Prayer for the Soldiers
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"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."
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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. |
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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 howitzer.
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
.
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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
.
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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.
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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
women over there
in danger,
doing their part
in this tradition
of going to War
As you go to bed
tonight, remember this shot.
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Please feel free to copy and send this to others |
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