, who fought for the North and the South. One man fought for the North. Another family member fought for the South. In the American Civil War, brother fought against brother or cousin against cousin in many cases. Our families were being shredded.)

War is hard on the families of every country involved in any war. The leaders of countries have disagreements, feeling threatened by the leaders of other countries. What is their solution? They send youth, usually between the ages of 18 - 25 years, out to battlefields to cause harm and death among themselves. Whoever has the most youth still standing after these infamous battles is usually declared the victor nation.

But what of the families that have lost precious youth? They are left with memories. The memories of bravery and self-sacrifice are the things we remember and honor on days like this.

My Dad was a member of the United States Navy for a four-year deployment in the years that followed World War II. He was a sailor in a submarine. His greatest story was of being on the bottom of the South Pacific Ocean for three days as the crew waited for a typhoon to pass over them. During that time he said that he felt like the prophet, Jonah, in the belly of a great fish. The Lord had been calling him to preach, and he was running from this call. Getting The Lord's very clear message, Dad said, "Alright, Lord, I'll preach."

After his military service ended Dad went to seminary. Then, he began his preaching ministry that lasted for forty years or more.

In today's post, I am including the three bitems I have posted in the past couple of days, which highlight poems that Dad must have written in the days preceding my birth. I have had to guess at the dates because he didn't put any dates on these poems, but I know they are his because I recognize his style of typing on his old, heavy, hand-powered typewriter. (For the youngest among us a typewriter is for all practical purposes a printer that prints in real time. Type a letter on your keyboard and the letter comes out the printer at the very same time. This made a great deal of money for the people, who bottled Wite-Out!)

My Dad has been gone from this present Earthly experience for more than 16 years now, and though he didn't die in any war, I find that Memorial Day is just as meaningful to me for the honoring of his memory and his service to our country.

May you find time to remember your honored dead this very day, regardless of your country of origin.

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Old Soldiers  (E) This poem was written by my father, Carl Haselton, Jr. around the year, 1957. Memorial Day #2159277 by Jay O'Toole

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The Old Professor  (E) This poem was by my father, Carl Haselton, Jr., in the late 1950s. He loved his profs. #2159351 by Jay O'Toole

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To Learn -- Concern  (E) This poem was by my father, Carl Haselton, Jr., in the late 1950s. He loved his Mom. #2159364 by Jay O'Toole

All Gave Some, Some Gave All

They served to keep their country whole.
Their worth was more than precious gold.
They lived and served and gave their all.
They lived through rain and mud 'til fall.

We honor lives they lived in youth.
We honor hopes they knew as truth.
We cry for loss we feel today.
We lay a wreath in grief's display.

Thank you for the sacrifice.
Thanks for fighting flies and lice.
Thanks for giving all you had.
Thanks for serving with my Dad.

by Stan Haselton
on May 28th, 2018