From Bob Crew
To Beth Crew
Subject THE MILITARY MAN
Date Thu, 31 Jul 2003 17:11:09

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155mm howizzitor. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts. If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death then he should have in his short lifetime. He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years. He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we even have woman over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so. As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot.. A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.

Prayer wheel for our military...
Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it. Please send this on after a short prayer. "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen." Prayer : When you read this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan, sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq. There is nothing attached.... This can be very powerful....... Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Coastguardsman, Marine or Airman, prayer is the very best one. ----------------------------

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Almighty God, lest the man in the White House become prematurely gray, would You ease the burden he daily shoulders on behalf of our whole country? That he might lead us with confidence, won't You gift him with wisdom that only comes from You? That he might serve us with humility won't You lift him on the wings of prayer into Your very presence? That he might remain a man of integrity won't You sift his motives so that what is pure would rise above what isn't? That he might pursue Your plan instead of his hunches, make him willing to shift his direction when a change in course is necessary. As he closes his eyes in prayer each day, please open his heart to what You'd say and fill him with the strength he needs to follow where You lead. Amen. ~~ Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos

Pray for the president's ongoing efforts to promote faith-based programs in America, and pray for the houses of worship that are making a difference in neighborhoods and cities across the country. Pray with the president for many volunteers to rise up and do their part so broken lives can be healed and our cities can be restored. Pray for the athletic programs in our country--from those working with the youngest to those at the college and professional level--that these programs will have strong morals, instilling right and wrong in every child who participates. Pray that all who are involved in athletics in our country--especially the most talented--will acknowledge that their gift comes from God. Pray for the troops who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan to find every source of resistance and evil, successfully freeing both countries of threats to democracy and freedom. Pray for the safety and protection of our troops wherever they are stationed. Pray for the members of the Congress as they take their summer recess, that each elected representative will get in touch with his or her constituency learning how best to serve those who have placed them in office. Give thanks for the return of the Bible verses that had been removed from the Grand Canyon National Park. Though the decision could be temporary, pray for all Americans to speak out against the removal of Scripture from public places.

This depiction of the signing of the Mayflower Compact
was painted by Allyn Cox. It appears here courtesy of
the Architect of the Capitol.

Long before the Founding Fathers signed their lives to the bold and daring declaration that created our new nation, a hardy band of immigrants pledged their lives to God and to one another even before they set foot on land. In this agreement, known as the Mayflower Compact, the Pilgrim Fathers reveal the reason they endured the perilous journey across the Atlantic in hope of founding a new colony--they believed they were on a mission for God, and they earnestly desired to "advance the Christian faith." Their agreement, in part, reads as follows: "Having undertaken for the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith , a voyage to plant a colony, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic." --November 11, 1620

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