Belief in God for veterans
EDITOR’S NOTE: Columnist John Ostwald submitted daily columns for the week prior to Veterans Day. The columns cover a variety of armed forces issues. The information in the columns came from interviews with veterans, family members, research and John’s perspective as an educator and veteran.
We could have been invited to a mosque, temple, or some other religious place, but today it was Macedonia Baptist church in Albany, New York. My mom, a 93-yearold Army MP veteran of WW II, and I enjoyed a great dinner with church workers and other veterans.
Gail and John Jerkins were the early organizers of the dinner. Gail said, “In 2014 we started to think about what we could do to help our veterans in some way. The Veterans dinner is the event that we chose and it has continued to grow since then. We do this out of the church’s budget and we hope to continue it and make it even better. The response has been fantastic. The attendees enjoy the respect and quality of the meal and our Community Engagement and Hospitality ministries are happy to coordinate the event.”
It was great experience for me, especially when mom spoke to the group about her brother’s death in WW II and how fortunate we are. My mind wandered after the dinner and a question came to me. “What role does be- lief or lack of belief in God play in a person’s military career?” I already knew that some cling to beliefs in God for safety and security, while others abandon their beliefs because they question the horror that they might see.
I contacted a few veterans for their response.
Howard Everett
“My senior year in high school, I was told by God to be a Chaplain’s body guard in the army. I had never noticed Father Mokehe on mash to have a guard. I had to walk away from a handful of football scholarships, but I was certain God had told me to join the army and protect a chaplain. It really worked out.”
Vietnam and Iraq veteran Patrick Abrams
“John, I have always felt my faith got me home.”
Specialist John A. Mockry, Jr. 577 Combat Engineers of the 25th Infantry Division (Tropic Lightning).
“For me I did have some “moments” overseas where faith played a strong part in getting through the time periods that were depressing. Despite being surrounded by 20,000 other military personnel on Schofield Barracks (Home of the 25th Infantry Division of the Army) and on a beautiful tropical island in the Pacific, there were several times I did feel alone and depressed about my life overall. But, knowing God would ensure that I was never really alone did help me pass along to more positive feelings about my time so far away from home in the early 70’s.” Former Navy Petty Officer, I always believed there was a higher power watching over me. There are situations in the military where I felt God had a plan, and I could only control so much.
In 2015, evangelist Billy Graham responded in this way to a spouse who mentioned that her husband was overseas and the situation is very difficult for her and the family. He said,” The most important thing I can tell you is that God knows all about your situation, and He wants to assure you of His love and concern. He knows your fears and your loneliness, and He also knows the struggles and practical problems you face every day as a family.”
Although I am not a zealot, I have been guided by these words during my battles in life. “I am held in the hands of God and I am absolutely and totally safe.”