Congregation Beth Shalom

Veteran’s Day 2011

No one is more anti-war than our military.  I learned this lesson serving as a U.S. Navy chaplain.   Many years earlier, in a speech delivered in Ottawa (Canada), former President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, and its stupidity.”  

General Douglas MacArthur in an address to the U.S. Congress in 1951 stated, “I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting.  I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a method of settling international disputes.”

Still, we insist on fighting.  Since World War II, the United States has unsuccessfully waged war in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.  All we have to show for these efforts are 100,000 U.S. Casualties. . .and they all wore uniforms.

The average age of those fighting our wars is 19.  These young men-barely old enough to vote and too young to drink-don’t start wars nor decide policy.  Their job is to answer the call placing them in harm’s way.  They make the ultimate sacrifice for both wise and unwise policy decisions.  

Our country observes two occasions of remembrance-Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day.  Memorial Day is devoted to the memory of those who gave their lives in the service of this country.  Veteran’s Day is for all who have served in the U.S. Military-living and dead.  Rabbi Arnold Resnikoff, a former military chaplain, offers the following prayer on the occasion of Veteran’s Day 2011:

Almighty God,
As we gather here, we recall
that more than 90 years ago - in 1918
-on the 11th day of the 11th month - at the 11th hour of that day --
an armistice was signed
to end the war-
the war to end all wars, we said

and yet, other wars would come
and others would be called to serve
-so Armistice Day became Veterans Day,
a time to recognize and remember
those who would face new horrors
keeping peace
or answering the call to fight

O Lord,
we know too well
there have been times
when we have not honored those
who honored us
through sacrifice and service
in wars our nation chose to fight

today we pray that we have learned
to offer thanks
to show respect - and gratitude
to all our veterans - alongside those who serve our nation still
and to their families, too

today we pray
to mourn our dead
to help our wounded
to praise our heroes,
and to welcome home our troops
- with open arms -
when they return

we pray you give them strength
and grant us strength, as well-
- to keep our faith
that one day
-thanks in part - large part - to the courage of those we honor with our words today -
one day, we'll beat our swords to plowshares
and war will be no more

...and let us say, amen

Rabbi Howard Siegel