Reflections

This came to me via email today. I thought it was beautiful and wanted to share it, along with some thoughts of my own:

THE MUSIC STOPPED

"For those who are unaware: At all military base theaters, the National Anthem is played before the movie begins. This is written from a Chaplain in Iraq:

I recently attended a showing of' Superman 3' here at LSA Anaconda.We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom at all military bases, we stood to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going well until three-quarters of the way through The National Anthem, the music stopped. Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and yell for the movie to begin. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place. Here in Iraq, 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again and the soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. But again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect 1000 Soldiers standing at attention to do?? Frankly, I expected some laughter, and everyone would eventually sit down and wait for the movie to start. But No!!... You could have heard a pin drop, while every soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly, there was a lone voice from the front of the auditorium, then a dozen voices, and soon the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off: "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave."It was the most inspiring moment I have had in Iraq and I wanted you to know what kind of soldiers are serving you. Remember them as they fight for us!----------------------Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and abroad. Many have already paid the ultimate price."

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins LSA. Anaconda is at the Ballad Airport in Iraq , north of Baghdad.
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I was so moved when I read this. It caused me to stop and reflect a bit about our troops that are stationed so far from home. I know that sometimes these messages that are forwarded over and over through email are not always true. But I believe this one and I believe it to be a perfect example of the quality of the men and women in our United States Armed Forces.

It seems I have heard so much these days about the lack of direction and quality of our U. S. military. I have heard how it has digressed and become politically correct and on and on and on go the criticisms. These criticisms don't necessarily come from people who are involved with anyone serving our country in this capacity, but rather just something that was heard "through the grapevine" so to speak. It is always troubling for me to hear this. Number one, we have the greatest military in the world. We have the strongest defense, the best training, and we have quality enlistees that are beyond compare.

I'm not saying our military is perfect, or that there is not room for improvement. I simply believe it is not anywhere near as bad as many say, nor as bad as some in the media would have us believe. I know there have been changes that are not necessarily for the better. But criticism from the outside will do nothing to improve any of these problems. How about helping elect politicians that are pro-military and pro-defense. It is something that is crucial to our national security.

My own son is in the Civil Air Patrol Program for youth, which is the auxiliary program for the United States Air Force. I have watched these young men and women for several years now; and I have seen the dedication and the serious attitude with which they approach their training. These kids are not just out for a place to socialize. I do believe every one of them that is involved in this program is there either because of their love for country, or because they have a military career in mind. I have watched year after year, as graduates move on from CAP to one of the military service academies or enlist into service. I'm not saying they all do, but these cadets have learned service and respect for their country as well as the military; and they move on into adulthood with that training behind them and with that attitude in mind.

This program is successful because it follows military guidelines. Through it, I am seeing over and over the quality of character and academics of the young men and women that are entering our military branches.

If one were to check, statistics show that now more than ever, those that join our armed forces are people with a love of country, conservative values, and a good education. And that is a good thing! We need quality people in our military, just as we do in any other industry such as medical, homeland civil services, and education. I only hope we as a nation will continue to support our troops; and when we hear the bashing of our extremely important United States troops, that we will stop to consider the source, and check out the true facts for ourselves.

If you know someone that doubts the quality of our men and women in service, or the training they are receiving, maybe you could forward the message above from Chaplain Jim Higgins and hopefully cause them to reflect abit, or check the facts out for themselves.

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"I have never advocated war, except as a means of peace."

~Ulysses S. Grant
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It's The Soldier
It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given us Freedom of the Press.
It's the soldier, not the poet, who has given us Freedom of Speech.
It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the Freedom to Demonstrate.
It's the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the Right to a Fair Trial.
It's the soldier who salutes the flag, serves under the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives the protestor the right to burn the flag.
~Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC