In a follow up to my last post.

My youngest brother served two tours in Vietnam, as a Marine. Several purple hearts, commendation of valor along with a lot, of what is called, fruit salad. Which are those funny colored bars that the military displays on their uniforms. Yet, to Larry the most important medal he possessed was the one he received after his two years of duty at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Get Larry started and would talk for hours about those two years, on the rug, which is the popular term. The weapon they carried was a standard issue M-1 carbine with three LIVE rounds, (bullets). He marched in the rain, the snow, the beautiful days of spring, and heat of summer, sometimes even with the moon as his only company, but sleep was far from his mind and eyes. His or their one and only goal, protect that howled ground. He paid no attention to what went on around him. He just watched that piece of granite to keep or protect it at any and all cost.

Yet, Larry always would tell of a young lady who did not understand English very well. She crossed that carpet into that no-man’s land. Larry, per his training, he stopped and tuned, with the command to halt! She kept moving, wanting a closer picture. Once more per his training he brought his weapon to ready position and called halt! Some of the people around them began to stir and look around. Once more per training he breached his weapon, moved the bolt action to bring a live shell into the firing chamber, and called for a third time halt. A father looked and saw his daughter and where she was, he moved so quickly, across the carpet, caught her by the waist and carried her back across the carpet. Larry, per training, removed the clip, removed the live round from the chamber, replaced it into the clip, returned the clip to the weapon and resumed his march. The father walked beside Larry for a short while trying to explain and offer apology until a member of the military stopped and explained that this solider could and would not brake his march or speak to anyone. Larry cried a lot that night and latter was consoled by his “Officer in Command.”

OH to stand this true to the cause of Christ!!

Mervi