War: It started long ago, in the realm of Heaven, when one of the most beautiful angels, Lucifer, challenged the Almighty to create an army of followers bigger than his own. We understand from Scripture, as well, that Lucifer, also known as Satan, rebelled and was judged. It is believed that many other angels rebelled with him, becoming fallen angels or demons, as mentioned throughout the Bible. (References: Revelation 12. Genesis 3. Ezekiel 28. Isaiah 14:21)
In our own country, we can acknowledge the many wars that have been fought. Some of those wars, were fought, not so much for power over another country, but for freedom, of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And it is to these forefathers that we owe a debt of gratitude, for their belief in a sovereign God, in whom we look to and trust, to guide us in the path of His Word.
In the slide above, I have posted six pictures of family members, all of whom served in the military. And I would like to honor each of them, and also share a bit of information about each one, starting with the earliest family pictures:
The picture in the bottom right corner shows a picture taken on July 21, 1918, of two brothers. The man standing is John Grieger. The man seated is my grandfather, Frank C. Grieger. The two brothers served in WWI with the Panther 36th Division.
The photo in the top right corner of the man in the Navy attire, is my Uncle, Adolf Grieger. He entered the navy in 1945, training in San Diego and Nevada. He was awarded the American Campaign Medal and the WWII Victory Medal.
The photo of the two men next to Adolf’s picture are, of my father, the larger man with thick wavy hair, Fred Grieger Sr., and my Uncle Alec with the big smile, is to the left of my father. My father, was a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and served in Korea and WWII.
My Uncle, Alec Grieger, served with the U.S. Army Airborne. He entered the Army in 1944. He served in the 11th Airborne Division in the Philippines. He was wounded in Negres Island in 1945 and awarded the Purple Heart Medal. He was also awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, American Camp Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal and Good Conduct Medal and WWII Victory Medal.
The Marine in the lower left-hand corner is my nephew Jason. He has now retired after 20 years of military service. He served two tours in Afghanistan.
The photo in the top left corner of the man in civilian clothes, sitting by a tent, is my step-father, Bill. Airman 1st class, from 1960-63 he served in the Air Force as a member of the Strategic Air Command. His training required high-tech skills, particularly for maintaining B52 Bomber Refulers, during a time when instability with Russia called for military preparedness. His continued education was received at Lackland AFB, Col. Lowery AFB., Bersgtrom AFB in Austin, Texas, and Seville, Spain. He retired his service from the military in 1963, receiving the Service Medal and the status of Airman 1st Class.
The front and center picture is my husband. At 19 years old, he was awarded an ROTC scholarship to Vanderbilt University. He was also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation while serving on the USS Wasp in 1970. In his senior year, he was Battalion Commander for the Navy ROTC unit at Vanderbilt. He served four years active duty in the Marines, including the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. He served on independent duty in Kansas City from 1975-1977.
It is my great privilege to honor the men in the photo, as well as all of those who have served to protect our country. And on this Veterans Day, may we express our pride and gratitude for their willingness to commit, serve and protect our country.
For the Support of Your Life
For the Many Sides of Life
The thoughts and intentions expressed in The Conversant Counselor’s blog, are those belonging to Paulette Jackson and do not necessarily reflect those of any other professional or individual.
