as people began to display American flags on everything? It was a culmination of all the emotions that come from seeing the true face of evil. It is that gut churning solemn state that arises from the horror of senseless death and destruction. That sense of the presence of evil is a part of a soldier’s tie to heritage.
Whether walking through Fallujah or the European theater in 1944, the presence and effect of evil constantly surrounds the American soldier. To daily interact with people who are free who were once enslaved is a motivating thing. It is in part that intangible tie to heritage. It motivates us to continue to fight. We want to rid this small part of earth from the cancer of terrorism. There is no rationalization for its evil existence. It must be completely and utterly destroyed.
This is a part of what it means to bear true faith and allegiance to the US constitution, the Army, your unit and other soldiers.
In the Bible “the men of Zebulun” were singled out for their “undivided loyalty.” What must have defined these men to be called out from so many great warriors? We know that they were experienced warriors and ready for battle. They were skilled with every type of weapon. Perhaps their greatest weapon was their loyalty.
Father God, help me remain loyal to you and those that have sacrificed so much before me. Impress on me the heart of the men of Zebulun. I want to be known as one with undivided loyalty.
“The men of Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty 50,000.” (1 Chronicles 12:33)
October 19
ARMY VALUES: DUTY
It was a cold November night in 2003. Julie and I had not come to terms about my service, but I had already been commissioned and attended Basic Training in San Antonio and the Army’s Flight Surgeon School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. We had a babysitter and in classic John and Julie fashion, our special date consisted of a light dinner and a walk in a local park. At the end of the first lap I told her the news that she never wanted to hear. “My unit is going.”
She didn’t say anything. She looked at me in disbelief. She turned and walked to the car and left. I didn’t know if she was going to come back and pick me up or not. I just kept walking.
A couple of hours passed. She came and picked me up and we drove home. We went to bed without a word. A further split in the chasm.
I awoke the next morning with the kids. I fixed breakfast and played with them while Julie slept. Actually, I doubt she slept at all that night. You should know that my wife’s faith has been very consistent. She has always had a close relationship with God. From time to time the way she would respond or relate to me would prove that it was not her emotions that spoke but rather the word she received from God. That morning, after the worst news she could imagine, she gave me a gift. She didn’t have to, but she blessed me in a way that still is hard for me to understand.
She came out of the bedroom and walked in front of me to get her morning coffee. She returned to the living room, stood near the fire place and looked at me. She sat her coffee on the mantel and walked over to the sofa where I was sitting. With a slight grin she reached out her hands to my neck and said, “You know, I could strangle you.”
Duty involves a commitment to do what is right even when it leads to personal harm. Following through with my commitment to serve was a necessary part of duty. The act of stepping away from my family and promise of a good job was difficult but necessary.
Dear Lord, the cost of duty is so high. The cost is separation, lost opportunity, uncertainty. So often we give into the fear of the unknown. Remind us always that any cost is temporary for those who know and love you.
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)
October 20
REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11
I will always remember where I was on September 11, 2001. It was a busy day. I was on a SWAT call in the middle of a hostage rescue. Earlier that morning the team was all on its way to a remote site in order to do mountain training. Half our team was already on the mountain. The other half was still at ground level. The page went out that we had a hostage rescue requiring immediate response. We were briefed on the way to the scene. Once we arrived we began to set up the perimeter. Just before 9 a.m. the dispatcher came over the radio and said that one of the towers had been hit by a plane. A few minutes later she came and told us it was deliberate.
We actually ended the hostage event very quickly. I was talking with the guy, telling him to go look at his TV. I told him, “The nation’s being challenged. We are at war.” I told him we didn’t have time to deal with him right now, and that we didn’t have time to stay here while the nation was being attacked. I said that he needed to put that gun down or we would have to kill him. He was threatening to kill a child but what I said communicated the right thing. He came out and gave up the gun. We rescued the kid and returned to headquarters.
Once we were back, we set up a perimeter around the station. Then we started evaluating targets of opportunity. We looked at how to fortify everything. We called out to the airport to find out if planes were heading toward our area of responsibility.
I know exactly where I was on Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, just before 9 a.m. It was just under two years before I became the U.S. Surgeon General.
Thank you, God that you never change. Your power, your presence, and your wisdom are limitless. You know the beginning from the end. Your purposes in our lives are clearly known to you. May we trust in your wisdom when we feel unsure.
“Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” (1 Samuel 14:6b)
October 21
FATHER’S LOVE
