He was a farm boy, the son of a Russian immigrant, well learned in the strive for freedom, volunteerism was the norm on the farm or you got a job less appealing for having not volunteered. When the word of volunteering for a mission important for the cause was mentioned, with hat in hand he waved up high, with a zealous cheer he cried I: I volunteer!
His job, he volunteered to do, nothing could be greater a sacrifice for a boy of 17, a scout. The Company consisted of young boys and men, some eagerly volunteered and others selected, but all learned quickly compassion for each other, and a deep sense of survival for each other as they were so crudely placed upon a wild island in the Pacific with the sheer task of discovering where the Japanese were hunkered in.
No man could live in that hole, or could they? For Peter it seemed impossible to imagine, to fathom but they learned Japanese would stop at nothing to hide themselves from the enemy, wait it out and pounce upon them with all life and strength bestowed upon them from their creator. Viciously they attacked, killing fields of soldiers, mangled and dead, blood spilled like streams of water, going from something living to lifelessness. For a young boy fresh off the farm, the death fields where hard to understand, death was natural and common on the farm; animals, older generations all lived and died in a natural sequence of normal events but, war was not natural and this horrid scene did not play well in his young mind.
His mind and soul finally came to an understanding, live or die. He chose to live but still had to bargain with God on the thought perhaps his destiny might be the here and now with no hereafter; therefore to God he asked forgiveness for his killing, but for God to understand he must do it for survival of his own being as well as for freedom alone. There was no room, no place for Japanese rule or German rule in the world, no man should live under such oppression. All too well, he knew of oppression, his father’s words rang in his ears, ‘Freedom, it is the only descent way for a man to live, oppression brings death to the people,’ over and over he heard it louder than the sounds of death around him. God heard him, and gave him the strength to carry not only himself through but others he helped along the muddy paths.
Disease and injuries plagued him, yet he fought on, he was a scout, there was no evacuation for the scouts, they went in before others landed on the beaches, making it easier for the troops; yet we know they were just fodder for Japanese, waiting quietly, still, in the underbrush. Three times he went in, three times he came out with only two or three left in his group, leaving behind friends that would be in his heart for a lifetime. God was working through him, his strength endured, his father’s words gave him the energy, the will to carry forth the mission he had volunteered to do, Freedom was won, his contribution a success, he left the Pacific free.
We all have heard these stories, we hear them becoming teary as we go through the words but do we really look beyond the words? All soldiers of freedom have the commonality of being a patriot guided by their creator, to do something ordinary but have it accomplish something extraordinary. Veteran’s Day comes and goes, we think short but honorable thoughts about veterans then the day passes until next year. I rather feel our freedom is at stake each day, and every soldier of freedom uses his ability to defend American knowing the threat of oppression from an enemy, externally or within, can happen under their watch and they will be ready.
Soldiering, volunteering, in the name of freedom, is a powerful thing, one that Peter and all others like him understand; they do it because they know there is no other substitute for freedom, our creator bestowed upon us liberty and no man or government shall take that away because oppression only begets death – death to people and to a nation. The need for patriotism is high, volunteering is as important today as it was for this young soldier over 65 years ago – consider joining in the spirit of this soldier, volunteer for freedom, become a patriot, demand the redressing of all complaints threatening our freedom and liberties. Freedom is not free, we need to pay for it through volunteering to be on the watch.
