Memorial Day Message.................

It is Memorial Day!  Like many veterans, this is the hardest day of the year to deal with.   First, it is neither a holiday nor a celebration!  We all gave some, but this day is all about the ones that gave all.  A day to remember those who died for our freedom and way of life.  This should be done with honor, respect and it is a solemn day.  Many are unaware of how veterans feel Memorial Day, a feeling of lose, guilt and remorse.  Many veterans that made it home live daily with guilt or shame, just because they lived. This rips at our very soul.  I have had many people come up to me and say happy Memorial Day, or they thanked me for serving.  All done with good intentions very unaware that they just drove a dagger into my heart.  To a Veteran this day is not a celebration and it is not about my service or the living!  It is a day of remembering our fallen!  A day to respect and honor those who died!  There will be many veterans withdrawn
and angry on this day.  Many will use whatever they can to avoid the emotional pain, some will drink, others may use drugs, and we all have used anger.  It is coping any way we can.  But those coping skills usually come at a high cost.
 I am talking to you, my fellow veteran, DONOT WAIT TO SEEK HELP, THERE IS HOPE AND HELP AND NOW!We have felt guilt and remorse for just being alive and live each day asking the question of why me?  Why did I survive?  Many fight this emotional hell alone. I have learned we must have responsibility to assume fault.  To have responsibility you must be in control.  We did not have control of the war or action.  We simply did what we were told to do, to the best of our ability at that time and that is all any of us could do! 
We could not control the situation, therefore we were not responsible and we should not feel guilty for something that is out of our control.  I waited 45 years before I got help and it took a couple years to understand it was not my fault.  Does it release me from feeling the lose?  No, but I no longer beat myself up each day just because I survived!  I do not need to be a workaholic to avoid idle time when my mind brings me back to a place I want to forget.  A majority of veterans who survived a war or conflict, deal with the guilt of survival.  Many deny they have a problem; the truth is we do have the problem and try to deal with it by ourselves.  It has a name, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  There is no shame in taking back your life and I am asking veterans to seek help now.  Many of the Vietnam Vets waited 45 years before we got help.  But at what cost: divorce, separation from family and friends, losing jobs, or dropping out of
society completely.  PTSD has been identified and there is hope and help for all who live with this nightmare.  Contact the local VA Hospital or Clinic and ask for help.  There are programs that work and will allow us to live again.  We cannot change the past; but we sure can change our future.  Remember, to be at fault; you must have had the responsibility and to have responsibility you must have the control of what we are responsible for.  We will never forget those who gave all, we should honor their memory with respect and gratitude, and we should thank God that we did survive 
My Memorial Day Prayer for all Veterans, especially those who suffer in silence with awful memories no human should endure:   I ask our Father in Heaven, the Creator of all things, our Savior and Sovereign Lord, to give peace and comfort to all veterans.  I ask for comfort and peace for their families and loved ones.  I ask for the healing of this Great Nation and the individuals that we are honoring on this day be remembered with honor, respect and gratitude.  I pray that they did not die in vain. Grant us wisdom and understanding. Father, I ask a special blessing for all our military members and their families give them comfort and peace.  Lord, give them the courage and strength needed for battle.   Keep them safe from harm and bring them back home.   All this I ask in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.
 A vet who cares, MSGT USAF Ret.
 
 
William "Wild Bill" Henneberger 
President Circuit Riders Motorcycle Ministry
Fort Worth, Texas Chapter