Prayer for Memorial Day – May 29, 2023

As you may recall from my Facebook post on May 24, 2020, “Remembering One Who Remembered,” my great grandmother, Catharine Mary Emmott, is known as the Mother of Memorial Park. Due to her efforts and many others, we have a place which will always honor those who served in war to protect and preserve our freedom. Click on this link to read the post.

Catherine Mary’s eldest son (my grandfather), Jack H. Emmott, Sr., served in the First World War. He learned the skills to operate a machine gun at Camp Logan, now known as Memorial Park. Fortunately, he missed the Houston train to Galveston to board the ship to fight on the Killing Fields of Europe. After missing the train, in tears he came home to his mother, Catherine Mary. He was extremely upset about missing the train.

Shortly thereafter Grandfather, PawPaw, learned that his entire unit died. The average life expectancy of a machine gunner in battle in WWI was two minutes.

Because he missed the train, ultimately PawPaw was assigned to be a trainer in the School of Fire in Georgia. He taught brave soldiers the art by day and rode by horseback at night with Teddy Roosevelt’s nephew to fish on the Savannah River.

I treasure the WWI machine gun bullet box he gave me.  I have pride in his service to our country and in the Park’s precious legacy his mother left for you and me. I am thankful for all the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives and who served to preserve our precious liberties.

God has spoken in Scripture on God’s support of those who war for America.

Psalms 144:1-2
“Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”

Let us pray.

God, may You please bless all Americans who have served or sacrificed their lives in the military to preserve and protect America from evil. In the giving of their lives, we have received the gifts of peace, opportunity, and freedom to learn, grow, earn, and love.

God, may Your angels illumine their paths with the light of Christ. May your unfailing love heal their wounds and comfort the hearts of family and friends left behind. Amen
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If you think Jack’s prayer helps you or will help someone you know, please forward it to them. Jack may never make millions selling books or writing prayers, but spreading God’s good news to others is reward enough for him.
Ann Boland, Jack’s Publicist