William Crawford, a Medal of Honor recipient for his heroic actions during World War II, retired from the Army and worked as a janitor at the US Air Force Academy so that he could remain close to the military.
This article by Colonel James E. Moschgat, United States Air Force, (Ret.) on the Officers’ Christian Fellowship website offers 10 lessons learned from the experience of this humble hero:
Each US military branch has a dedicated hymn to inspire singers to lift their voices in praise to God, honoring him as the creator of life and liberty:
[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Military Academy Prayers ]
Composed in 2020, the Space Force Hymn (Wikipedia) is the first military hymn written in 105 years. Its author, former Air Force Captain James F. Linzey, who retired as a chaplain from the Army, is the only living composer of a military hymn.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness in the USA Military ]
Each hymn’s stanzas are shown below, as is the NATO Hymn enhanced with sacred lyrics by Capt. Linzey. Originally written by Captain André Reichling of the Luxembourg Military Band in 1989 to commemorate NATO’s 40th anniversary, the hymn was officially adopted as an instrumental anthem in 2018. Now, Capt. Linzey’s sacred lyrics draw on Psalm 8 and George Frideric Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, bringing a spiritual dimension to NATO’s official music. Capt. Linzey says this rendition of the hymn and imagery are not in any way endorsed by NATO, nor are they official publications of NATO.
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SPIRITUAL FITNESS ]
Saturday, April 19, 2025, was the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord of Wednesday, April 19, 1775, the first major military campaign of the American Revolutionary War.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Celebrating 250 Years: Learn About the American Revolution ]
The English government had ordered its British military forces to seize the American civilian colonists’ weapons and gunpowder being stored in Concord, Massachusetts. However, the colonists’ resolute resistance resulted in an American victory and an outpouring of support for liberty and independence.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Heavy, Long Gun That Won the American Revolutionary War ]
The battles were fought on the American side primarily by privately armed militias and individuals bearing their personal firearms, an act so indelibly impressed upon the colonists’ consciousness that, 16 years later, after the war was won and the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified December 15, 1791, the individual right to keep and bear arms (today known as The Second Amendment) was definitively prioritized and protected from American government infringement; esteemed enough to be considered one of the top two fundamental and vital civil rights on which to build the great American nation.
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of the SECOND AMENDMENT ]
How notoriously ironic that 250 years ago, Massachusetts as a colony preeminently prioritized the unalienable civil right to keep and bear arms, with its citizens making the ultimate sacrifice to protect that right, but today it is one of the worst states to infringe on that right!
When you live the SemperVerus life, you decide to Stay True to what is right and Stay True to your aim in every decision you make.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Every Small Decision Leads to Winning or Losing in Spiritual Warfare ]
When you wear our SemperVerus Brotherhood/Sisterhood wristband, it’s a helpful constant reminder that you pledge to stay true to what is right (1 Tim. 4:16) by daily choosing to live led by (Rom. 8:14), filled with (Eph. 5:18), walking by (Gal. 5:16), and in step with (Gal. 5:25) the Holy Spirit, exhibiting 13 virtues in your behavior; one of which is acting valorously (with courage).
[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Door of Leadership Swings on the Hinge of Character ]
Conducting yourself with bravery is an element of strong character, and it’s part of the third element of the five SemperVerus components—BE—which emphasizes the importance of prioritizing integrity, honesty, and general uprightness in your life. It reads:
III. Be: developing rich personal leadership character of exemplary moral and ethical quality.
Two shining examples of what it means to act with courage are the US military’s Medal of Honor and the US Department of Justice’s Medal of Valor.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Be Like Ernest Shackleton ]