VETERANS DAY

Today is Veterans Day, and I encourage all who read these words to pause in prayer and gratitude for those brave men and women who have served in our armed forces. This day was once designated as Armistice Day in homage to the more than 100,000 Americans who made the supreme sacrifice in World War I, but was later changed to Veterans Day to honor all our service personal in all wars.
My keen interest, and support, for our military forces has been shaped by the past, and present, involvement of many of my relatives ---- from the Civil War on down to Iraq, and most likely will include Afghanistan before our grandsons come home.
I was named after my great-grandfather Francis Marion Yarbrough, a Civil War veteran. Although he died before I was born, his experiences were well known to us all. The fact that he was mustered out in Virginia and then walked all the way home to SC made a huge impression on me. Grandpa Frank built the old Yarbough Place after the war, and personally carved the date over the front door of the house. My Daddy proudly pointed the inscription out to Loyd on our first trip there after my marriage. Daddy and all of his siblings were born in that home, as well as his own father before him. Later on that house became our refuge during much of World War II.
Loyd's father, Robert Lee Tysinger, served in World War I, mostly in France. We still have his old trunk with his uniform jacket, plus several letters that he wrote during that time. Also my Uncle Mott Yarbrough, teacher, lawyer and historian, served in World War I.
World War II brought sorrow to my Mother's family. Uncle Seth, her youngest brother was lost on Leyte, the Phillipines , leaving a young wife, no children, his grief stricken parents and family. My grandfather, Daddy George Scurry, personally escorted his remains home after the war for proper burial at Butler Methodist Church.
Three of Daddy's brothers, William, Ansel and Capers (Junior) served in World War II, along with three brothers-inlaw. His sister, Annie Rose served in the Army Nurse Corps. However, tragedy struck Daddy's family with the loss of his nephew, Donald Yarbrough, and 98 others when the Submarine USS Scorpion disappeared on May 21, 1968 in the Atlantic Ocean, south of The Azores Islands, and was never found.
Loyd joined the Marines in 1946 for a two year enlistment, and was discharged from active service in May 1947, followed by Sterling's service in the Marine Corp. Reserves. Another grandson, Seth, enlisted in the Army and has been in Iraq since Dec. 2007, and Philip was deployed to Iraq on Oct 18, 2008.
Our military personal come from all walks of life, and today volunteer their services. Even though the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not yet over those men and women in uniform are still heroes in every sense of the word. Let us remember them not only on Veterans Day but every day until they all come home again.