Yet another Veterans Day has come and gone, and I didn't want this one to simply pass into history without saying something that in some small way reflects how grateful I am to the veterans past and present who have made it possible for me to enjoy all the liberties and privilleges I fear I take for granted far too often.
I live amongst, and minister to men to whom I am deeply indebted. Their ongoing efforts, and the unlauded sacrifices of their families, are ultimately the reason I can legally pursue my calling as a Pastor. I never forget that the ability to openly gather together for something as simple as a Christian worship service is not a privillege that is universally enjoyed, and that these things we call rights were secured, maintained, and paid for in blood, sweat, and tears.
I wanted to share with you just two stories that may help you to understand why I often find myself asking the same question Admiral Tarrant asks at the end of the Bridges at Toko-Ri.
The first is not a story of great heroism in the traditional sense, but it is the kind of story I see unfolding again and again.
One of my good friends is a man by the name of Joe. Although Joe is a young man in his early 30s, he has already served many years in the Army, starting out as an enlisted man serving in the mechanized infantry, working his way up to sergeant and becoming a D.I. Eventually Joe decided he wanted to be a Dentist, and he decided to do this through the military, I first met him after he became a dentist and a captain in Dentec serving here at Ft. Bragg. Joe has college degree and a medical degree, he also has a wife, and two small children, and serves as an elder at our church. Joe also has some theological education, and has preached on occasion, filling in for me in emergencies and the like. With only a year or two left on his commitment, you would expect that Joe would be looking to take the easiest assignments in preparation for getting out of the Army and making a much larger salary in private practice. Instead of doing that, Joe has volunteered for the support battalion of a Special Forces (Green Beret) group. This means a tough regimen of extra training, and that he will be deploying to Afghanistan for almost a year. He has also volunteered to go through jump master training, simply because they needed one. During his years deployment, Joe will be in harms way, and will be called upon to fix not only the teeth of the men of the battalion, but to train medics and local doctors and work on the teeth of Afghans - some of whom will likely be the men either trying to kill him. or assisting those that do. By contrast the only medical assistance Al Qaeda offers to their enemies is the kind of surgery Nick Berg received. Joe however is willing to do all of this because he regards serving God and Country to be far more important than seeking personal peace and prosperity. This is merely one example of dozens of similar sacrifices I have seen made by intelligent and upstanding men who could be doing very well in the private sector, but have chosen the more difficult path of self-denial and sacrifice.
I also want to applaud another group who have been of great help to the men of my congregation over the years -- the pilots of the RAF.
Few people realize just how often over the past few years, RAF planes have been called in to support American troops in combat, and have done an outstanding job well beyond what was asked of them. Let me share one anecdote that was related to me. In Afghanistan last year, one of our SF teams came under fire from concealed Taliban positions on the other side of a steep valley. No one on the ground could see where they were, but they were steadily dropping in mortar rounds on the SF guys. The day was extremely overcast, and the cloud deck was very low, so they didn't expect much help from the Airforce. But as it turns out, their Air Support that day was provided by the RAF and one pilot in particular, dropped down into the valley and flew the entire length of it inverted and Nap of the Earth! The commander of the SF unit said that when he passed by them he was close enough for him to read the pilot's name on the side of the cockpit. He said, "I expected when be cleaning him off the rocks, but he spotted their positions and pasted them on the next run."
Where do we find such men?
- SEAGOON
