The Empty Chair Memorial began with a very vivid
vision dream. In this dream,
I found myself walking
through this Memorial. It
was so real that I could touch and feel every part of it down to the
smallest letters on the military insignias. The dream was so vivid that
when I awoke, I was left with the unshakable and unmistakable conviction
that God - The Great
Architect and Master Builder, wanted me to build this Memorial and turn
this dream into a living Reality. So, in Faith, without any concern for
“how” this would be done I set out to build the first Empty Chair
Memorial to America’s Fallen Soldiers of all Wars and all
Services. Hopefully, there will be 50 more, one at the Capital of every
State.
In my Religious work, I teach that, “When God Guides -
God Provides.” And God has provided abundantly. Whenever needed,
one good person after another stepped forward to help further and
complete the Memorial. They came from as near as those in this house and
down the block, to as far away as Pennsylvania and Connecticut. In my
own case, God guided my hands to do what my head did not know how to do,
at every step of the way. I am amazed and humbled by it all.
Then, at 6:15 on Monday Morning April 25, 2005, the day
the Boots arrived from Pennsylvania, I had another dream that rocked me
to my very Soul.
I dreamed that the Memorial was finished and I heard
people outside whom I thought were defacing it. In my dream, I
quickly pulled on some clothes and ran downstairs, threw open the front
door, ran outside and stopped dead in my tracks. To my shock, there were
about 30 people all over my front lawn. I was about to shout at them
when I saw that they were all Soldiers. Some were dressed in Civil War
uniforms with muskets, some in World War I uniforms, some others in
World War II uniforms, others in Korean War uniforms, still others in
Vietnam uniforms. They were sitting on my fence and sitting and laying
on the ground in front of and around the Empty Chair Memorial. A Civil
War Soldier was leaning against the East wall of the Memorial holding a
musket, talking and laughing with a Vietnam Soldier standing in front of
him. A Soldier in a WW I uniform was leaning up against my fence talking
to a Korean War Soldier. Other Soldiers were laying on their backs
relaxing, drinking a beer or a coke. As I stood there speechless, they
stopped for a moment and looked over at me and smiled. Some gave me a
“thumbs up,” some gave a casual salute. Then, they went back to enjoying
their R&R. It may have been “just a dream,” but the tears on my face
when I awoke were very real.
I dedicate this Empty Chair Memorial to all fighting
men and women who have unselfishly sacrificed their lives for America
and Freedom, that they may always have an empty chair in which to take
their rest.
God Bless America and our Soldiers
- Reverend Bhagavan Friend
