The Last Full Measure of Devotion Click on title for video
President Lincoln, "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”
So that they may not have died in vain we Americans have what our founding fathers as written by Judith H. Rose, might have called a Bill of Responsibilities:
1. You have the responsibility to be a loyal citizen of the United States of America and to expect the same of every other citizen or immigrant to this great land. You have the responsibility to honor the flag and everything she stands for, and to pledge your allegiance to your country.
2. Accepting citizenship means that you are, first and foremost, an American, not a hyphenated American or an expatriate of another country who is here solely for economic advantage. While you do not need to agree with every law that is passed, you do have the obligation to obey the law and work through peaceful means to achieve change.
3. You have the responsibility to speak up when the criminal or legislative actions of any persons threaten the welfare of your family or your nation. It is not someone else's responsibility to blow the whistle; it is yours. "They" should not do something about the problems. You are "they." It takes courage and time to stand up against evil and destructive forces, but if you do not do it, who will?
4. You have the responsibility to consider the welfare of ALL the citizens of the United States of America, even if it requires some personal sacrifice. The nation cannot survive the promulgation of narrow self-interest, be it of the individual, the community, or the state. As long as you judge every law or solution to a problem solely by how it affects you or your surroundings, rather than the country as a whole, there will be no real answers, nor can America remain great.
5. You have the responsibility to support yourself and your own immediate and extended family. Being self-sustaining, providing for your own family, and helping your neighbor to the extent possible are requisite for a healthy economy and society. No society can flourish when a sizable number of its citizens expect to do nothing while accepting a government dole. Reliance on government entities inevitably destroys individual self-respect and the economic well-being of both citizen and state. If you take care of yourself and family, and the community picks up the slack, this nation will have one-third more funds for worthwhile projects and both you and this nation, will become strong and resilient.
6. You have the responsibility to make a difference in the lives of your family, your community, and your nation. As a good citizen you are here to make a contribution to this country. America has always been in the forefront in medical advances, scientific research, humanitarianism, and other areas. You have the responsibility to continue this tradition through hard work and good use of your time. You have the responsibility to bypass excuses of race, economic standing, and victimization of any kind because, no matter which excuse you choose, someone has successfully overcome it.
7. You have the responsibility to be educated and informed. A public education is not enough. Finding truth is a challenging lifetime task that you must pursue diligently. You have the responsibility to seek truth from many sources. You must question what you read in any publication or listen to in any media report and be willing to consider all sides of any question. You must realize that such a quest for truth will take a tremendous effort to seek it out. The truth is not revealed unless actively sought.
8. You have the responsibility to use wisdom in selecting those who will lead you. You must learn to seek men of good character, not those with only charisma or a handsome face. You must become a connoisseur of character rather than a pawn of a salient slogan. You must remember that character is never outdated. A man or woman with no self-control should never be trusted with the welfare of our great country. You must never tolerate leaders who are untruthful, deceitful, or seek to exercise power rather than give service.
9. You have the responsibility to value and defend human life. Quality of life considerations, age, or handicaps do not in any way lessen the value of life itself. Any life taken by mankind before its time cheapens the life of every other American. You also have the responsibility to educate those who would degrade human life by considering it, at best, equal to or even lower than animal life.
10. You have the responsibility to honor your freedom of worship and to defend that right for every citizen in this country. We, your Founding Fathers valued religion highly and depended entirely upon God for the inspiration and help needed to form this union. We expect no less of you.
Remember those who paid the Last Full Measure of Devotion. I would encourage you also to remember our troops that stand in harms way. Thank You and God Bless America.
"A Veteran Died Today"
(Author Unknown)
He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast, and he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done.
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, everyone.
And 'tho sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke, all his buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer, for ol' Bob has passed away, and the world's a little poorer, for a Veteran died today.
No, he won't be mourned by many, just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary, very quiet sort of life.
He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way; and the world won't note his passing; 'tho a Veteran died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state, while thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell of their life stories, from the time that they were young, but the passing of a Veteran, goes unnoticed, and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution, to the welfare of our land, some jerk who breaks his promise and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow, who in times of war and strife, goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?
The politician's stipend and the style in which he lives, are sometimes disproportionate, to the service he gives.
While the ordinary Veteran, who offered up his all, is paid off with a medal and perhaps a pension, small.
It's so easy to forget them, for it is so long ago, that our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys, went to battle, but we know.
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys, who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand, would you really want some cop-out, with his every waffling stand?
Or would you want a Veteran, who has sworn to defend, his home, his kin, and Country, and would fight until the end?
He was just a common Veteran and his ranks are growing thin, but his presence should remind us, we may need his likes again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the Military's part, is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor, while he's here to hear the praise, then at least let's give him homage, at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline, in the paper that might say:
OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
FOR A VETERAN DIED TODAY.
(Recited by then-CBIVA National Chaplain Wendall Phillips during the Memorial Service at the 51st CBIVA Reunion. Printed in the Fall 1998 issue of the CBIVA Sound-off.)