Post by ozark on Jul 10, 2008 19:07:24 GMT -5
My Mother was a praying woman and she believed strongly and truly believed that God would answer her prayers and that she would get that answer from God. Because I was a soldier and she felt that I was likely to get into a life threatening situation she prayed a lot for me. She didn't just ask God to protect me, she kept it up until she got what she called an answer. When she got an answer she felt I was safe.
I am not saying that her prayers resulted in all the odd things that happened and kept me from serious harm. But, I will say strange things happened.
When Korea broke out I was trained and highly likely to be sent early. Our unit was in Panama and they put us into A and B cadre so that we could be used to form one unit to go to Korea and still have another to guard the Canal. I was assigned to A Cadre. But shortly had to return to the States on an Emergency leave. While on that leave Mama told me that she didn't fell I would go to Korea because she had prayed and got an answer. I got back to Panama and A cadre had been shipped out. Since I was gone I was replaced with my counterpart from B cadre. So I dodged that bullet.
In 1964 things were getting hot in Viet Nam and I expected to be sent there. Instead I was sent to Korea where they were enjoying a truce with no action.
After returning from Korea, I was a member of the 4th Infantry Division when they recieved orders to deploy to Viet Nam. Mama, again told us that I wouldn't have to go. Again she claimed that she had prayed through and got victory. Yeah, We went on a field exercise and afterwards had two weeks to get our famlies settled before shipping out. On the last day of the field exercise I was trying to help lift a petrified log onto a 3/4 ton truck and hurt my back. On a Monday I went to the clinic for pain medication and the doctor at first thought I was trying to get out of deploying with the unit. Many were, but I was in severe pain and told him that I didn't want anything from him but pain medicine. He thought I was faking and put me on a table and lifted my left leg straight up. I screamed and scrambled off the table. His attitude changed and he coached me back on the table and was real gentle with the rest of his exam. Again, I said, Doctor, I am here for pain relief I have to get my family to Arkansas and settled and back here to deploy in two weeks. " You are not going to Viet Nam. They don't need you over there to take care of." I went directly to Madagan General Hospital with L3 and L4 disks problems.
Let me cut this short. For twenty years I was a straight leg infantry soldier, Korea, viet Nam and other brush fires. I never had a shot fired at me. No combat duty with danger to myself. Now, all you can have your crack at me. As I have said before I don't get into religious matters or give my beliefs. But, I think in honor of my praying Mother I needed to let you all know what happened. Why it happened is a mystery to me. Ben
I am not saying that her prayers resulted in all the odd things that happened and kept me from serious harm. But, I will say strange things happened.
When Korea broke out I was trained and highly likely to be sent early. Our unit was in Panama and they put us into A and B cadre so that we could be used to form one unit to go to Korea and still have another to guard the Canal. I was assigned to A Cadre. But shortly had to return to the States on an Emergency leave. While on that leave Mama told me that she didn't fell I would go to Korea because she had prayed and got an answer. I got back to Panama and A cadre had been shipped out. Since I was gone I was replaced with my counterpart from B cadre. So I dodged that bullet.
In 1964 things were getting hot in Viet Nam and I expected to be sent there. Instead I was sent to Korea where they were enjoying a truce with no action.
After returning from Korea, I was a member of the 4th Infantry Division when they recieved orders to deploy to Viet Nam. Mama, again told us that I wouldn't have to go. Again she claimed that she had prayed through and got victory. Yeah, We went on a field exercise and afterwards had two weeks to get our famlies settled before shipping out. On the last day of the field exercise I was trying to help lift a petrified log onto a 3/4 ton truck and hurt my back. On a Monday I went to the clinic for pain medication and the doctor at first thought I was trying to get out of deploying with the unit. Many were, but I was in severe pain and told him that I didn't want anything from him but pain medicine. He thought I was faking and put me on a table and lifted my left leg straight up. I screamed and scrambled off the table. His attitude changed and he coached me back on the table and was real gentle with the rest of his exam. Again, I said, Doctor, I am here for pain relief I have to get my family to Arkansas and settled and back here to deploy in two weeks. " You are not going to Viet Nam. They don't need you over there to take care of." I went directly to Madagan General Hospital with L3 and L4 disks problems.
Let me cut this short. For twenty years I was a straight leg infantry soldier, Korea, viet Nam and other brush fires. I never had a shot fired at me. No combat duty with danger to myself. Now, all you can have your crack at me. As I have said before I don't get into religious matters or give my beliefs. But, I think in honor of my praying Mother I needed to let you all know what happened. Why it happened is a mystery to me. Ben
