One evening, a casualty officer and I drove down the road on our way to inform a soldier’s spouse that her husband had died in Iraq. As an Army chaplain, many thoughts entered my mind. I thought about how difficult it would be for this young mother and how empty the two childrens’ lives would be without their dad.
On our way to the house, the casualty officer had assured me that he would be able to deliver the sad news. But when we got to our destination his confidence disappeared. "Chaplain," he asked, "will you pray for me?" I placed my hand on his shoulder and began to pray. I asked God to give us the strength to perform our duty. I asked God to control our thoughts and actions and comfort the household we were about to enter. When I finished we got out of the car and with great pain did the job that we were both called to do.
It is true, Memorial Day reminds us of the soldiers who gave their lives for our country. But often we forget to also honor the families they left behind. They, too, have made the ultimate sacrifice. Military chaplains guide soldiers and their families through the "Circle of Life" from births, baptisms, confirmations, marriage, illness and death. Our role is broader than a typical civilian minister because we have to connect soldiers to God on a daily basis.
There was a time when I considered leaving the ministry. Then a friend asked me to join the military chaplaincy. It changed my life. In April 2005 – April 2006 I served as chaplain for a 600-soldier logistics battalion in Baghdad. Whoever said "there are no atheists in the foxhole" may have been absolutely right. These soldiers had to deliver supplies along the most dangerous routes in Iraq and when bombs exploded the reality of war forced many soldiers to do some very serious soul searching.
Countless soldiers came to talk to me about war, death and faith and they presented me with many perplexing theological questions: "Is God on our side and will he protect me from death?" Will God forgive me if I kill an innocent person by mistake?" "Will God be angry with me for participating in this war?" "Exactly where do we really go when we die?"
I am back home in the states now, a safe distance away from the death and war that challenges many servicemen and women in ways most people in our country will never fully understand.
As the summer months arrive, we should pause as a nation from talk about high gas prices, republican and democratic presidential candidates and the latest celebrity gossip, and instead think about the men and women who continue to fight and die in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. It is true, war is hell, freedom is expensive, death is painful and faith still matters; especially to those in the foxhole.
One of my favorite albums is, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye. The politically charged lyrics tell a story from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran, who returns to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred.
With introspective lyrics about political and social concerns and the Vietnam War, the album is arguably Gaye’s finest work. Although the album was released in 1971 the timeless message found in the songs such as, What’s Happening Brother, is still relevant today: War is hell, when will it end, when will people start gettin’ together again...can’t find no work, can’t find no job...money is tighter than it’s ever been. Say man, I just don’t understand what’s going on across this land.
On Good Friday, April 14, 2006, my Army battalion returned to the USA after a year deployment in Baghdad. Upon my return I realized that while some things remained the same, many things had changed, too. And like Marvin Gaye, I wanted to know what’s going on?
While Congress continues to debate the Iraq war, the uncertainty of life goes on for our troops on the battlefield and those who have returned home. Fortunately, unlike many Vietnam veterans, today’s servicemen and women have come home to a hero’s welcome. When my unit returned, hundreds of family members, friends and even strangers greeted us with cheers. Spouses were holding "Welcome Home" signs. Excited children could barely be contained and the military band played a medley of patriotic songs that made us all feel like true American heroes.
A year later, however, the reality of being home has settled in. The crowds have faded away. The signs and the sounds of the band are long gone. Although we received a better welcome than our Vietnam War comrades, many Iraq war soldiers are facing similar hardships of transition back to life in the USA.
Even today, I find myself taking mental flights back to Iraq, thinking of the soldiers I counseled, the wounded troops I visited, and the prayers I directed for the safety of many military operations. And I wonder how those men and women who are still serving in Iraq are holding up? How is their morale?
Finally, I also think about the injured troops at military hospitals, such as Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. What will life be like for these brave young souls? Will they be able to bounce back from injury or be forced to live with a lifelong physical disability?
Make no mistake, we are living in a critical time period and we must demand the best from our political leaders and ourselves. It is true, in the words of Ecclesiastes 3:8, To every thing there is a season...a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
