A Soldier

I’ll be honest: I probably only spent a total of one hour with the man. But that was long enough to make a lifelong impression. He was a part of the “greatest generation,” and when you look at the lives of men like him, you have to wonder how it could have gotten any greater.

I was blessed to know Jack Gattis, Sr. for just a few short weeks after moving to Hardin, KY. The first time I met him was in the hospital, right after he had surgery on his foot due to circulation problems. He was the father of one of our members, so I felt compelled to visit him. When I walked into the room I couldn’t tell that anything was wrong with the man. I’ve seen perfectly healthy people live daily in worse spirits than this man was in after having had a rather significant operation.

Unfortunately, he would continue to have problems with his leg and foot, and would pass away in early May 2011.

I’d never been part of a funeral with full military honors. Certainly such a memorial was fitting for this man. But there was something that struck me about what the chaplain said whenever it was time for the army to do its part of the graveside service.

After having placed a bayonet equipped rifle barrel down into the ground, and topping it off with dog tags and helmet, creating the Battlefield Cross, he explained the significance of the symbol. He said that anywhere you found such a display on a battlefield, it marked the place where a warrior had fallen. While Bro. Gattis hadn’t fallen in combat, he was willing to give his life for his country, and thus, they honored him in that way now.

Indeed, he was a fallen warrior, but maybe not just in the way you would think.

I had been paying close attention to the way the family remembered him over the course of that day. During the service itself, he was described as being a man who lived his life for God. In essence, he had given his life for the cause of Christ. He had died a warrior on the spiritual battlefield.

One of the pall bearers later told me a story which, I think, sums it up. He asked me, “Do you remember FDR, and how he didn’t want anyone to know that he was sick?” I acknowledged to the affirmative. He said, “That’s just how Mr. Jack was. He would drag his leg behind him, all the way into church, but try to hide it so you didn’t think anything was wrong with him.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve known people to complain and stay home for far less than that. He was a fighter.

Indeed, his life was about more than just “going to church,” and I’m sure that I could spend countless paragraphs describing this great man to you. But here’s the point I’m trying to make: I have a feeling that while he would be greatly honored by the display of the military in appreciation of his service to his country, he would probably count the recognition of his service to God as a higher honor.

He would want you to serve God and feel the same way.

As you remember those who paid the ultimate price on Memorial Day, thank the Lord for men like Jack Gattis, who served his country, and above all, his Lord.

“¹⁰ Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. ¹¹ Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. ¹³ For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ by fitting your feet with the preparation that comes from the good news of peace, ¹⁶ and in all of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints. ” (Ephesians 6:10–18, NET)

~Daniel Howell