My father, James W. Sutherland, valiantly served our nation during World War II as a B-25 pilot. My parents got married when Dad got a 24-hour pass. After that, they lived in basement apartments and someone’s garage, just to be together.
America endured rationing, shortages, separations, hardship and the horror of wars in places no one had ever heard of before … or since.
Soldiers were shot down by the thousands. Held in prison camps. Endured months in swamps, deserts, frigid cold mountains. They died on beaches. They gave their lives in foreign lands. They sacrificed themselves. For us.
You have family and friends who traded their hopes, goals, plans and freedom to fight — and give their lives — so that the rest of us might be free. And to follow their example of serving others, no matter the cost.
I feel as if we owe them all an apology.
How many of us would do the same for them? How many of us would even inconvenience ourselves?
Are we the nation of self-serving hedonists that I fear we are?
May God bless America. In spite of ourselves.
May God richly bless those who serve, fight and die in our place. Men and women who leave jobs, homes, families, friends and loved ones behind. For our sake.
God bless all those who serve America.
We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
