The Challenge 14
April, 2004
Another week goes
buy. It is spring break for my family
this week and we are desperately trying to squeak out some time to relax. It seems that most of the time will be spent
catching up on things that have been needing to be done. We spent one of the days this week painting
Mitchell's room - the redecoration was a Christmas present from my daughter to
my son but somehow my wife is doing most of the work... interesting. Had a wonderful time with my son last
weekend during a quick trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. We drove, saw the beautiful countryside, ate out a couple of
times, swam in the hotel swimming pool and talked. It was fun! Stressing a
little bit because I was asked to teach next week at the youth service and I'm
a little nervous about it! We'll
see! Other than that...not much going
on!
Your
Marines
Most of you know that I am a Marine; have been since
I was 17 years old. I have spent the
entirety of my adult life in the Marine Corps.
I enlisted when I was 17, got an ROTC scholarship and got a commission
when I was 21 and served as an officer until 1997 when I was medically
retired. Then I spent 3 months working
for a Defense Contractor and got hired back by the Marine Corps as a civil
servant (we like to call ourselves Civilian Marines). Anyway, being a Marine I closely watch the activities that
occurring around the world and I get many reports from friends and others who
know people over there. The reports are
always interesting, some too crude to send out, and some are just too graphic.
Now you and I could argue for days on the need for
the war, President Bush's policies, whether or not Saddam was really
stockpiling weapons of mass destruction, and the whole war on terror but that
is not the point. I'm not going to try
and convince you either way on this issue.
What is important is two things a) that we can have this discussion because
we live in a free country where men and women volunteer to be Marines and carry
out the collective will of the country and b) that many, many of your Marines
are Godly men and women.
Many of you have seen these pictures in your local
papers. All of them show Marines
praying! Marines mean business when we
are called to do what we are trained to do but we are typically men of honor,
character and we know the order of authority in our lives... we get drilled
into us at a very early stage of our life in the Corps that the priority is
God, Country, and then Corps!
I'd like to share with you a letter from a Protestant
Chaplin over in Iraq who was writing one of his friends and it basically shares
with you the climate over there with the Marines. Let's read his unedited words...
"Hot and sunny on Good Friday...quiet in
Fallujah and Ar Ramadi. The
Coalition has announced a pause in offensive
operations. Humanitarian aid is being searched and then allowed into the city
of fallujah. Defensive operations continue 24/7.it is all war, all the time.
The bad guys are regrouping. So are the Marines. The brawl will begin
again...probably tonight. All intel points to the bad guys redistributing ammo,
enlisting kids in the fight and moving for new cover. Convoys are
limited..danger of ambush is high. Life in Blue Diamond continues, with an
edge. Imagine a place the size of Lakeland Shores with 5 times the population.
One asphalt
street, two dirt roads. Due to the siege..no
sanitation service for three day..that includes pumping satellites...We are on
the edge of the town..we see the minirets of the city and we hear the immams
sermons as they rail against us....good thing few here understand ARabic cause
I can tell you the preachers weren't teaching the golden rule today. Morale, sky high...extra intensity..friends
are on the line. the senior nco's and officers here, feel the pull the most.
They have served with or trained everyone on the line..The Corps is a small
community. This is very personal. If a person can do something to help the
outcome of the fight..they'll find a way..it's that kind of day..all for one,
one for all. I divide the day; Holy Week service planning, convoy prayers, and
COC intercessory prayers. First, I go to the DIV Chaplain office to meet with
the command Chaplain, CHaplain Divine..the fighting Irishman. What a man. RC
Christians...be proud..you've got a great priest here. He spares nothing to get
to his marines. He loves marines and he loves God. He waded into Ar Ramadi
during the fire fight, three days ago...to provide ministry at the aid
station...came back weary but satisfied he was where he was needed. He's on the
road, to all the FOB's ministering to marines. I had the privilege of praying
for him, this morning. If he goes down
the morale in this Division would take a huge hit. They love him. Second, I
work to coordinate Good Friday, Easter Sunrise and Protestant Easter Service.
Having services in a war zone is a little different. A)we have to worry about
getting large numbers of people in one place. One mortar round into the right
place and you could kill alot of marines. B)organists are in sort supply and we
don't have an organ. Music? C)We are going to worship and it will be well
attended...we need Easter..because we live in the valley of the shadow of
death..we need the resurrection. Third, twice a day I go to the 'Cave'..the
combat operations center..which is housed in a former palace..poorly lit and
the hub of fighting the battle...I stand in the corner and pray for each
person/position and those they represent. I don't know many of them, but God
does. I pray for wisdom, strength, mercy, endurance and God's presence for each
warrior all those they serve or represent. I
cover the Cave and the battle field as I look at live imagery projected
on the wall. I don't know how the marines do it..but the COC is loaded with
strack looking marines. The senior NCO's all look like NFL lineman. The junior
officers look like marathon runners and the mid-grade officers look like NFL
halfbacks...the senior officers are lean, tanned and serious..deadly serious.
The place exudes the warrior spirit. If you are a civilian I can't explain it
and won't apologize for it. If you are a veteran you don't need to have it
explained..the warrior spirit. These marines are in a street fight. They don't
have the word 'lose' in their vocabulary. They've been bloodied and their anger
is up. The intensity in the COC is contagious. This is a tribe of warriors.
They exist to close with and destroy the enemy. They have their tribal mores,
rituals and rites. Their enemy has desecrated members of the tribe and taunted
the marines. They've asked for a fight. The Marines are in full pursuit and absolutely determined to
annihilate their foe. I'm sure that
sounds harsh to politically correct ears and those for whom this type of
violence is anachronistic. It does not sound foreign here...it is status quo.
We are in a violent land, with an evil element and they are having violence
visited upon them. There is no room here for half measures. This is a test of
wills...one side will prevail. That is clearly understood and never
discussed..it is obvious. We aren't playing paintball..we are at war. Fourth,
Convoy prayers...convoys go out of here regularly. I hunt them down..pass out a
small card with a convoy prayer on it and then gather whoever wants to pray and
we pray. The number of prayers is going up, hourly, as the ambushes continue.
Here's how intense it has become..today's standard preconvoy brief now includes
the following: "If you drive into the kill zone..two options..drive
through and on, or reverse and drive out. Do not stop. If you are blocked into
the kill zone..displace from the
vehicle, find cover, fix the target, engage, manuever and destroy the hostile
forces. Target selection..rules have changed...avoid civilians, if possible.
Hostile forces are now using civilians as shields. We are not interested in
losing more marines. If you can avoid putting civilians in your line of fire,
avoid it. If not,fire to take out the hostile forces." Implication? Chilling...we've
entered a new dimension. We are fighting an enemy who respects no laws of
humanity, knows no rules of landwarfare and gives no quarter. How do we fight,
without become barbarians ourselves? Fifth, ministry of presence..in a place
this small..I walk from shop to shop and just say, 'hi'..can't tell you the
number of times someone says..."Hey, chappy..it's great to have you
here." Something about seeing a chaplain is calming to folks this close to
the fight. Good Friday in Ar Ramadi..while you're having lunch I'll lead the
evening Good Friday service. We will remember
our Savior who willingly laid down His life that we might live..and
we'll be thinking about young marines and soldiers who are willingly putting
their lives on the line so Iraqis can be free...no great love hath a man than
to lay down his life for his brother...
Good Friday to you,
John"
Chaplin John sums it up
here folks...the Marines are worried about knocking out a prayer service
because it will be so heavily attended!
The moral of the entire division will be greatly degraded if their head
Chaplin whom they love is ever eliminated!
These are your Marines!
Regardless of how you feel about this war we are fighting this is a good
time to remember that your Marines and other service members, civilian
contractors and others are over there and they need one thing - your
prayers! Our friend John above is just
one of God's servants who is ensuring that the Marines are covered in
prayer. Are you praying for our troops? Are you praying for their families? Are you praying for men like John who are there
for our Marines day-in and day-out?
Until next week ~ Dave
To make comments, to suggest topics you'd like me to
tackle, to get past devotionals, or to be added to this weekly "devotional
email" please write to: Dave Hansen at philip419@earthlink.net