Firstly let me apologize for not being at the reunion in Texas through my thoughts were with all of you and thanks for the privilege of allowing me to be your Chaplain. I've enjoyed being Chaplain for the K-9 Association as well and look forward to serving you. I have to say that my first duty station was Vietnam and I admired all you guys as soon as I arrived and
saw you working. I have always wanted to be able to express my feelings to you all, especially those of you that manned a tower or a bunker or a listening post. When Charlie tried to go around us if
he could. I've always admired you guys and your doing your job kept us safe also. Thanks Guys.
I've learned to respect every veteran who went there or served off the coast, perhaps in a ship or those standing by in Thailand. Our war was different and of course brought
different problems to deal with as you know. Let me say as your Chaplain that God Almighty saved us from that place for a reason and He wants to use that experience to make us better, not bitter. He
can use even bad things in our life for our good and His glory. I plan to write articles on PTSD and would also like to encourage you to write me for information to help your PTSD, and also your
prayer requests, or just write if you want, or call.
Let me close my first article by quoting a Bible selection from 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 that I like to share at my church every chance I get or opportunity because it talks about
us:
"We brethren would not have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia,
that we
were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust
in ourselves,
but in God which raises the dead. Who delivered us from so great a
death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us."
This organization also gives us a chance to inform people around us of what it was like to be there and why it was so different. When we came home no one wanted to know and it was painful but now many want to know, and there is a need to express it that helps us.
May God and His richest Blessings be yours during the coming holiday season.
