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Webzine Friday, May 04, 2007
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined.
Henry David Thoreau
Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal: my strength lies solely in my tenacity.
Louis Pasteur
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New!!! Review of Gun-Totin Chaplain
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed GTC. I received it yesterday
and just a few minutes ago finished it. Thank you for being open and
addressing subjects that many believe are not relevant or didn't/don't
exist.
Every page, every subject, brought something to my mind. I have a ton of
questions I would like to ask you...
I was at Camp Eagle from Mar 68 to
Dec 68; visited LZ Sally a few times and know FB Mongoose and Coco Beach.
One question: Do you remember the 1/501st Bn Commo Chief's name? Something
tells me it started with an S and that he and I reported into the 101st at
the same time, Oct 67; we both had been levied out of the 509th in Mainz
Germany. That is one assignment if you had been there you would never
forget; The Animal Farm, Robert E Lee Barracks, Mainz, Germany.
Our Chaplain there was Chaplain William (Bill) Zudima, a priest, a true
Master Blaster like yourself, he retired I was told in Panama.
Again, Thank you, Thank you, for writing and sharing A True Memoir: Gun
Totin' Chaplain.
God Bless. Old Army, Airborne.
Sgt. Maj. who served in Vietnam
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Gun-Totin Chaplain Review (Posted April 22, 2007)
Hi Jerry,
I just finished your book, and I must say that I am extremely proud of this
accomplishment of yours. I felt that I came away more informed about the
nature of that war, and your dedication to and passion for the welfare of
your fellow service men and women came through loud and clear.
I related your experience to my own during that time period. The stress of
internship, residency, and fellowship was very intense at times, but I was
reminded by your book that the shots taken against me were, after all, only
verbal! (Some of my professors had intimidation tactics not unlike drill
sergeants.) At the end of that period in my life, I had developed my own
passion: the health and well being of my patients and my community.
If we
look back to our high school days we should have known that we would both
grow up to be men with passions for improving the lives of other people. I
remember your mantra from high school: "Grow old with me; the best is yet to
be."
I also share your belief that young people today are impoverished by the
lack of opportunities to serve others. Whether mandatory service would
correct that, I do not know, but politicians who might advocate mandatory
service would have a hard time getting elected these days.
I especially liked your quotes which headlined each chapter. The one for
chapter 48 reminded me of a posting that I kept at my desk at work,
attributed to the Greek philosopher Aeschylus and used by Bobby Kennedy at
Jack's funeral (reportedly recommended by Henry Kissinger):
Pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop
Upon the heart until, in our own despair,
Comes wisdom
Through the awful grace of God.
Your book also brought to mind my belief that it is the American fighter
person who should have been named the person of the century at the time of
the Millennium as so well expressed by the Rev. Dennis Edwards, Chaplain,
USMC:
It is the soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet
Who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us the right to demonstrate.
It is the soldier
Who salutes the Flag
Who serves beneath the Flag.
It is the soldier
Whose coffin is draped by the Flag
Who allows the protester to burn the Flag.
I know that this is much too long for an email, but your book stirred these
emotions in me, and I thought you should know.
Best regards. Stay in good health...
JT(Ret. Physician and Philanthropist)
Gun-Totin Chaplain (Posted April 22, 2007)
Thanks so much for sending Gun Totin Chaplain book...received it on Wednesday. I will make sure that Ava gets it. I have started reading my copy.
Does read like a novel...I like the way it is presented in short chapters....easier to grasp that way. For some reason I have always been intrigued with
the vietnam war....the politics of it all...the aftermath.....I remember the movie Forrest Gump..the vietnam scene...the firefight seemed so realistic. In my
mind....how did really young guys cope with all that happened? Thanks again for your generosity. WA
Gun-Totin Chaplain (Posted April 22, 2007)
Have really enjoyed reading your book. Different perspective from a Chaplain. I read about 3 or 4 chapters a night will probably finish reading this weekend.
I can't imagine what it must have been like Vietnam..but not really. It was hot in the Persian Gulf when I was there in 1980...and our cooling system
on our ship kept breaking down so really it was hotter inside the ship (felt like 140 degrees) than on the outside. I remember we had to conserve water, they allowed
2 minute showers..one to lather 1 to rinse off...they even had security patrol posted in the head to make sure each man was following the rules
Name Withheld
Review of Gun-Totin Chaplain
Hi Jerry, since becoming a fire chaplain 3 years ago, I have been reading every chaplain book I can get my hands on. Your book Gun-totin' chaplain just became my favorite.
I could so relate to your "what the hell do I do now" approach to being a chaplain. I so often find myself on the "battlefield" with no answers and a ton of needy eyeballs looking to me for some kind of answer.
Do you ever travel and tell your story? I would love for the other fellow chaplains to hear your heart. Being a chaplain is the best ministry I have ever had.... but most times: I dont know what the hell to do.
your fellow Chaplain.
--
J. Hetschel
Gun-Totin Chaplain**Now at discount
Latest Review of Gun-Totin Chaplain
Just received GTC. It's beautiful and so well put together. Looking forward to reading it. Of course, already read jacket flaps and looked at the photos. Photos sure brought back memories. Especially like the one of the sign "Chaplin." Reminded me of the guys who built a pulpit and pews for my first tent chapel out of scrap material they scrounged around our base camp at LZ Betty - Phan Thiet.
The photo of the Chinook reminded me of the day one was hanging over our tent area blowing sand and as many of us looked at it, it suddenly just dropped to the ground, caught on fire and killed five guys inside while we looked on in horror.
I didn't know you got two purple hearts. You never spoke of it to me unless I have forgotten. And that reminded me that I never got the one I earned - that is, if getting stabbed in the leg with a poisonous pungi stake qualifies. But, I wasn't there to get a purple heart. Excuse was, "paper work got lost." That was also the excuse I was given for not getting the air medal after I had meticulously logged all my hours from being up in the chopper getting out to where the troops were almost every day of the full 395 days I was in country. Plus off shore to a Navy destroyer that had no chaplain. Well, again, I wasn't there for an air medal. So why am I even recalling it? I guess it sorta irked me at the time. gp
Review of Gun-Totin Chaplain
A couple I lent Gun Totin' Chaplain too raved about it and asked permission to lend it to
another neighbor. Sorry, I told them fine but should buy a copy. They are all frustrated and crazy in thought as we are about Iraq and the entire Middle East countries, thinking we can change their
culture. They too are frustrated as to what can we do??????????? we need
a grass roots effort with those of our age groups that went thru the Vietnam
times. Any guidance or leadership??? Give us some of your rebel leadership about the Middle East issue.
I loved and appreciated your book and your style.
lc, Col, retired, USA
Review of Gun-Totin Chaplain
I experienced some of the same feelings, sensations, and thoughts during my
time at the front lines in the ETO during WWII as you expressed in your
book: the camaraderie among the troops, the concern that the front line
officers had for their men and the almost complete turn about in the rear
areas.
My assignment for several months beginning right after D-Day was
to take sound systems to forward lines in the hedgerows of France and
broadcast messages to the German troops for them to surrender. So, I
went from army/brigade headquarter (maybe two/three miles from the front
line) where my unit was stationed to the farthest forward point I could
safely (???) get. Consequently, I saw the dichotomy in existence
almost daily. It seems that experiences don't change much from war to
war.
Your book got me to thinking about things that happened to me 50 years
ago and I am surprised at how much I have dredged up. Names long
forgotten, experiences, etc. S. L.
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DVD Review: Dreamland
(Photo: John Corbett who plays Henry in the movie, Dreamland, courtesy of Imdb.com)
Quote from Movie:
Henry: "There's a fine line between losing it and getting it."
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Webzine Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Mark Twain
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REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic (AFGHANISTAN)
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Recently at a book signing for the memoir, Gun-Totin Chaplain,
I got a chance to promote National Service- a major theme in the memoir.
The small independent bookstore owner, in the college community of Berkeley, California hatched the idea that we'd give away a certain number of books to draw in a crowd.
The book signing was successful, the sun was out, and students were everywhere. We took it outside and I began to buttonhole students about service to country.
I talked to at least a couple of dozen about National Service. Remember, these are Berkeley students. It was so funny, in a sense, because here I was a Vietnam vet, the book is about Vietnam War; and, during Nam, Berkeley or as we use to say, Berzerkerly, was the epicenter of the anti-Vietnam war protest. In addition, these kids weren't even born during Vietnam.
The conversations went something like: "What is your thought about National Service, meaning where you'd have to give a year or say 18 months to some sort of Service to your country or a nonprofit organization. It could be the military but wouldn't have to be. It could be Teach America or the Peace Corp or literally anything like that or you could design your own."
A couple of the students gave me the "nobody is home look." By in large, in this brief encounter, the vast majority of the students said, "I'd think about it." For Berkeley, believe me, this is ground breaking. One kid cracked me up! "What are college students interested in?" I asked. "Well, I think having a good time." Then, he grew more thoughtful, "I think my fraternity brothers are mostly interested in partying and getting laid." We laughed.
Upon reflection, the idea of National Service came out looking pretty good in an environment that could be construed traditionally as pretty hostile. I am encouraged more than discouraged when I talk to kids about National Service. I think those who oppose the idea and yet could help with it, i. e., Congress, don't give American youngsters enough credit. What I've discovered over the last twelve years or so is that kids want to serve and would with a slight nudge. JDA
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