At the age of 111, Ernest Charles Pusey was the third-oldest person in the world the day he died on November 19, 2006.  Nine days before his death, Mr. Pusey received a visit from Florida Governor Jeb Bush.  Bush presented him with a World War I Victory Medal on November 10, the day before Veteran’s Day.  Mr. Pusey had served in WWI as a sailor in the Navy aboard the USS Wyoming which was charged with patrolling the sea lanes around the British Isles.

Mr. Pusey's death in 2006 left fewer than 25 US veterans of World War I out of nearly 5 million who served, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.  According to Wikipedia, the last living veteran of World War I was Florence Green, a British citizen who served in the Allied armed forces, and who died February 4, 2012, at the age of 110.

Mr. Pusey didn't recall receiving a medal after the war, and there was no evidence that he had ever received the Victory Medal.  So after 87 years, Governor Bush presented him with the medal in a ceremony at Mr. Pusey’s trailer in Bradenton, FL.  A black-and-white photo of the battleship Wyoming hung on the wall of his home near a framed letter of congratulations from President Bush, and the president's brother added the glass-encased medal to a table near Mr. Pusey's recliner.

A man extraordinary for longevity and survival, "Ernie" was honored by his country on Veteran's Day, even if the honor was a bit overdue.

There is a war that continues to rage over the souls of men!   Satan wants to destroy us; God wants to save us.

Christ won the decisive victory on the cross, for it was there that He died for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2) and defeated Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15).  Defeated, Satan continues to try to “take down with him” as many as possible (1 Peter 5:8).  But Christ offers the victory over sin and death to all who will accept it on His terms.

God will save those who place their  faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  When we trust and obey Christ, we are “enlisted” in His victorious army and issued this challenge:  “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

And in the end, God will reward our faithfulness.  The Apostle Paul, a seasoned veteran in the army of the Lord, wrote these words near the end of his “tour of duty”: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Neal Pollard informs us that we may “have to wait what seems like a long time before receiving ‘official recognition’ for our tour of duty.  Yet, our reward will be imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25) and eternal (1 Thessalonians 4:17)!  Don't lose heart.  God will not forget your service for Him (Hebrews 6:10).”

Won’t YOU trust and obey Christ for the victory and serve Him faithfully the rest of your days?