Virtual-Doug

Miscellaneous Ramblings – Green Tracer

This is the Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. Tim, Bene, Rachel, and others who live outside the US - this is the day when Americans remember our war dead.

As I nursed my Saturday morning cup of Vietnamese coffee, I read the requisite newspaper story about the meaning of the holiday. The front page had a story about the families of two local men who died in Iraq. Marine PFC Dustin Sekula was killed on April 1. His mother reflected “This Memorial Day definitely takes on a different meaning. I see things in a different light now. Most of the kids I see these days here in the Valley spend their day just wasting time and being foolish. I want to go up to them and say ‘Hey – don’t let Dusty’s death be in vain’ because he gave it all up (a college scholarship, family, girlfriend, etc.) to go over there.”

My son once asked me what I would have been like if I hadn’t gone to Viet Nam. The simplistic answer is that we can’t know what we might have been, but there probably are some personality traits that are attributable to having been in combat.

Miscellaneous Ramblings – Perspectives from Soldiers in Iraq

I have a new fascination – “Warbloggers” who are actually stationed in Iraq. I’m sure there are more, but I’ve been reading Doc in a Box, Iraq Calling, Dagger JAG, and Reliquary: Fred-Bob the Dancing Queen’s Imperial Dispatches (who is not in Iraq any longer, but is in the US recovering from his wounds.)

These are articulate men. They are good observers of their world, and they communicate their observations well. As I read their postings, an old feeling came back to me: I remember the disconnect I felt when I returned from Viet Nam in 1970. There seemed to be some huge, yet undefined difference between the way I felt and what I read and heard around me. Of course today’s soldiers have access to technology undreamt of thirty four years ago, so they know exactly what is being telecast on the news and written by the pundits. They don’t have to wait until they get home at the end of their tour to take the pulse of the media. They neither have to wait to know what is being said, nor wait to respond.

And, they seem to disagree with the media. They seem to think the media has it wrong. Here are some excerpts.

Christianity - Survey of Christians

One of my favorite blogs is Bene Diction Blogs On - and he posted a request from an academic to post the URL for a web survey he is taking to ascertain various attitudes of Christians.

I am not an academic, though I work at a university and have done some research myself. I encourage anyone who halfway considers him/herself to be Christian to take 15 minutes and take the survey. Find it at www.augustana.edu/users/psvincent/surveys/ChristianitySurvey.htm.

And, Dr. Vincent - I would love to read your paper!

Miscellaneous Ramblings - Going to Viet Nam: The End of Phase I

At last - the old house is sold. We closed Friday and the new house is paid for.

Now we can concentrate on the next phase - finding a job in Viet Nam.

Christianity - A Cursillo Weekend

Most of us are in need of a spiritual mountaintop every now and then. For C and me, that mountaintop has come through Cursillo weekends. (Pronounce it "Ker See' Oh) Though we made our own weekend many years ago, we have been on Cursillo teams in various roles many times - in Georgia, in New Mexico, and now here in south Texas. Though not on a team this past weekend, we were nonetheless deeply involved.

Our little church of St. Peter & St. Paul sponsored three people - including one C and I sent. Some thoughts and reflections about them, their experience, and the weekend in general.

Miscellaneous Ramblings – Pookah: The Rest of the Story

I’ve blogged for almost a year now, and I’ve discovered that it really doesn’t matter if others read my posts – I blog for me. Its just a school girl’s diary made public.

I sat down tonight to write of the death of Pookah, our calico cat. C and I were on the way to a meeting at church when we passed a smushed kitty. Though it was a long way from the house, we thought it was her. After looking at the mangled heap, we went on to our meeting – and friends consoled us. I came home afterwards, got a shovel, and buried her in the back yard.

But C’s heart told her it wasn’t Pookah. She called - - - and sure enough, out comes our cat, blinking in the porch light, and getting skittish over all the fuss.

I’m tempted to try to find some deep theological meaning in this – unto to the least of these, resurrection, faith healing, etc.

But what the hell - - I’m just happy she’s back.

Miscellaneous Ramblings - A Reunion

Its so good to be back together again.

Back together with my books.

My primary hobby is constructing the history of the unit I served with in Viet Nam in 1969. To do that, I have amassed a rather large collection of books and primary source documents - plus all the photos and stories sent to me by the men of the unit. For the past month and a half, it has all been in boxes - stored elsewhere while we moved. Tonight, the three-ring binders of S3 Journals and other reports were pulled out and placed on bookshelves, while I resisted the temptation to open and read them.

My friends are back - and soon I hope to find time to do research and write more - - then post it on the www.tallcomanche.org web site.

Viet Nam Today – More on The Conference: The Missionary

The Rev. Charles Long. Nobody called him that – he was simply Charlie. He retired not long ago at the age of 67 after spending twenty years of his life as a missionary to one of the hill tribes in Viet Nam. His sense of gentle humor and plain ol’ common sense are the perfect complement to his love of God and love of the Jarai people. His stories of the years he and his wife lived in Pleiku are wonderful to listen too. He was there before the Americans came – and there after they left. He was the chaplain for the ceremony dedicating Camp Holloway, and remembers gazing at the empty, dusty, wind-swept base after the South Vietnamese Army abandoned it.

I was nailed more than once by Charlie’s humor. After grace was said over lunch, he looked at the man sitting next to me – himself a missionary and the son of missionaries – and told how he remembered David’s father out on a trail one day when he met a tiger. David’s father beseeched God to save him, then looked at the tiger who was sitting on the trail with his eyes closed, looking heavenward in prayer. Emboldened in knowing the tiger was a Christian, David’s father extended the hand of friendship, and said to the Tiger “I’m so pleased to meet a Christian tiger.” Prying one eyelid open, the tiger replied: “Shhhh – wait until I’m through with my prayer. And I thank you, oh Lord, for the food of which I am about to partake.”

Vietnam Conference - I'm Tired!

We just left the conference - and I am just flat too tired to post anything of substance tonight!

Maybe tomorrow I will write something on the plane, then post it the following night.

Viet Nam Today – The Conference Continues

Sunday morning – and we’re supposed to go to church, right?

We didn’t. Instead, C and I sat in the car and did our Bible study. Reading and discussing passages from Matthew was wonderful. Better was our talk about a topic we’d chewed on last fall. On the way back from a Cursillo weekend, we talked about the concept that one is supposed to love God first, then your spouse and family, then others. We agreed that we did not love God first – we loved each other first. Today, we looked back and can see that has changed. Our lives are being changed in slow and subtle ways. More importantly, we realize that we are not changing our lives - we are finding God is the one who is changing our lives.

And here we are, on the cusp of spending a significant period of time in Viet Nam doing God’s work.