No, it has not become an orphan blog......bear with me.....

But timeout today for a tribute on Memorial Day.....

I come from a long line of voluntary military service from as far back as the Revolutionary War to the current war in Iraq and Afghanistan, where my son-in-law has honorably served four tours of duty.All have stories but today I want to share a story about my Uncle Bob. The facts are sketchy. Many veterans are not inclined to relive the time they spent at war, but the truth lies in the gist of the story.

Robert St Clair Scott was born in Virginia in 1915. He married my dad's sister and our families moved sporadically through each other's lives. He and my dad both served  20 years in the military, having enlisted sometime around WWII. The uncle I recall was a jovial, easy-going, Pillsbury Dough Boy kind of guy.

 Uncle Bob was a minister and became a Chaplain when he joined the Army, serving with the paratroops. His unit was sent on a mission jumping somewhere over Germany. As a Chaplain, Uncle Bob did not have to jump but he insisted that his place was with his men. They were captured and he ended up in a POW camp for 2 years, at least part of that time in Poland.

Chaplain Scott did what he was destined to do - care for the religious needs of his men. He held religious services in the POW camp, led songs, preached, consoled, and counseled. One day, a guard approached the room where he was leading a church service and demanded they cease. He threatened to kill them if they defied his order.

The story goes that Uncle Bob just looked at the guard for a moment, then turned back to his men and said three words, "Carry on, Men!"