For a long time now I have been wanting to write something about my experiences in the military. After all, I have 22 years of experience in everything from communications support in the regular Air Force during the Vietnam War, to combat communications, Special Operations, and Infantry. I am not to sure how to start all of this; but I have decided to start where it is the most appropriate, and that is at the beginning. Where this is going I have no idea, but I just ask that you all bear with me.
I am no Rambo, Bo Gritz, or Audie Murphy. I'm not a guy that can give you tantalizing war stories that will do nothing more than to puff me up into something that I really am not. through the media I have heard some pretty sensational stories about valor and courage; and all the supposed medal of honor winners out there. There are many of these awards that are legitimate, other's awarded post-humorously, and still other's I actually doubt. It is easy to give a medal to someone that actually didn't deserve it; but you do it to either appease the family, or hide the truth. All I have done in the military, I have done on my own. I hide nothing, and I will be honest in all that I say here.
I remember when I was with the 12th. Special Forces (airborne) , we had a Lieutenant Colonel (Light Bird we called them) that decided to award himself all sorts of medals. He awarded himself a bronze star, a silver star, purple heart, and so forth; medals that he did not earn or deserve. Soon his dishonesty was discovered; and he was basically kicked out of the unit. I think he was probably forced to take early retirement; but still, this is something you don't want to do in the military, especially if your a high ranking junior officer and in a Special Forces Unit. When your in a specialized unit like this, you quickly learn that there are a number of things that are expected of you.
The Army has a small card that they give to their people, it looks like a credit card. This card talks about fidelity, courage, honesty, and so forth. These are things that are somewhat lacking in our military today; but when your in a special operations unit, whether it is Special Forces, Ranger, SEAL, and so forth; you learn quickly what all this means, and what is expected of you. Just to give you one example:
I can remember when we would go to the firing range down at the National Guard Base at Marseilles Illinois. We would spend the weekend firing our weapons, sitting through a number of classes in weapons, mortars, and so forth, sleep under the stars, and then return to our armory in Arlington Heights Illinois late Sunday afternoon. After we were finished with the use of the range, we of course had to police up the area of any debris; past, present, and future. Range control and the officers of my unit would line us up in a single row; and I expected that we would be ordered to walk down from one end of the firing range to the other picking up debris; this debris could ranged from soda cans to MRE rappers.
What amazed me was that we would be told to look down the firing range; and after a few minutes, we were then told that the police call was over with. After that we got into the trucks and left the area. Not once when I was with the Special Forces did we actually police the area after our use of it. I quickly found out why. Throughout the weekend, I saw my fellow soldiers taking it upon themselves to ensure the area was clean. They would pick up debris that they had found; and that debris could have been there for years, most of it left there by a previous occupant. Range control evidently knew this; and they never bothered to have us actually, physically police up the area.
These soldiers always made sure that the area was clean. I found out quickly that it is better to ensure the area is clean at the time you are using it, then to wait to the last minute, and at the end of the weekend, to spend hours picking up the mess that you and other's have created. Therefore, whenever I came out of the field; the cargo pockets of my military uniform would be bulging with all sorts of things that I had picked up in the field. This is what I was taught to do; and I learned this by watching other's that were in my unit.
As the Word of God states, "Train up a youth in the direction of his duty, Even when he becometh old he will not depart from it," ( Proverbs 22:6 Rotherham's Emphasized Bible), or "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it," (King James Bible).
I entitled this book; as I like to call it, "God is My Jump master," and that is truly what I believe it is. I was 40 years old when I went to jump school; and in my forties when I participated with the Special Forces and their training. This made me probably one of the oldest; if not the oldest, to ever go to jump school, and to learn the ways of the Special Forces. Granted, I can't tell everything that I have done because there is a code in the Special Forces that prevents me from doing so. Special Forces are unique, and many of the things that they do must remain secret. However; I can tell you my story, and all of the things that I participated in throughout my military career.
Through this book; whether it be short or long, I hope to instill Christian values and concepts, prayer, Old Testament and New Testament quotes, whenever possible; but most important, I intend to give the glory to God and to Jesus Christ, in the hopes that you will learn through this endeavor.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt though trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, or for the arrow that flieth by day, Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, they habitation, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hat set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." (Psalm 91, King James Bible -- Special Forces, and Airborne Psalm).
