In the Company of Heroes: Serving WWII Veterans

Above is a photograph of sixty WWII veterans reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at a luncheon hosted by Birchman Baptist Church. When the kitchen staff was informed by a church member that the facilities where they had been conducting their meetings was closing due to unforeseen circumstances, they quickly offered their help. From now until November of 2017, the church will host a veteran luncheon on every last Friday of the month. As soon as word spread about the meeting, everyone was calling and asking how they could help. The kitchen staff decorated the entire gym and cooked a hearty meal in order to make these veterans feel loved and appreciated. It was an honor to host them, not to mention really fun to play big band music all day to help them reminisce.

Although it rained and we thought the thunder would never stop, our American heroes made it to the luncheon we were so eagerly anticipating. I believe the youngest veteran who attended was eighty seven years young, the eldest being one hundred. These tough soldiers entered into the gym and the smiles on their faces was enough to make you proud. They checked in and found seats with their buddies, meeting new friends along the way. Each of them wore a black veteran ball cap with patches and emblems, signifying their service. Many used walkers, but as I watched them make their way across the gym, it was not hard to imagine that at one time, their bodies had been young and strong. Their minds remain sharp, and the memories they shared with us of the war and what they saw during that time were articulated quite clearly, and it was fascinating to hear their stories.

A veteran whose name was Mr. Titchner, had been a German soldier during WWII. I noticed his coat was grey with embroidered flowers on the lapel. It reminded me of the traditional dress I saw in Switzerland. He sat observing the crowd and quietly talking with the friends sitting around him. When it was time for the veterans to tell their stories, Mr. Titchner was announced as having been a POW in a Russian camp for many years during the war. It took me a moment to wrap my mind around the fact that this man, sitting only a few feet away from me, had been in probably one of the worst circumstances a young man might find himself in during that time. Although technically he was who we fought in WWII, he was welcomed with open arms. One of the most important lessons I learned at the luncheon is that the hearts of our American veterans are so big, they would embrace a German soldier many years after the war was over.

Six of the veterans who attended had been part of the operation to liberate concentration camps in Germany and other countries where the Nazi regime once ruled. One recounted his experience at the gates of a camp that held over fifteen thousand prisoners from Hungary and Poland. Their orders were to break open the gate to the camp and free the captives inside. They were not permitted to touch the people, no matter how much they wanted to. As the American medical team arrived behind the soldiers, emaciated bodies began slowly emerging from the gates. They walked like ghosts out of the confines of the camp, into a world they would not recognize after being locked away for so long. The veteran who told his story concluded with this statement: "There is no way to describe the inhumanity of man."

It is because of the inhumanity of man that we must honor these veterans. They went into battle so that our children might enjoy the freedoms we now have. So that a man can stand up and not fear the fist of a tyrannical king, a narcissistic ruler, or a murderous dictator, they gave us all they had. May we live our lives in the light of their sacrifice.