Many things have been written about the wars which Americans have faced since our country first arose. Freedom has been proclaimed from every valley to mountain top across the United States. Most people, though they have heard this, take to understanding this profound freedom should be the basic rights of all people. As I say all people, I’m talking about every shoe-wearing or barefooted human who walks the earth.
I don’t believe any person alive today can walk away from this conversation without being able to tell of at least one person in their family who is in the grave today due to them being killed in the wars Americans have fought.
I remember as a young boy, my mother had a picture hanging on the wall at our home with a face I did not know. After I asked my mother who he was, she explained to me it was one of my uncles. He carried the name of Scogin. When she explained to me he was killed over Germany, the explanation included he was a pilot of the bombers which had been attacking Berlin.
His plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and was on its way down. As he pushed his soldiers out of the aircraft, he was positioned to jump himself as the plane blew up. All of his crew survived, but he didn’t.
As I researched my family’s history and their origins, I found on the male side, we arrived in America six years after the Mayflower. One side of my family settled in Virginia in the same area George Washington was raised. Most likely a descendant of my family members knew George very well.
Some of the historical facts note the Revolutionary War grew from the pastor’s pulpits of the Presbyterian Churches. Rebellion from the English government then grew. Freedom was being proclaimed.
I also had one of my relatives given 120 acres of farmland for his unpaid role alongside Washington. After the Revolutionary War, our country felt the sting of many more wars. For each war, there was a battle front drawn. You will very often hear people talk about the many fronts to which soldiers were placed.
One thing which I now want to bring up is this--with every war there have always been two fronts. One front was in the battlefield; the other was in the average everyday American homes.
The second battle front was the praying family members who were at home, with worries for their loved ones who were fighting those wars. Many young people of this day will not understand.
Most of their battles are fought on game boards or programs. To see death on those screens will not give them an accurate visual description of death and injury which has placed a cost to someone. Many of those “someones” were and are those we love who carried the weapons of war. As for those who did not fight with guns, a different weapon was placed in their hands.
That weapon is and always was the two-edged sword we know as the Word of God, better known as the Bible.
So many nights, I would hear the pleas and cries of my parents for my two brothers. They were both in Vietnam during some of the most crucial flights of the war. Death was faced by my brothers with guns blazing in those battles as we drew the sword at home.
My emphasis on this subject now lies in why our country is so messed up. I believe it is because believing these things really happened is far from our minds. Our fight has now been placed against each other.
As wars take place, people would drop to their knees with heart and soul cries coming from their mouths. Why? This is because we knew there was only One who could bring our family member home, “God.” As the wars ended, we became complacent with our lives and no longer needed God. As another war would take place, we again dropped to prayers and God.
For some reason, this looks to me like a ball bounced off a concrete floor. We have lost our connection with God.
As we face today, the thoughts and rumors of wars are now being placed on the
table. Fronts are now being designed in front of our eyes. Though these wars seem to be inconceivable, they will become reality.
As wars had almost ceased after 2016, we became at ease just living lives as we saw fit. We needed help only to pay for our debt-driven lifestyles. Then came, after 2020, new types of war, plagues and then again rose more wars between nations, and many rumors of wars.
Without going deep into this issue, I hear sounds of recordings made to be heard from God’s Word. No one seems to know specifically why it has gotten so bad, but sit back and watch this movie produced by our Creator.
Now, we have another two-front war. This two-front war started with our flesh and spirit. Where we once prayed for our loved ones to return home from the war front, we are now praying for our own selves. For each and every person on the face of the earth, the battle has now shifted to our fight as Christian believers against the evils foretold by our Creator’s own words.
The ending is inevitable; there are but two ways out. One is to hold on to the belief this world will figure it out and stop it, or the other, we will figure it out and let our creator, God Jehovah, take care of that unchangeable end.
There is an old phrase, “I’ve read the Book, and I know how the story ends.” Here is great knowledge. Here is great wisdom. But most of all, here you must have the understanding. This is not just my opinion, but also my Creator’s.
In closing, I want to give a thanks to my middle brother, who passed away from sickness he developed from Vietnam, and to my oldest brother, who still lives, but carries the weight of his disabilities from that same war.
With unfailing thanks to all Veterans who served the purpose of freedom, so we can live a life only checked by God, because freedom can only come from Him.
(Editor’s note: This is Ron Scogin’s second guest column focusing on his family and the service given by his brothers, Richard Lee “Rick” Scogin and Harrison “Coley” Scogin. We are so grateful he took the time to share these stories from his heart for all our readers who also have loved ones who gave their all, or who served their country to keep us free. Thank you, Ron. Thank you Rick and Coley. Thank YOU to all our veterans and their families. God bless!).
See complete story in the Journal Record.
Subscribe now!