This will more than likely be my last post for this "Mission". I'm within 6 days of completing my 179 day tour here at Dover Air Force Base. All my chaplains departed for their respective homes today. Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Rick Cavens is headed for Anchorage Alaska. Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Paula Payne is bound for Chicago Illinois. Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel Doug Arendsee has departed for Cheyenne Wyoming. These are my friends, my chaplains, my pastors. They were also my family during these past 6 months. May God bless their travels as they return home to their families.
As a team, we provided dignity, honor and respect for over 318 fallen heroes and their families during our time here at Dover. We performed the Dignified Transfers in brutal 110 degree days in the summer months. We held umbrellas and braved wind & horizontal rains in Nor'easter travelling up the coast in the fall. We stood facing the frigid, freezing winds of this winter. The bond we formed while performing this mission is one that cannot be understood, or grasped by any outsider.
The new team is here and we are quickly introducing them to the rigors of this mission. They have been briefed and are now shadowing us on the mission essentials. We also took them on a tour today of the mortuary. Interesting how they took deep breaths as we entered each room and section of the mortuary. I remember those days. I never thought I would make it through this deployment. I honestly thought my emotions and senses would get the best of me and force me to avoid the gruesome aspects of this mission. However, with enduring support and faith in my team, I developed a resiliency, which gave me the ability to continue working effectively in all areas and make measurable contributions along the way. I pray that will be the same outcome for the new team here in place. It will take time for them to adapt, as it did for all of us, but over the course of time, they will find their niche and flourish.
The goodbyes are, by far, the hardest part of crossing the finish line. I have grown so very close to my colleagues here out of necessity. We bond together because we have too. You can't work on a mission such as this without leaning on people to help you process all that has passed before your eyes. The experience here is better shared across many like minded people, than shouldered alone. The things I saw, smelled and shared with my friends here, I will share with no other. That is the tie that binds us together. We are the only ones that truly know the impact and effect from the experiences unique to this place. I will carry their faces, their words and their memories with me forever.
If you have read and followed me these past six months, I thank you. I know these have not been the most uplifting accounts to read, but I hope they have at least been impactful. I hope they have opened your eyes and caused you to think about another aspect, another dimension of what happens as result of war. After our experience here, we have come to believe that there is more than one way to be wounded. One life lesson above all...... for every breath you take, give thanks to God.
Peace be with you.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
God Whispers - By Stephen Prasser
I decided to try and sum up my tour here at Dover with a poem. I'm not a skilled poet by any means, but I think it turned out fairly well.
God Whispers
By Stephen Prasser
In the beginning such a calling so deep in the soul.
“Go serve, make a difference…..”
“Fill someone, something broken, shine forth light”
Rebuild lives that one day may be whole.
The phrases, so clear, will go with me each day,
“I’ll remember you,” one mother said,
“Call your momma,” another pled.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” all would agree,
“I’m just a kid,” was also cried out to me.
At first, thoughts questioned, could this be all real?
Or, a nightmare….
A tsunami of emotions forcing us to feel.
We bleed just like they do, grief spilling forth among air.
More for some, And less for others, yet all we still must bear.
We are all witnesses to God’s work in the garden of sorrows.
The fruit of life at all stages of flourishing and withering before us.
Before my mind’s eye a wall of images leading to endless tomorrows.
Each one a sunset of life taken in season and purpose of which He owns.
Mornings bring reality, mercifully dulled by numbness and shock.
Oh, God, how can I endure this un-welcome, un-acceptable, un-movable situation?
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden…..”
A quiet wisp of words descend “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”
Through it all I hear Him and listen, still and quiet in my mind.
God whispers some beauty, which if I seek, I can find.
“Don’t worry about tomorrow” “Trade your weakness for my strength”
“My love will carry you through” faith will endure all things no matter the length.
God writes his signature on all creation - on every child, with care.
Look to the heavens, you’ll find promise and comfort there.
The Fallen are all home at last, their journey now complete,
“My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you” a blessing oh so sweet.
The spirit brings us to communion for just a moment brief in time,
You’ve changed a life or two, but especially this life that’s mine.
Dear one, as your journey continues, a new path you’re called to steer,
God whispers and walks beside you, I pray you’ll keep him near.
Do you know that God whispers?
swp 2010
God Whispers
By Stephen Prasser
In the beginning such a calling so deep in the soul.
“Go serve, make a difference…..”
“Fill someone, something broken, shine forth light”
Rebuild lives that one day may be whole.
The phrases, so clear, will go with me each day,
“I’ll remember you,” one mother said,
“Call your momma,” another pled.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” all would agree,
“I’m just a kid,” was also cried out to me.
At first, thoughts questioned, could this be all real?
Or, a nightmare….
A tsunami of emotions forcing us to feel.
We bleed just like they do, grief spilling forth among air.
More for some, And less for others, yet all we still must bear.
We are all witnesses to God’s work in the garden of sorrows.
The fruit of life at all stages of flourishing and withering before us.
Before my mind’s eye a wall of images leading to endless tomorrows.
Each one a sunset of life taken in season and purpose of which He owns.
Mornings bring reality, mercifully dulled by numbness and shock.
Oh, God, how can I endure this un-welcome, un-acceptable, un-movable situation?
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden…..”
A quiet wisp of words descend “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”
Through it all I hear Him and listen, still and quiet in my mind.
God whispers some beauty, which if I seek, I can find.
“Don’t worry about tomorrow” “Trade your weakness for my strength”
“My love will carry you through” faith will endure all things no matter the length.
God writes his signature on all creation - on every child, with care.
Look to the heavens, you’ll find promise and comfort there.
The Fallen are all home at last, their journey now complete,
“My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you” a blessing oh so sweet.
The spirit brings us to communion for just a moment brief in time,
You’ve changed a life or two, but especially this life that’s mine.
Dear one, as your journey continues, a new path you’re called to steer,
God whispers and walks beside you, I pray you’ll keep him near.
Do you know that God whispers?
swp 2010
Back to the Future 2010
Well, once again, it has been some time since I posted about my experiences here at Dover AFB. I can only say that things have continued to be busy as ever and the days and weeks just slip away without much notice. We have seen nearly 280 fallen in the last 5 months or so. Given that my tour is only 179 days (6 months), well you can do the math and see that we've had a fallen military member arrive here every single day and on average more than one at a time since I began my tour here. That is staggering. What is even more staggering is that there is an entire world out there that is oblivious.
Soon, I will be departing Dover AFB and returning to what was once normal to me. Safe to say, however, that knowing, seeing and living what I've been a part of for the last 6 odd months will follow me all the days ahead changing all that was once normal. 280+ souls passed before me and you just can't help but be moved and changed by that many heroes. I will remember them, their families, their stories, their heroism, their dedication and their sacrifice as long as I live.
Today, was a particularly interesting experience. A veteran from the Vietnam war was brought to Dover as part of an investigation initiated by his son. The veteran was named Lance Corporal Wyatt. He was born in 1947 and killed in South Vietnam June 11, 1968 at the age of 21. There was a question, apparently, as to how he died, so the son called for this investigation to take place. Lance Corporal Wyatt was exhumed from his resting place in Missouri and flown to Dover AFB for a post mortem autopsy. Lance Corporal Wyatt had been laid to rest for 42 years since his death in 1968.
I watched as they removed his uniform and prepared his body for the autopsy. It was absolutely astonishing at how amazingly preserved his remains were. All of the doctors, morticians, forensic pathologists, medical examiners and imbalmers were there to witness this very unique event. They were all in awe of how incredible the preservation was, especially given the technology of the late 60's compared to today. Whoever prepared the remains did an amazing job.
What was even more interesting and amazing to consider was that Lance Corporal Wyatt's son, never met his father. His father died before he was born. So, as some of the folks in the room were discussing, the uniform was to be cleaned as best as possible and returned to the family for safe keeping. Also, after the autopsy and findings, they were to put him in a new uniform and prepare him for burial again sometime in the near future. It is my understanding that his remains were in such good shape that he was actually viewable!! So, we were guessing that the son would want to view his father before re-inturnment. Imagine you're 42 years old and you are going to see your father, whom you've never laid eyes on before. Only when you see him, you're seeing him as a 21 year old man, who died before you were born! How bizarre, yet incredibly interesting is that? The more I think about it the more amazing (and weird) it becomes.
Anyway, I thought I'd share that unique, yet interesting experience with you. God certainly works in very interesting and mysterious ways.
I'm beginning to countdown my days left here at Dover AFB. Not counting today, I have only 17 days left.
If I don't post again before the Christmas holiday, I want to wish everyone a very blessed Christmas.
Soon, I will be departing Dover AFB and returning to what was once normal to me. Safe to say, however, that knowing, seeing and living what I've been a part of for the last 6 odd months will follow me all the days ahead changing all that was once normal. 280+ souls passed before me and you just can't help but be moved and changed by that many heroes. I will remember them, their families, their stories, their heroism, their dedication and their sacrifice as long as I live.
Today, was a particularly interesting experience. A veteran from the Vietnam war was brought to Dover as part of an investigation initiated by his son. The veteran was named Lance Corporal Wyatt. He was born in 1947 and killed in South Vietnam June 11, 1968 at the age of 21. There was a question, apparently, as to how he died, so the son called for this investigation to take place. Lance Corporal Wyatt was exhumed from his resting place in Missouri and flown to Dover AFB for a post mortem autopsy. Lance Corporal Wyatt had been laid to rest for 42 years since his death in 1968.
I watched as they removed his uniform and prepared his body for the autopsy. It was absolutely astonishing at how amazingly preserved his remains were. All of the doctors, morticians, forensic pathologists, medical examiners and imbalmers were there to witness this very unique event. They were all in awe of how incredible the preservation was, especially given the technology of the late 60's compared to today. Whoever prepared the remains did an amazing job.
What was even more interesting and amazing to consider was that Lance Corporal Wyatt's son, never met his father. His father died before he was born. So, as some of the folks in the room were discussing, the uniform was to be cleaned as best as possible and returned to the family for safe keeping. Also, after the autopsy and findings, they were to put him in a new uniform and prepare him for burial again sometime in the near future. It is my understanding that his remains were in such good shape that he was actually viewable!! So, we were guessing that the son would want to view his father before re-inturnment. Imagine you're 42 years old and you are going to see your father, whom you've never laid eyes on before. Only when you see him, you're seeing him as a 21 year old man, who died before you were born! How bizarre, yet incredibly interesting is that? The more I think about it the more amazing (and weird) it becomes.
Anyway, I thought I'd share that unique, yet interesting experience with you. God certainly works in very interesting and mysterious ways.
I'm beginning to countdown my days left here at Dover AFB. Not counting today, I have only 17 days left.
If I don't post again before the Christmas holiday, I want to wish everyone a very blessed Christmas.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Thoughts & Prayers
Here are more fallen heroes since the last list that I posted. We continue receiving fallen warriors each and every day. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.
Spc. Brett W. Land, 24, of Wasco, CA (30 Oct)
Spc. Jonathan M. Curtis, 24, of Belmont, MA (1 Nov)
Pfc. Andrew N. Meari, 21, of Plainfield, IL (1 Nov)
1st Lt. James R. Zimmerman, 25, of Aroostook, ME (2 Nov)
Sgt. 1st Class Todd M. Harris, 37, of Tucson, AZ (3 Nov)
Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, IL (3 Nov)
Spc. Blake D. Whipple, 21, of Williamsville, NY (5 Nov)
Sgt. Michael F. Paranzino, 22, of Middletown, RI (5 Nov)
Lance Cpl. Brandon W. Pearson, 21, of Arvada, CO
(4 Nov)Lance Cpl. Matthew J. Broehm, 22, of Flagstaff, AZ (4 Nov)
Pfc. Shane M. Reifert, 23, of Cottrellville, MI (6 Nov)
Lance Cpl. Randy R. Braggs, 21, of Sierra Vista, AZ (6 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Jordan B. Emrick, 26, of Hoyleton, IL (5 Nov)
Sgt. Aaron B. Cruttenden, 25, of Mesa, AZ (7 Nov)
Spc. Dale J. Kridlo, 33, Hughestown, PA (7 Nov)
Sgt. Jason J. McCluskey, 26, of McAlester, OK (4 Nov)
2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, 29, of Tallahassee, FL (9 Nov)
Lance Cpl. James B. Stack, 20, of Arlington Heights, IL (10 Nov)
Lance Cpl. Dakota R. Huse, 19, of Greenwood, LA (9 Nov)
Senior Airman Andrew S. Bubacz, 23, of Dalzell, SC (12 Nov)
Cpl. Shawn D. Fannin, 32, of Wheelersburg, OH (12 nov)
Sgt. Edward H. Bolen, 25, of Chittenango, NY (10 Nov)
Spc. Shannon Chihuahua, 25, of Thomasville, GA (12 Nov)
Spc. David C. Lutes, 28, of Frostburg, MD (11 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Juan L. Rivadeneira, 27, of Davie, FL (12 Nov)
Cpl. Jacob R. Carver, 20, of Freeman, MO (12 Nov)
Spc. Jacob C. Carroll, 20, of Clemmons, NC (12 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Javier O. Ortiz Rivera, 26, of Rochester, NY (16 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Kevin M. Pape, 30, of Fort Wayne, IN (16 Nov)
Spc. Shane H. Ahmed, 31, of Chesterfield, MI (14 Nov)
Spc. Nathan E. Lillard, 26, of Knoxville, TN (14 Nov)
Spc. Scott T. Nagorski, 27, of Greenfield, WI (14 Nov)
Spc. Brett W. Land, 24, of Wasco, CA (30 Oct)
Spc. Jonathan M. Curtis, 24, of Belmont, MA (1 Nov)
Pfc. Andrew N. Meari, 21, of Plainfield, IL (1 Nov)
1st Lt. James R. Zimmerman, 25, of Aroostook, ME (2 Nov)
Sgt. 1st Class Todd M. Harris, 37, of Tucson, AZ (3 Nov)
Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, IL (3 Nov)
Spc. Blake D. Whipple, 21, of Williamsville, NY (5 Nov)
Sgt. Michael F. Paranzino, 22, of Middletown, RI (5 Nov)
Lance Cpl. Brandon W. Pearson, 21, of Arvada, CO
(4 Nov)Lance Cpl. Matthew J. Broehm, 22, of Flagstaff, AZ (4 Nov)
Pfc. Shane M. Reifert, 23, of Cottrellville, MI (6 Nov)
Lance Cpl. Randy R. Braggs, 21, of Sierra Vista, AZ (6 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Jordan B. Emrick, 26, of Hoyleton, IL (5 Nov)
Sgt. Aaron B. Cruttenden, 25, of Mesa, AZ (7 Nov)
Spc. Dale J. Kridlo, 33, Hughestown, PA (7 Nov)
Sgt. Jason J. McCluskey, 26, of McAlester, OK (4 Nov)
2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly, 29, of Tallahassee, FL (9 Nov)
Lance Cpl. James B. Stack, 20, of Arlington Heights, IL (10 Nov)
Lance Cpl. Dakota R. Huse, 19, of Greenwood, LA (9 Nov)
Senior Airman Andrew S. Bubacz, 23, of Dalzell, SC (12 Nov)
Cpl. Shawn D. Fannin, 32, of Wheelersburg, OH (12 nov)
Sgt. Edward H. Bolen, 25, of Chittenango, NY (10 Nov)
Spc. Shannon Chihuahua, 25, of Thomasville, GA (12 Nov)
Spc. David C. Lutes, 28, of Frostburg, MD (11 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Juan L. Rivadeneira, 27, of Davie, FL (12 Nov)
Cpl. Jacob R. Carver, 20, of Freeman, MO (12 Nov)
Spc. Jacob C. Carroll, 20, of Clemmons, NC (12 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Javier O. Ortiz Rivera, 26, of Rochester, NY (16 Nov)
Staff Sgt. Kevin M. Pape, 30, of Fort Wayne, IN (16 Nov)
Spc. Shane H. Ahmed, 31, of Chesterfield, MI (14 Nov)
Spc. Nathan E. Lillard, 26, of Knoxville, TN (14 Nov)
Spc. Scott T. Nagorski, 27, of Greenfield, WI (14 Nov)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving 2010
Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~ W.T. Purkiser
One of my chaplains posted this quotation on facebook and I thought it was very insightful. This Thanksgiving has had a significant impact on me, because I realized that it is so easy to take our blessings for granted. Each year we as a society gather together for Thanksgiving and reflect on our blessings and the things we are each thankful for. At least, that is what we should be doing. For some, I'm sure, it's really just about eating a robust meal and falling asleep on the sofa while watching football.
During the past 24 hours 3 families learned that their loved one was lost in the war and won't be home to enjoy a Thanksgiving ever again. We spared one family of having to come to Dover on Thanksgiving day to witness the Dignified Transfer of their son, a fallen US Marine. The flight was delayed in Germany to give the family time to prepare and travel from California to Delaware, which is quite complicated given the volume of air travel that takes place during this holiday weekend. Still, though, they received a notification in the last 24hrs that their son was killed in action. I will meet them tomorrow and stand with them for their son's return home.
Thanksgiving for them will forever be changed and possibly bring with it painful memories for years. I thought deeply about this today and it brought some clarity into my life, which is so often transparent to most of us. We have so much to be eternally thankful for and to count as blessings for God's glory. Instantly, I thought of the breath I just took and then the next. As quickly as I could count them, another one passed. So many things get by us these days that we fail to grasp and understand. Most often they are the simplest of things. A breath, a blink of an eye, a heart beat, or a step. The amazing grace that happens within us, and gives us life to share with others, is going on without our taking notice.
I thought of a certain excerpt from a favorite book of mine that takes inventory of some of our most inherent blessings that we often don't truly think about or understand. They are all part of who we are and give us life. Here's the excerpt The God Memorandum from "The Greatest Miracle In The World" by Og Mandino:
"Are you blind? Does the sun rise and fall without your witness?
No. You can see ... and the hundred million receptors I have placed in your eyes enable you to enjoy the magic of a leaf, a snowflake, a pond, an eagle, a child, a cloud, a star, a rose, a rainbow ... and the look of love. Count one blessing.
Are you deaf? Can a baby laugh or cry without your attention?
No. You can hear ... and the twenty-four thousand fibers I have built in each of your ears vibrate to the wind in the trees, the tides on the rocks, the majesty of an opera, a robin's plea, children at play ... and the words I love you. Count another blessing.
Are you mute? Do your lips move and bring forth only spittle?
No. You can speak ... as can no other of my creatures, and your words can calm the angry, uplift the despondent, goad the quitter, cheer the unhappy, warm the lonely, praise the worthy, encourage the defeated, teach the ignorant ... and say I love you. Count another blessing.
Are you paralyzed? Does your helpless form despoil the land?
No. You can move. You are not a tree condemned to a small plot while the wind and world abuses you. You can stretch and run and dance and work, for within you I have designed five hundred muscles, two hundred bones, and seven miles of nerve fiber all synchronized by me to do your bidding. Count another blessing.
Are you unloved and unloving? Does loneliness engulf you, night and day?
No. No more. For now you know love's secret, that to receive love it must be given with no thought of its return. To love for fulfillment, satisfaction, or pride is no love. Love is a gift on which no return is demanded. Now you know that to love unselfishly is its own reward. And even should love not be returned it is not lost, for love not reciprocated will flow back to you and soften and purify your heart. Count another blessing. Count twice.
Is your heart stricken? Does it leak and strain to maintain your life?
No. Your heart is strong. Touch your chest and feel its rhythm, pulsating, hour after hour, day and night, thirty-six million beats each year, year after year, asleep or awake, pumping your blood through more than sixty thousand miles of veins, arteries, and tubing ... pumping more than six hundred thousand gallons each year. Man has never created such a machine. Count another blessing.
Are you diseased of skin? Do people turn in horror when you approach?
No. Your skin is clear and a marvel of creation, needing only that you tend it with soap and oil and brush and care. In time all steels will tarnish and rust, but not your skin. Eventually the strongest of metals will wear, with use, but not that layer that I have constructed around you. Constantly it renews itself, old cells replaced by new, just as the old you is now replaced by the new. Count another blessing.
Are your lungs befouled? Does your breath of life struggle to enter your body?
No. Your portholes to life support you even in the vilest of environments of your own making, and they labor always to filter life-giving oxygen through six hundred million pockets of folded flesh while they rid your body of gaseous wastes. Count another blessing.
Is your blood poisoned? Is it diluted with water and pus?
No. Within your five quarts of blood are twenty-two trillion blood cells and within each cell are millions of molecules and within each molecule is an atom oscillating at more than ten million times each second. Each second, two million of your blood cells die to be replaced by two million more in a resurrection that has continued since your first birth. As it has always been inside, so now it is on your outside. Count another blessing.
Are you feeble of mind? Can you no longer think for yourself?
No. Your brain is the most complex structure in the universe. I know. Within its three pounds are thirteen billion nerve cells, more than three times as many cells as there are people on your earth. To help you file away every perception, every sound, every taste, every smell, every action you have experienced since the day of your birth, I have implanted, within your cells, more than one thousand billion billion protein molecules. Every incident in your life is there waiting only your recall. And, to assist your brain in the control of your body I have dispersed, throughout your form, four million pain-sensitive structures, five hundred thousand touch detectors, and more than two hundred thousand temperature detectors. No nation's gold is better protected than you. None of your ancient wonders are greater than you.
You are my finest creation.
Within you is enough atomic energy to destroy any of the world's great cities ... and rebuild it.
Are you poor? Is there no gold or silver in your purse?
No. You are rich! Together we have just counted your wealth. Study the list. Count them again. Tally your assets!
You have so much. Your blessings overflow your cup ... and you have been unmindful of them, like a child spoiled in luxury, since I have bestowed them upon you with generosity and regularity.
What rich man, old and sick, feeble and helpless, would not exchange all the gold in his vault for the blessings you have treated so lightly."
I have witnessed so many fallen in these past few months, all miracles in their own rite, posessing the same blessings that are mentioned above. I hope and pray that they used their gifts to the greatest extent, while with us on this earth. As mentioned in the quote at the beginning of this post, it's how we use our blessings that allow us to truly measure our thanksgiving. Those of us that still walk this earth have a chance, everyday, to use the blessings and the gifts that God bestowed upon us. We should be thankful we have today, and lean not on our own understanding, but on the one who created us to direct our paths for tomorrow and the days He has planned for us. May we all be grateful and use our gifts to make a difference in this world, leaving it better than we found it.
I like to think about each one of the heroes I've met here at Dover in that sense. That they left this world a little better than they found it. Even if they changed one life along the way, that's enough for us all to be thankful for.
One of my chaplains posted this quotation on facebook and I thought it was very insightful. This Thanksgiving has had a significant impact on me, because I realized that it is so easy to take our blessings for granted. Each year we as a society gather together for Thanksgiving and reflect on our blessings and the things we are each thankful for. At least, that is what we should be doing. For some, I'm sure, it's really just about eating a robust meal and falling asleep on the sofa while watching football.
During the past 24 hours 3 families learned that their loved one was lost in the war and won't be home to enjoy a Thanksgiving ever again. We spared one family of having to come to Dover on Thanksgiving day to witness the Dignified Transfer of their son, a fallen US Marine. The flight was delayed in Germany to give the family time to prepare and travel from California to Delaware, which is quite complicated given the volume of air travel that takes place during this holiday weekend. Still, though, they received a notification in the last 24hrs that their son was killed in action. I will meet them tomorrow and stand with them for their son's return home.
Thanksgiving for them will forever be changed and possibly bring with it painful memories for years. I thought deeply about this today and it brought some clarity into my life, which is so often transparent to most of us. We have so much to be eternally thankful for and to count as blessings for God's glory. Instantly, I thought of the breath I just took and then the next. As quickly as I could count them, another one passed. So many things get by us these days that we fail to grasp and understand. Most often they are the simplest of things. A breath, a blink of an eye, a heart beat, or a step. The amazing grace that happens within us, and gives us life to share with others, is going on without our taking notice.
I thought of a certain excerpt from a favorite book of mine that takes inventory of some of our most inherent blessings that we often don't truly think about or understand. They are all part of who we are and give us life. Here's the excerpt The God Memorandum from "The Greatest Miracle In The World" by Og Mandino:
"Are you blind? Does the sun rise and fall without your witness?
No. You can see ... and the hundred million receptors I have placed in your eyes enable you to enjoy the magic of a leaf, a snowflake, a pond, an eagle, a child, a cloud, a star, a rose, a rainbow ... and the look of love. Count one blessing.
Are you deaf? Can a baby laugh or cry without your attention?
No. You can hear ... and the twenty-four thousand fibers I have built in each of your ears vibrate to the wind in the trees, the tides on the rocks, the majesty of an opera, a robin's plea, children at play ... and the words I love you. Count another blessing.
Are you mute? Do your lips move and bring forth only spittle?
No. You can speak ... as can no other of my creatures, and your words can calm the angry, uplift the despondent, goad the quitter, cheer the unhappy, warm the lonely, praise the worthy, encourage the defeated, teach the ignorant ... and say I love you. Count another blessing.
Are you paralyzed? Does your helpless form despoil the land?
No. You can move. You are not a tree condemned to a small plot while the wind and world abuses you. You can stretch and run and dance and work, for within you I have designed five hundred muscles, two hundred bones, and seven miles of nerve fiber all synchronized by me to do your bidding. Count another blessing.
Are you unloved and unloving? Does loneliness engulf you, night and day?
No. No more. For now you know love's secret, that to receive love it must be given with no thought of its return. To love for fulfillment, satisfaction, or pride is no love. Love is a gift on which no return is demanded. Now you know that to love unselfishly is its own reward. And even should love not be returned it is not lost, for love not reciprocated will flow back to you and soften and purify your heart. Count another blessing. Count twice.
Is your heart stricken? Does it leak and strain to maintain your life?
No. Your heart is strong. Touch your chest and feel its rhythm, pulsating, hour after hour, day and night, thirty-six million beats each year, year after year, asleep or awake, pumping your blood through more than sixty thousand miles of veins, arteries, and tubing ... pumping more than six hundred thousand gallons each year. Man has never created such a machine. Count another blessing.
Are you diseased of skin? Do people turn in horror when you approach?
No. Your skin is clear and a marvel of creation, needing only that you tend it with soap and oil and brush and care. In time all steels will tarnish and rust, but not your skin. Eventually the strongest of metals will wear, with use, but not that layer that I have constructed around you. Constantly it renews itself, old cells replaced by new, just as the old you is now replaced by the new. Count another blessing.
Are your lungs befouled? Does your breath of life struggle to enter your body?
No. Your portholes to life support you even in the vilest of environments of your own making, and they labor always to filter life-giving oxygen through six hundred million pockets of folded flesh while they rid your body of gaseous wastes. Count another blessing.
Is your blood poisoned? Is it diluted with water and pus?
No. Within your five quarts of blood are twenty-two trillion blood cells and within each cell are millions of molecules and within each molecule is an atom oscillating at more than ten million times each second. Each second, two million of your blood cells die to be replaced by two million more in a resurrection that has continued since your first birth. As it has always been inside, so now it is on your outside. Count another blessing.
Are you feeble of mind? Can you no longer think for yourself?
No. Your brain is the most complex structure in the universe. I know. Within its three pounds are thirteen billion nerve cells, more than three times as many cells as there are people on your earth. To help you file away every perception, every sound, every taste, every smell, every action you have experienced since the day of your birth, I have implanted, within your cells, more than one thousand billion billion protein molecules. Every incident in your life is there waiting only your recall. And, to assist your brain in the control of your body I have dispersed, throughout your form, four million pain-sensitive structures, five hundred thousand touch detectors, and more than two hundred thousand temperature detectors. No nation's gold is better protected than you. None of your ancient wonders are greater than you.
You are my finest creation.
Within you is enough atomic energy to destroy any of the world's great cities ... and rebuild it.
Are you poor? Is there no gold or silver in your purse?
No. You are rich! Together we have just counted your wealth. Study the list. Count them again. Tally your assets!
You have so much. Your blessings overflow your cup ... and you have been unmindful of them, like a child spoiled in luxury, since I have bestowed them upon you with generosity and regularity.
What rich man, old and sick, feeble and helpless, would not exchange all the gold in his vault for the blessings you have treated so lightly."
I have witnessed so many fallen in these past few months, all miracles in their own rite, posessing the same blessings that are mentioned above. I hope and pray that they used their gifts to the greatest extent, while with us on this earth. As mentioned in the quote at the beginning of this post, it's how we use our blessings that allow us to truly measure our thanksgiving. Those of us that still walk this earth have a chance, everyday, to use the blessings and the gifts that God bestowed upon us. We should be thankful we have today, and lean not on our own understanding, but on the one who created us to direct our paths for tomorrow and the days He has planned for us. May we all be grateful and use our gifts to make a difference in this world, leaving it better than we found it.
I like to think about each one of the heroes I've met here at Dover in that sense. That they left this world a little better than they found it. Even if they changed one life along the way, that's enough for us all to be thankful for.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Fisher House Dedication
Today I attended a dedication ceremony for the Fisher House that was built on Dover Air Force Base. The house is a place where families of the fallen can stay without cost as they wait for the homecoming they never wanted to happen.
Many distinguished guests were in attendance. The Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff for the US Air Force, Chief of Chaplains for the US Air Force, Gold Star Moms & Wives, and Montel Williams to name a notable few. The ceremony was extremely moving and brought tears to my eyes many times, as they talked about the Fisher House and the role it will play here at Dover.
All other Fisher Houses, of which there are 49, are designed to house military families needing to be close to a loved one during hospitalization due to illness, disease, or injury. The Fisher House at Dover is the only one of its kind that is there to comfort families as they wait for the Dignified Transfer of their fallen loved one. Truly, this place is unique due to the sacredness of its purpose. It will be ready for occupancy shortly after Thanksgiving, so I will have a chance to see it put to use before I head home.
Inside this home for the families of our fallen, there are many rooms and places to seek peace and comfort. There are 9 bedrooms, a large formal dining room, a formal living room area, a massive kitchen with every kind of appliance imaginable. There is a laundry facility and a sitting area with a huge flat screen television. Outside there are gardens and a labyrinth, which lead to a meditation pagoda for peaceful reflection and quiet solitude. A sidewalk eventually ends at the Center for the Families of the Fallen.
What was once just a parking lot and some grass surrounding the Center for the Families of the Fallen, has now been transformed into a beautiful campus for these families to find peace, comfort and rest, as they await the Dignified Transfer of their fallen loved one. As Chairman Kenneth Fisher said, it was a gift long-overdue to the deserving. "We make a solemn vow to honor the gifts these heroes have left us," Fisher said. "There can be nothing more sacred than that."
If your interested in learning more about the Fisher House Foundation, you can go to their webpage: www.fisherhouse.org
Many distinguished guests were in attendance. The Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff for the US Air Force, Chief of Chaplains for the US Air Force, Gold Star Moms & Wives, and Montel Williams to name a notable few. The ceremony was extremely moving and brought tears to my eyes many times, as they talked about the Fisher House and the role it will play here at Dover.
All other Fisher Houses, of which there are 49, are designed to house military families needing to be close to a loved one during hospitalization due to illness, disease, or injury. The Fisher House at Dover is the only one of its kind that is there to comfort families as they wait for the Dignified Transfer of their fallen loved one. Truly, this place is unique due to the sacredness of its purpose. It will be ready for occupancy shortly after Thanksgiving, so I will have a chance to see it put to use before I head home.
Inside this home for the families of our fallen, there are many rooms and places to seek peace and comfort. There are 9 bedrooms, a large formal dining room, a formal living room area, a massive kitchen with every kind of appliance imaginable. There is a laundry facility and a sitting area with a huge flat screen television. Outside there are gardens and a labyrinth, which lead to a meditation pagoda for peaceful reflection and quiet solitude. A sidewalk eventually ends at the Center for the Families of the Fallen.
What was once just a parking lot and some grass surrounding the Center for the Families of the Fallen, has now been transformed into a beautiful campus for these families to find peace, comfort and rest, as they await the Dignified Transfer of their fallen loved one. As Chairman Kenneth Fisher said, it was a gift long-overdue to the deserving. "We make a solemn vow to honor the gifts these heroes have left us," Fisher said. "There can be nothing more sacred than that."
If your interested in learning more about the Fisher House Foundation, you can go to their webpage: www.fisherhouse.org
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Continued Thoughts & Prayers
A number of weeks ago, I posted a list of the fallen that passed through Dover AFB, since my arrival. I entitled the post "Prayer List".
The following are names of the fallen that arrived back on american soil since I posted that list on October 5, 2010.
Staff Sgt. Willie J. Harley Jr., 48, of Aiken, SC
Spc. Luther W. Rabon Jr., 32, of Lexington, SC
Sgt. Anthony D. Matteoni, 22, of Union City, MI
Sgt. 1st Class Lance H. Vogeler, 29, of Frederick, MD
Spc. Joseph T. Prentler, 20, of Fenwick, MI
Sgt. Brian J. Pedro, 27, of Rosamond, CA
Senior Airman Daniel J. Johnson, 23, of Schiller Park, IL
Pfc. Cody A. Board, 19, of McKinney, TX
Sgt. Karl A. Campbell, 34, of Chiefland, FL
Pfc. Ryane G. Clark, 22, of New London, MN
Lance Cpl. Scott A. Lynch, 22, of Greenwood Lake, NY
Cpl. Stephen C. Sockalosky, 21, of Cordele, Ga
Hospital Corpsman Edwin Gonzalez, 22, of North Miami Beach, FL
Lance Cpl. John T. Sparks, 23, of Chicago, IL
Sgt. Frank R. Zaehringer III, 23, of Reno, NV
Staff Sgt. Dave J. Weigle, 29, of Philadelphia, PA
Spc. David A. Hess, 25, of Ruskin, FL
Spc. Matthew C. Powell, 20, of Slidell, LA
Lance Cpl. Raymon L. A. Johnson, 22, of Midland, GA
Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, WI
Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, of Saint Charles, MO
Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, OR
Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, CA
Pfc. Jordan M. Byrd, 19, of Grantsville, UT
Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros, 21, of Clarksville, AR
Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood, 19, of Byron, IL
Sgt. Eric C. Newman, 30, of Waynesboro, MS
Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, of Carrollton, TX
Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley, CA
Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, of Portsmouth, VA
Lance Cpl. Joseph C. Lopez, 26, of Rosamond, CA
Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk, 24, of Oceanside, CA
Pfc. Dylan T. Reid, 24, of Springfield, MO
Sgt. Ian M. Tawney, 25, of Dallas, OR
Cpl. Jorge Villarreal Jr., 22, of San Antonio, TX
Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson, 24, of Elizabeth, NJ
Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins, 28, of Simi Valley, CA
Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins, 19, of Circleville, OH
Staff Sgt. Kenneth K. McAninch, 28, of Logansport, IN
Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Spc. Steven L. Dupont, 20, of Lafayette, LA
Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, of Columbia, MO
Staff Sgt. Aracely Gonzalez O’Malley, 31, of Brawley, CA
Spc. Thomas A. Moffitt, 21, of Wichita, KS
Pfc. David R. Jones Jr., 21, of Saint Johnsville, NY
Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner, 43, of Sheridan, WY
Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr., 23, of Hopatcong, NJ
Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr., 19, of Waldorf, MD
Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, of Winston Salem, NC
Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado, 20, of Houston, TX
Spc. Diego A. Solorzanovaldovinos, 24, of Huntington Park, CA
Spc. Brett W. Land, 24, of Wasco, CA
Spc. Jonathan M. Curtis, 24, of Belmont, MA
Pfc. Andrew N. Meari, 21, of Plainfield, IL
1st Lt. James R. Zimmerman, 25, of Aroostook, ME
Sgt. 1st Class Todd M. Harris, 37, of Tucson, AZ
Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, IL
The following are names of the fallen that arrived back on american soil since I posted that list on October 5, 2010.
Staff Sgt. Willie J. Harley Jr., 48, of Aiken, SC
Spc. Luther W. Rabon Jr., 32, of Lexington, SC
Sgt. Anthony D. Matteoni, 22, of Union City, MI
Sgt. 1st Class Lance H. Vogeler, 29, of Frederick, MD
Spc. Joseph T. Prentler, 20, of Fenwick, MI
Sgt. Brian J. Pedro, 27, of Rosamond, CA
Senior Airman Daniel J. Johnson, 23, of Schiller Park, IL
Pfc. Cody A. Board, 19, of McKinney, TX
Sgt. Karl A. Campbell, 34, of Chiefland, FL
Pfc. Ryane G. Clark, 22, of New London, MN
Lance Cpl. Scott A. Lynch, 22, of Greenwood Lake, NY
Cpl. Stephen C. Sockalosky, 21, of Cordele, Ga
Hospital Corpsman Edwin Gonzalez, 22, of North Miami Beach, FL
Lance Cpl. John T. Sparks, 23, of Chicago, IL
Sgt. Frank R. Zaehringer III, 23, of Reno, NV
Staff Sgt. Dave J. Weigle, 29, of Philadelphia, PA
Spc. David A. Hess, 25, of Ruskin, FL
Spc. Matthew C. Powell, 20, of Slidell, LA
Lance Cpl. Raymon L. A. Johnson, 22, of Midland, GA
Cpl. Justin J. Cain, 22, of Manitowoc, WI
Lance Cpl. Phillip D. Vinnedge, 19, of Saint Charles, MO
Lance Cpl. Joseph E. Rodewald, 21, of Albany, OR
Pfc. Victor A. Dew, 20, of Granite Bay, CA
Pfc. Jordan M. Byrd, 19, of Grantsville, UT
Lance Cpl. Irvin M. Ceniceros, 21, of Clarksville, AR
Lance Cpl. Alec E. Catherwood, 19, of Byron, IL
Sgt. Eric C. Newman, 30, of Waynesboro, MS
Sgt. Carlos A. Benitez, 24, of Carrollton, TX
Spc. Rafael Martinez Jr., 36, of Spring Valley, CA
Pfc. Tramaine J. Billingsley, 20, of Portsmouth, VA
Lance Cpl. Joseph C. Lopez, 26, of Rosamond, CA
Lance Cpl. James D. Boelk, 24, of Oceanside, CA
Pfc. Dylan T. Reid, 24, of Springfield, MO
Sgt. Ian M. Tawney, 25, of Dallas, OR
Cpl. Jorge Villarreal Jr., 22, of San Antonio, TX
Lance Cpl. Francisco R. Jackson, 24, of Elizabeth, NJ
Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Cullins, 28, of Simi Valley, CA
Spc. Gerald R. Jenkins, 19, of Circleville, OH
Staff Sgt. Kenneth K. McAninch, 28, of Logansport, IN
Spc. Ronnie J. Pallares, 19, of Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Spc. Steven L. Dupont, 20, of Lafayette, LA
Sgt. 1st Class Charles M. Sadell, 34, of Columbia, MO
Staff Sgt. Aracely Gonzalez O’Malley, 31, of Brawley, CA
Spc. Thomas A. Moffitt, 21, of Wichita, KS
Pfc. David R. Jones Jr., 21, of Saint Johnsville, NY
Sgt. 1st Class Phillip C. Tanner, 43, of Sheridan, WY
Sgt. Michael D. Kirspel Jr., 23, of Hopatcong, NJ
Lance Cpl. Terry E. Honeycutt Jr., 19, of Waldorf, MD
Staff Sgt. Adam L. Dickmyer, 26, of Winston Salem, NC
Spc. Pedro A. Maldonado, 20, of Houston, TX
Spc. Diego A. Solorzanovaldovinos, 24, of Huntington Park, CA
Spc. Brett W. Land, 24, of Wasco, CA
Spc. Jonathan M. Curtis, 24, of Belmont, MA
Pfc. Andrew N. Meari, 21, of Plainfield, IL
1st Lt. James R. Zimmerman, 25, of Aroostook, ME
Sgt. 1st Class Todd M. Harris, 37, of Tucson, AZ
Spc. James C. Young, 25, of Rochester, IL
In addition, please keep the the families of Michael F. Paranzino, Matthew J. Broehm, Brandon Pearson, and Jason J. McCluskey, who were present last night for their Dignified Transfer to United States soil.
Please be mindful, also, that we will be with several more families this evening to bring home 4 more brave americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country and for the sake of liberty and freedom throughout this world. May the comfort and peace of God be with all of these servicemen and their families during this Veteran's Day week and as they deal with the grief and sorrow of their loss in the days that lie ahead.
Dignified Transfers witnessed (112)
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