- Blizzards, tornadoes and Easter traditions (3/26/24)
- From making our bed to making democracy work (3/19/24)
- Biden's speech, a missed opportunity and theater triumph (3/12/24)
- From Plain Jane to high tech: Nostalgia vs. modern conveniences in automobiles (3/5/24)
- Taxes, inflation and support for veterans (2/27/24)
- Feed the flock (2/20/24)
- Seeing things clearly now: Grateful for modern medicine (2/13/24)
Opinion
A giant who walks the Earth
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Back in the dark ages when I attended the new Air Force Academy Chapel attendance was mandatory for all cadets. There was a Catholic Priest and a Protestant Chaplain but no Mormon minister, Rabbi or Imam. We had no cadets of Muslim belief and students of Jewish faith attended protestant services along with the rest of us. Such was the practice at West Point and Annapolis and probably had so been since each school was stood up. Religious faith was the practice and bedrock principles of those wise men that founded this United States of America. Evidently those in charge thought it good and proper that we cadets training for an officer's commission to lead our armed forces should be men of faith.
Somewhere along the line since that ancient 1950s times chapel attendance became no longer required. A couple years ago Grannie Annie and I visited the Academy and attended a Cadet Chapel service we found only a handful of cadets present. Very few of the permanent party personnel attended either a vivid contrast to my own experience some fifty years prior.
In the 1970s a cadet named Mikey Weinstein graduated from the Air Force Academy. Mikey became what I would call an avid atheist. Mikey served the required time on active duty after graduation then separated from the service to attend law school. He became an activist lawyer and now loudly objects to any reference to Christianity in the military. "Recently on Huffington Post, for example, Weinstein apocalyptically called for the suppression of all religious speech that might remotely be characterized as proselytizing because 'today, we face incredibly well-funded gangs of fundamentalist Christian monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans by forcing their weaponized and twisted version of Christianity upon their helpless subordinates in our nation's armed forces.'" (Google) How is that for a prince of peace? He has brought more than several lawsuits to prohibit demonstrations of faith by officers or enlisted troops.
Our own experiences with Chaplains in the Military over the years have been more positive than the agitations of Mikey Weinstein. Being of protestant persuasion most of our memories are of protestant chaplains. They represented many faith communities, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite, come to mind. Being exposed to different creeds, I was raised Methodist, I found stimulating. I tickled at one Baptist chaplain (Baptists of course don't drink) who found it necessary to belly up to the bar at happy hour every Friday night just to be with his troops. A few of the pastor's wives could be described as "salty" and their children were typical PK's (preacher's kids). Good people just like one finds in our own neighborhoods.
It can be a tough life in today's politically-correct- run-amok military. Chaplains find themselves under increasing restrictions and especially now with the added burden of "gays" in the military. Christians know how to deal with such: "Love the sinner but hate the sin!" Commanders, too are saddled with all manner of restrictions to keep them from sharing their faith. In my experience such nonsense is cyclical in nature and hopefully politically correctness has reached its apogee and is headed for its nadir and obscurity.
Four years ago this Southwestern Nebraska community through the efforts of Grannie Annie and the Adopt-A-Chaplain organization sent several hundred packages to a Chaplain stationed at Forward Operating Base Orgu-E in Afghanistan. Grannie his kept touch with that Chaplain (Captain) Jared Vineyard and he will be coming to preach and express his thanks this coming Sunday, the 9th of June. He will be speaking at the 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. services at the Methodist church on Norris Avenue. The public, Catholics, E. Free, Lutherans, Assembly of God, Christians, even Baptists whatever your flavor of faith all are welcome. Then on the Saturday the 8th Grannie is hosting an open house from 3 to 5 p.m., for the good chaplain his wife and three young children at our home at 201 West M Street. It will be held in our garage where indeed the ladies packed the boxes that went to Chaplain Vineyard in Afghanistan.
A bit about the man. He graduated from West Point and as a Lieutenant trained in artillery. On assignment to Iraq his squad was traveling in convoy and was hit with an IED (improvised explosive device). It was powerful and eight of the nine soldiers involved, his entire squad died. Only one survivor Lt. Vineyard. Recovering from his wounds he finished out his time of obligated service as an artillery officer. Then on his own he attended seminary, became ordained and returned to the Army as a Chaplain. Who better can know how to support troops in combat? This then is the kind of men we have ministering to our troops. Good men. Giants in the faith.
That is how I saw it.