Veterans Day was created to celebrate and honor military veterans. As the celebration and memorials continue each year, many of these men and women use this time to show God and others their appreciation for safety and continuous blessings. Grady Gaston is one of these veterans.
Gaston served his country during World War II as a member of the U.S. Army’s 736th tank battalion with honor. Just as many other believing veterans, he was more concerned with serving the Lord than what he did for his country and the lifelong pain he has lived with due to battle injuries.
At age 89, Gaston is the senior member of his battalion group, known as the kid battalion because most were only 18 or 19 when they enlisted. The kid battalion trained, lived and fought together in battles including the Battle of the Bulge.
“When you have five in a tank, you get close to each other,” Gaston said. “Your life depends on each other.” Gaston said this bond of friendship continued throughout the years as they gather yearly for a reunion. They gather to remember their fallen soldiers, to give thanks for this country and to thank God for watching over it.
Gaston was raised in Union Church Community near Grand Bay. A lifelong Southern Baptist, he became a Christian at the age of 12. He was raised in a Christian home and attended Union Baptist Church. His faith always sustained him and especially so during World War II.
He said, “Prayer was on your lips for protection, and during battles (I) knew the peace of the Lord and the assurance of his presence.”
After returning home from the war, Gaston married his bride of now more than 50 years. They are devoted parents, grandparents and faithful members of First Baptist Church, Birmingham.
“The Lord blesses me at every phase of my life,” Gaston said. “Being a Christian makes me complete. I admire anyone who serves in the military because I know what it means to leave everything you know and love to defend your country.
“Tell the ones being deployed that you will pray for them at a specific time every day,” he said. “My mother did this for me, and every day, whether I was deep in battle or trying to stay warm during one of the coldest winters on record in Europe, I knew when she was praying. It gave me such hope. Even though we were physically separated, we were connected to one another and with God in our hearts.”
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