While coming back from Seattle last week, I sat next to a young man on the plane who serves as part of the Air Force Honor Guard. Based on his uniform, haircut and the way he carried himself, I could tell that he was a very disciplined person. The man's name is Jeremy. We talked about his experiences in the Air Force, his plans, and the things that have meant the most to him about his service.
Jeremy is part of the elite group that performs special ceremonies at award presentations, military funerals, presidential functions and major events. As an ambassador for the Air Force, his group does military drills, especially with riffles. That right...he's one of the guys who throws the rifles.
Jeremy said that the times that have meant the most to him are not the major ceremonies for generals or other high ranking officials. He could care less about the press being there or the scores of people in the stand. He said that the most moving times have been for him the small, private ceremonies when maybe only one or two people showed up to honor a fallen soldier. Those were the times where he felt like they made the biggest impact. He said, "If we make the few relatives there realize that somebody cares, then we've done our job. We remember the people who everyone else seems to forget. We make sure that their legacy lives on and honor their sacrifice."
Jeremy's words make me want to cry just thinking about them. He lives to honor the sacrifice of others. We, as Christians - followers of Jesus, are called to do the same.
