Everything

Sunday, before our 1st worship service, one of my WW2 vets started sharing with me as I was greeting folks. He started telling me about dodging German subs on their way to England and the European theater. He shared how he and his Army battalion crossed the Rhine River into Germany on his 19th birthday. How he and another 19 year old were the 2 forward observers for their battalion ... point men ... for an entire battalion ... advancing through Germany.

He then started to share about being involved in the liberation of a couple of concentration camps that held the Jews. How they came out ... starving ... emaciated ... fearful. He shared about seeing the gas chamber ... and the ovens ... and the mass graves discovered. He shared that the surviving prisoners had nothing ... barely alive.

I asked him in honest wonder, "What did you do?"

He looked down to the floor ... and then after a brief pause ... he raised his head ... and looked me in the eyes ... and simply said, "We gave them everything we had."

I became very quiet.

I asked his Grandson later if he had ever shared any of that with the family. He said that his Grandfather had never shared a word about it with anyone. I thought you might like to know.

That's all, I just wanted to share it.

God Bless.

xtnyoda, shalomed