Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Alec Penstone, 100-year-old veteran, was recently honored on Good Morning Britain for his service.
World War II started when he was 15 years old and he helped pull bodies out of bombed buildings as a teen and then enlisted in the Navy eventually taking part in the D-Day invasion. He was asked to reflect on his service and his message to his nation.
He replied, “My message is I can see in my mind’s eye those rows and rows of white stones and the hundreds of my friends who gave their lives, for what? The country of today? No, I’m sorry - but the sacrifice wasn’t worth the result of what it is now. What we fought for was our freedom, but now it’s a darn sight worse than when I fought for it.”
The audience and hosts were stunned into silence.
Finally host Kate Garraway responded, “Alec, I’m sorry you feel like that and I want you to know that all the generations that have come since, including me and my children, are so grateful for your bravery and all the other service personnel. It’s our job now to make it the country that you fought for, and we will do.”
Alec is a prophetic voice they are in trouble. Many experts believe Britain is ripe for revival or civil war. Britain and America have fought together against Marxism, Nazism, Imperialism, radical Islam and tyranny against Western civilization, Democracy and liberty. Alec is telling his fellow Brits and the Allies who fought to save civilization that their sacrifice in the 1940s is now being squandered. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our Veterans, especially those who have given their all, laying under white stones around the world to secure freedom. But Kate shared the important message that it is our job to make it the country that they fought for. May we not squander their sacrifice of blood, sweat and tears of our veterans and those who have gone before with disunity, bickering and moral decline. Take a moment this Thanksgiving to thank God for the blessings He has given us and pray for revival, renewal and peace in this world. Let’s agree with Kate, “(this) we will do.”
Ken Locke is the retired corps administrator of The Salvation Army in Warsaw and director of the Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association. Have ideas for this column? Go to www.gwma.info.
