In 1944, Graham was headed toward a military career as a chaplain in the U.S. Army when a case of the mumps disqualified him from service. However, his dedication to the armed forces never wavered, and he spent substantial time abroad ministering to troops.

“God used Mr. Graham to encourage and bring hope to soldiers serving in the trenches during some of the most horrific military operations of our time,” said Tom Phillips, vice president of the Billy Graham Library. “We are humbled to be able to honor those who have sacrificed for the freedoms of our country by showing them gratitude through this month-long tribute, but continue to recognize their service each and every day.”

See what Billy Graham had to say about the military and those who serve:

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“The freedoms we enjoy, the freedoms we take so much for granted, the freedoms we so often trifle with were bought not by the gold of our millionaires, nor altogether the genius of our scientists, nor the sacrifices of the people at home, but primarily by the blood, sweat and agony of those who died that we might live!”

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“As we think of the selflessness and heroism of [soldiers], we are reminded of the words of Jesus Christ who said: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’”

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“It is important to remember that there is a price for freedom. The blood of our forefathers speaks to this and we know from Scripture that while we cannot earn salvation from God, it cost Him the blood of His only Son, Jesus Christ.”

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“Will wars ever cease? History, I’m afraid, doesn’t give us any reason to be optimistic. Conflicts and wars have raged almost since the beginning, when Cain killed his brother Abel…But some day all wars will cease—when Christ comes again! He alone gives us hope for lasting peace—in our hearts, and in our world.”

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“Our world’s wars and other horrors don’t necessarily point us to God’s love. If we only look at the bad things in the world, we might conclude God doesn’t care about us. But what do these wars and other tragedies point to? They point us to another reality: the reality of human sin…But this isn’t the whole picture! How do I know God loves us? I know it because Jesus Christ demonstrated God’s love by coming down from heaven to defeat sin.”

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“We live in a perpetual battlefield–the Great War of the Ages continues to rage. The lines of battle press in ever more tightly about God’s own people. The wars among nations on earth are merely popgun affairs compared to the fierceness of battle in the spiritual, unseen world.”

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“Modern war is the most highly developed of all sciences. We have perfected our weapons but failed to perfect the men who use them.”

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“How can men boast that they control their own destiny when they cannot solve the problems of war?”

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“The Charter of the United Nations said in its preamble: ‘We the people determined to save succeeding generations from war…’ Can the United Nations save the world from war? The answer is No! It was conceived and created by statesmen who knew little of the significance of the biblical concept of history and the nature of man. When the perspective is wrong, the whole viewpoint will be wrong.”

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“Philosophically, war is an extension of man’s struggle with sin and evil in the world.”

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