tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32068830684486213832024-03-05T18:28:46.433-08:00Larkin SpiveyLarkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-11136283310530033222018-05-28T05:33:00.000-07:002018-05-28T05:33:13.790-07:00Memorial Day<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6Ff-Zc0wsb7HMGKLdZ8KNA29iR8exnoZdRe5tXMg_eGAKvWie5AAXmPB_1EfsrFAzs7q2ZDQg0LI8wKUzt8SgWkYK8PqCUvixTn7HS9iEfOm2wHy0H-8Q35lF2xHPg0-h0EUQAvHSJhH/s1600/Arlington+flags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6Ff-Zc0wsb7HMGKLdZ8KNA29iR8exnoZdRe5tXMg_eGAKvWie5AAXmPB_1EfsrFAzs7q2ZDQg0LI8wKUzt8SgWkYK8PqCUvixTn7HS9iEfOm2wHy0H-8Q35lF2xHPg0-h0EUQAvHSJhH/s1600/Arlington+flags.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoTitle" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Veterans of the Battle of Khe Sanh continue to hold reunions
to renew old friendships and share their experiences in one of the war’s
bitterest fights. They also keep the memory of fallen comrades alive. At a
gathering to commemorate the start of the battle on January 31, 1968, one veteran
wrote a simple but eloquent message appropriate for all Memorial Days:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Khe Sanh Veterans know there is a
place in the world during the month of January, where it’s foggy and cold with
towering mountains looking down onto a small, isolated plateau, hallowed by
many and surrounded by deep green jungle, where the many souls were of those
who did not return. While in other places, it’s relatively warm, the sun is out
and shining from a rich blue sky onto the faces of aging men who remember that
time so long ago when they were young, and are grateful now, that they no
longer have to suffer through the deprivation and hardship they once
experienced. Aging men and comrades who remember those who did not return, and
on this most appropriate day, honor their memory.</span></i><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">May God bless all those who did not
return home from this war. Memorial Day is a time to remember and to honor
them. For many of us, it is a bittersweet memory. Even though we remember
fondly all the good times, the loss of friends and fellow Marines was tragic
and heart breaking, and these feelings dim little with time. There is also a
measure of guilt that somehow we made it back, and they did not. We can only
hope that we have made our lives count for something and used the time we’ve
been given in a way that honors their sacrifice. For families that lost
husbands, fathers, or sons, the tragedy is even more intense. I pray that God
will give all of us who remember and mourn on this day an eternal perspective
on these events and the faith that these brave men are resting in true peace
with him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The
righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken
away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared
from evil. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">~Isaiah 57:1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<br />
</div>
</div>
<br />Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-11483014956599980082017-03-05T10:04:00.000-08:002017-03-05T10:04:05.402-08:00New Book<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aQPJHyiSmy0REwCPB6fMHCqg6mMUrLmdarp0SgFIz8F1zJY_uiKzKMC2tS-ToduR6OhdMFB35Ah2V74L1Yjm5oRDwjUsYAgnqR2SLhS1u1jxsEwPVmLLdi2I724jIyGyjyxKObUy3Z_m/s1600/54972829_High+Resolution+Front+Cover.6476918+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4aQPJHyiSmy0REwCPB6fMHCqg6mMUrLmdarp0SgFIz8F1zJY_uiKzKMC2tS-ToduR6OhdMFB35Ah2V74L1Yjm5oRDwjUsYAgnqR2SLhS1u1jxsEwPVmLLdi2I724jIyGyjyxKObUy3Z_m/s320/54972829_High+Resolution+Front+Cover.6476918+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a>My new book is out, and I hope you will read it soon. My purpose is to highlight a growing threat to our nation and what each of us can do to stop it. I must constantly reassert the fact that we are not at war with Islam. There are many peace-loving, loyal American citizens that are Muslim, and we are counting on them to stand with their fellow countrymen of all religious beliefs. However, there are some who are not loyal to America or her ideals that have declared war on us and all of western civilization. These Islamic jihadists seek to remake our nation into their image of an Islamic theocracy through terrorism, subversion, and, ultimately, submission.<br />
So, the first question is: What Do We Stand For? Every American must be able to answer this question, clearly and specifically. We have enemies willing to die for their beliefs. Is there anything this compelling for Americans?Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-80039087953638379542016-06-29T07:51:00.000-07:002016-06-29T08:04:56.185-07:00One of the Many Miracles of the American Revolution<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUUyIChz61ALsdUYVjftsnmhQ2l6y9LTkDJnnOIvKHxF0u3GIXtPfqcNN6nNZzsWav1Kl-IabHR4LQ9jNAKkGoCbTBwYvXx35fVwqe7MqEpDoZiWZlKQBUQMQc9UWYOsfhafa-ilQheZ9/s1600/Flag+Dorchester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUUyIChz61ALsdUYVjftsnmhQ2l6y9LTkDJnnOIvKHxF0u3GIXtPfqcNN6nNZzsWav1Kl-IabHR4LQ9jNAKkGoCbTBwYvXx35fVwqe7MqEpDoZiWZlKQBUQMQc9UWYOsfhafa-ilQheZ9/s320/Flag+Dorchester.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">As the Fourth of July approaches, I would like to retell a little known story about an amazing event that opened the door for American independence:</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">On March 4, 1776, General
George Washington took a bold and dangerous move to break the eleven month stalemate
between his forces and the British garrison in Boston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the night he moved a large force onto
a hill known as Dorchester Heights, overlooking the waterfront and main
shipping channel into Boston harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
similar move the year before on Bunker Hill, on the other side of Boston, had
caused a violent and devastating retaliation from the British.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This move was no different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The British commander, General William Howe,
had to respond to the challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
generals knew that a decisive defeat of these colonial forces would quickly end
the so-called ‘rebellion.’</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The
Miracle</span></u></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyr6JeMhpgqHGV3gssQvu5ozjSCeG8MMfYjtKVG4PYiUDu3yAW_nl-tamCWvNXO2yCHVzLgH5h6F6ueJqgM9RnZUxZ44V_PE7V3n7nApCdLJfEmtAvIOQ_CVdL3rx_cIxGSoHUgb4VmlZ/s1600/Map-of-Boston-circa-1775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyr6JeMhpgqHGV3gssQvu5ozjSCeG8MMfYjtKVG4PYiUDu3yAW_nl-tamCWvNXO2yCHVzLgH5h6F6ueJqgM9RnZUxZ44V_PE7V3n7nApCdLJfEmtAvIOQ_CVdL3rx_cIxGSoHUgb4VmlZ/s320/Map-of-Boston-circa-1775.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">On March 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> the
British mounted an all out attack on Dorchester Heights, moving troops by ship
and boat across Boston harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this
crucial moment the weather took control of events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An unseasonal and violent storm came up that
a local observer called a ‘hurrycane.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The storm increased in violence during that day and into the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though the harbor offered protected
waters, torrential winds and rain scattered the British invasion force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three ships were grounded on Governors Island
and numerous boats were lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became
impossible to carry out the attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">On the morning of March 6, Howe
assembled his subordinates. He feared that the rebels had so strengthened their
positions over the previous day that an attack had become too dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since the opportunity had passed for
offensive action, he ordered his forces back into garrison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would be no British effort to take
Dorchester Heights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of an
attack, Howe ordered an evacuation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
March 17 the British army and navy sailed out of Boston harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The eleven-month standoff was over.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Independence</span></u></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">In Philadelphia the mood took a
new turn on March 23 when word arrived from Massachusetts that Washington’s
troops had forced the British to abandon Boston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Celebrations broke out in the streets.<sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tone of the debate in Congress
changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In April the delegates from
South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina received instructions permitting a
vote for independence.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">The momentum of events gathered
from this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In early May Congress
passed a resolution that individual colonies assume all powers of
government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On June 7, 1776, Richard
Henry Lee from Virginia rose before Congress to move “That these United
Colonies are, and of a right ought to be, free and independent states.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lee’s motion was taken up on July 1, and the
issue addressed that Adams called “the greatest question ever debated in
America and as great as ever was debated among men.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On July 4 Congress formally ratified the
Declaration of Independence, and each of the fifty-six delegates individually
signed the document.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>A New Authority</u></span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">Thanks to a miracle in Boston, a
new nation was created on July 4, 1776.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On that day, the founding fathers took one of the greatest steps of
faith in history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cutting the ties of
royal authority, representing centuries of law and tradition, they turned
intentionally to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They declared that
all men are, “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Samuel
Adams rose in the assembly to state that, “We have this day restored the
Sovereign, to Whom alone men ought to be obedient.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The United States of America would be under
the authority and protection of God and based on God given rights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In Boston, George Washington did not
have a victory celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, he
called for a church service and thanksgiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He heard a sermon concluding with the passage: “The Lord is our King; it
is he who will save us.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Washington
himself firmly believed those words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
knew that God had saved his army at Boston and brought a great victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would later state as President that,
“Every step, by which (the people of the United States) have advanced to the
character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token
of providential agency.” He knew better than any other human being the role of
God’s hand in winning a war and creating a new nation.</span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"></span><div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">
</span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-23695597691845275242016-06-18T13:15:00.000-07:002016-06-18T13:28:09.363-07:00Fathers Day<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b7kuhVKbHRU5eAR96PQXsCTQ5KAjOa6hXsSOWcSfm02lUlHyxtfLYAAIuQQXePfpr9yraWF3LgBBkofnhNFVyMFncDsrbUZVk0eaDYFgCMpXGEU2K9Mkwo7MFksDmty1446RPXJrHUxD/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b7kuhVKbHRU5eAR96PQXsCTQ5KAjOa6hXsSOWcSfm02lUlHyxtfLYAAIuQQXePfpr9yraWF3LgBBkofnhNFVyMFncDsrbUZVk0eaDYFgCMpXGEU2K9Mkwo7MFksDmty1446RPXJrHUxD/s640/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The following is a story from <em>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War, </em>November 6. Happy Father's Day!
</span></span><div style="border-image: none; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Chad Daugherty was born March 9,
1968. On May 9, 1968 his father was killed in Vietnam. He not only grew up
without his father, he grew up with practically no information about him. His mother, in anguish, threw out all the photos and other reminders of the man she
would not see again. She also remarried while Chad was very young, and so his
father was rarely mentioned in the household. Nevertheless, he was frequently
haunted by fantasies of his father returning. He would think of all the things
they would do together, but then realize all the problems this would cause his
mother.</span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="color: black;">
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="border-image: none; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At
age seventeen, Daugherty went to the Vietnam Memorial to find his father. After
going through the search process, he finally stood before panel fifty-seven,
looking at the name he sought. His fingers brushed over the letters. He later
wrote a composition, describing himself in the third person and his feelings at
that moment:</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;">From his heart rose a feeling he just could not explain.
It only seemed to occur at that place while gazing at the name and dark
reflections in the wall. The feeling seemed to torture the heart. Contrasting
emotions of love and hate; happiness and sorrow; pride and shame were all felt
at once. Why did he put himself to this torture, he wondered? There was no
reason to come. No one made him come. Yet he came willingly.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
wall became the place where Chad Daugherty resolved the conflicting emotions of
his childhood. He talked to his father. He shared all his accomplishments and
dreams for the future. He told him how much he loved him. He left a letter
saying, “Dear father, you shall always be remembered. Your loving son.”</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There
are probably very few men who do not have conflicting emotions about their
fathers. They are fortunate if their fathers are still living, and they still
have opportunities to resolve these feelings directly. Many of us unfortunately
don’t have that option. We need a wall of our own to go to where we can
acknowledge the man who was probably the best father that he was capable of
being and the one that our heavenly Father meant us to have. Whatever his
faults, he helped make us what we are. Whether talking to the man or to a wall,
the best place to start is, “I love you, Dad.”</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;">Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live
long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. <b><i>~Exodus 20:12</i></b></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;">
</span><div style="margin: 0in 31.5pt 0pt 0in;">
<span style="color: white;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a><br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br clear="all" /><span style="color: black;">
</span></a><br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a><br />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a><br />
<div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2lUFjZQI1wURyTKDCJ6MLYAvqjhb8966KrwqVGjWC01TTEZWJHasRhsHtPrd6jeRNV1fV_SMTFM-TQJWSDLQ0bLF4lWgGbC4mT2B4oTVA6sv7OM1KdmUEVsbZbjSihrxuSvV6_yJ85Pe/s1600/Fathers+day+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br /></div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-70038557548823428942016-06-14T06:10:00.001-07:002016-06-14T06:10:33.558-07:00That Flag
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMkJ-GiaKfQg50IsEHM-FMw7Yma35mTdMcrDL0mZYW23Wiz_NNJlQKjRREe7rtI00DQlg1d23Xtdq-qVnfdC1LTX4Nzb6PxS9t9iTBPvT7fGXns6WpNycZFAAZX8Vd9V0Ve-veYn8ygzH/s1600/Barksdale_B-52_with_American_Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMkJ-GiaKfQg50IsEHM-FMw7Yma35mTdMcrDL0mZYW23Wiz_NNJlQKjRREe7rtI00DQlg1d23Xtdq-qVnfdC1LTX4Nzb6PxS9t9iTBPvT7fGXns6WpNycZFAAZX8Vd9V0Ve-veYn8ygzH/s320/Barksdale_B-52_with_American_Flag.jpg" width="320" /></a>On this Flag Day, I am reminded of a story from my book, <em>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War:</em></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Al Kraboth attended The Citadel and
played basketball with Pat Conroy. While writing his best-selling book, <i>My
Losing Season, </i>Conroy interviewed Kraboth and his wife at their home in New
Jersey as part of his project to document their 1966-67 basketball season.
During the interview, the discussion turned to his friend’s experiences as a
prisoner of war in Vietnam. In response to Conroy’s questions, he told an
amazing story.</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kroboth
was the navigator of an A-6 Intruder when it was hit by gunfire while bombing
somewhere in South Vietnam. He lost consciousness and didn’t even remember
ejecting. When he woke up on the ground, he found that he had broken bones in
his neck, back, and scapula. He was captured by the Viet Cong and forced to
walk at gunpoint through the jungle. In spite of his injuries, he was marched
barefoot over the worst imaginable terrain for three months, through rain and mud,
mostly at night, to the final destination, Hanoi. He told of harrowing episodes
when people along the way tried to kill him and of how close he came to dying
due to sickness and starvation. </div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
most memorable and moving event of his ordeal came on the day of his
repatriation. As the big C-141 landed at the Hanoi airport, he said that he
watched without emotion—until he saw the flag painted on the plane’s tail:</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<i>The flag. It had the biggest
American flag on it I ever saw. To this day, I cry when I think of it. Seeing
the flag. I started crying. I couldn’t see the plane, I just saw that flag. All
the guys started cheering. But that flag . . . that flag.<a href="file:///C:/Users/Larkin/Pictures/Documents/BOOK%20DOCUMENTS/bBATTLEFIELDS%20VIETNAM/bVIETNAM%20monthly/kNovember.docx" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></b></span></span></span></a></i></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<i> </i></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
probably don’t understand this kind of emotion for a flag or any other symbol
unless we have suffered for it. The symbol of our faith, the cross, represents
Jesus’ suffering for us, and takes on a deeper meaning when we suffer in some
way for him. It’s unlikely that we will ever face an ordeal like that endured
by a POW or by our Savior, but any risk we take or sacrifice we make to share
our faith will bring us closer to the place we need to be—the foot of the
cross.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<i>Now if we are children, then we are
heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his
sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. </i><b>~Romans 8:17</b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/Larkin/Pictures/Documents/BOOK%20DOCUMENTS/bBATTLEFIELDS%20VIETNAM/bVIETNAM%20monthly/kNovember.docx" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">[i]</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Ibid.<i>,
371.</i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-21260467157195205642016-05-29T10:56:00.002-07:002016-05-29T11:15:22.745-07:00Survivor Guilt<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BgZWTMhZOE9dDh8HmaAGoZNYbY6pfmhvsvKKh8K6nbAWl8qABibhjcBi-fuaKkgjvP9AP20gqQ0zYninidtgzS_bXOVKt0wfsZS0ejeSO6pT23TPVj4A5C-UExhiOGCIzyiEaw5SDayF/s1600/1218A+Memorial+Day+Salute+CPL.Scott+Schmidt+%2528USMC%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BgZWTMhZOE9dDh8HmaAGoZNYbY6pfmhvsvKKh8K6nbAWl8qABibhjcBi-fuaKkgjvP9AP20gqQ0zYninidtgzS_bXOVKt0wfsZS0ejeSO6pT23TPVj4A5C-UExhiOGCIzyiEaw5SDayF/s320/1218A+Memorial+Day+Salute+CPL.Scott+Schmidt+%2528USMC%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>I often think of fellow Marines who
didn’t come home from Vietnam. Some were close friends. All were idealistic
young men trying to do their duty under difficult conditions. One veteran
eloquently verbalized the questions that many of us have as survivors:</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<em>Not unlike a lot of other Vietnam veterans in general . .
.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>do I have Survivor’s Guilt. For me
it’s intense . . . Why did I survive? Have I lived an honorable life? Have I
minimized my mistakes and corrected those which I could? Have I made the most
of the opportunities I’ve been given that others never had: Have I done right
by the memories of my fallen comrades? Would they be proud of what I’ve accomplished
with the time they never had?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re
unanswerable questions. We live with them. We don’t whine or complain; well
most of us don’t at least, after all, with but a few exceptions, we’re Marines!
We just go about life and do the best we can.</em></div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<em> </em></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">I have asked these questions
and have also concluded that there are no definitive answers. We owe a debt we
can’t repay to our fallen comrades. We do the best we can, realizing there will
always be some element of guilt over the apparent randomness of events that
spared us and took them.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately, there is a way to resolve this
guilt and every other form of anxiety that plagues our hearts. Freedom from
past wrongs, real and imagined, has already been won for us by our Savior,
Jesus Christ. When we take our guilt and worries to him and ask for
forgiveness, he gives us a clean slate. We can be thankful not only for our
physical survival on the battlefields of life, but also for a chance to start
life anew every day with a clear conscience. We pray that our fallen comrades
rest in peace and that somehow each has an opportunity to know and accept what
has been accomplished for them and for all of us by our Lord and Savior.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<em>If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. </em><b><span style="font-style: normal;">~1 John 1:8</span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="border-image: none;">
<b><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></b><em>Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. And
where these have been</em><br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
<em> forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. </em><b><span style="font-style: normal;">~Hebrews 10:17-18</span></b></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></div>
</div>
</div>
(This story is from <em>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War.</em> It is reprinted in honor of Memorial Day 2016<br />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<br />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-64887903193492992452015-05-23T06:24:00.000-07:002015-05-23T06:24:29.343-07:00Memorial DayAs Memorial Day 2015 approaches I remember and pray for Judd Spainhour, Joe Loughran, Brad Collins, J. J. Carroll, and the men of Kilo 3/3 who didn't come home. The following story comes from my devotional, <em>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War:</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fypQzEJfJ5E9Rg9xj_j6lfGelZ59mDbPg1ZJj5uwa_CSefQXHSupiSpE3e8UUxKCKdxF08WkstR7M46UIUV5ztyQdDwNhwVXoXHhdgQxIqHGq_DdDklFDTKHihVUp8Z3IZyrxgD2gLuj/s1600/memorial-day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fypQzEJfJ5E9Rg9xj_j6lfGelZ59mDbPg1ZJj5uwa_CSefQXHSupiSpE3e8UUxKCKdxF08WkstR7M46UIUV5ztyQdDwNhwVXoXHhdgQxIqHGq_DdDklFDTKHihVUp8Z3IZyrxgD2gLuj/s320/memorial-day.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Veterans of the Battle of Khe Sanh continue to hold reunions
to renew old friendships and share their experiences in one of the war’s
bitterest fights. They also keep the memory of fallen comrades alive. At a
gathering to commemorate the start of the battle one veteran
wrote a simple but eloquent message appropriate for all Memorial Days:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Khe Sanh Veterans know there is a
place in the world during the month of January, where it’s foggy and cold with
towering mountains looking down onto a small, isolated plateau, hallowed by
many and surrounded by deep green jungle, where the many souls were of those
who did not return. While in other places, it’s relatively warm, the sun is out
and shining from a rich blue sky onto the faces of aging men who remember that
time so long ago when they were young, and are grateful now, that they no
longer have to suffer through the deprivation and hardship they once
experienced. Aging men and comrades who remember those who did not return, and
on this most appropriate day, honor their memory.</span></i></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> May God bless all those who did not
return home from this war. Memorial Day is a time to remember and to honor
them. For many of us, it is a bittersweet memory. Even though we remember
fondly all the good times, the loss of friends and fellow Marines was tragic
and heart breaking, and these feelings dim little with time. There is also a
measure of guilt that somehow we made it back, and they did not. We can only
hope that we have made our lives count for something and used the time we’ve
been given in a way that honors their sacrifice. For families that lost
husbands, fathers, or sons, the tragedy is even more intense. I pray that God
will give all of us who remember and mourn on this day an eternal perspective
on these events and the faith that these brave men are resting in true peace
with him. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 10pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><em>The
righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken
away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared
from evil.</em> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">~Isaiah 57:1</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
<br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="edn1" style="mso-element: endnote;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-59212267795259114592014-12-25T10:40:00.000-08:002014-12-25T10:40:37.000-08:00A Christmas Message from the Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7rWzjCdV6VP4Oc54IvIbK9KqixUZZDOu0Oz7QwXE6fmEq07m17iXHm-Ul6elMJKLzdducZ8Tl7Y-wCVyqJYNZj5Szxo2VW6tCqURjLTjwSxDHzMJq_W6L1H1jPsBGsU17DsWHZUbSd4J/s1600/Corvette+in+Heavy+Sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7rWzjCdV6VP4Oc54IvIbK9KqixUZZDOu0Oz7QwXE6fmEq07m17iXHm-Ul6elMJKLzdducZ8Tl7Y-wCVyqJYNZj5Szxo2VW6tCqURjLTjwSxDHzMJq_W6L1H1jPsBGsU17DsWHZUbSd4J/s1600/Corvette+in+Heavy+Sea.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Corvettes were small naval vessels used in convoy escort
duty during World War II. They were smaller than destroyers
and had even fewer amenities for the crew.
The quarters were cramped, and the ride was rough, especially in the
North Atlantic during the winter months.
Frank Curry spent several years on board the Canadian Navy corvette,
HMCS <i>Kamback</i>, operating out of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. After a rough at-sea period the Kamback
returned to port on December 24. Curry
described his first shipboard Christmas and the brief opportunity to relax for
a day:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<i>Christmas Day—and what a day. My first one aboard a ship, but, from the
looks of things, not my last. Up at 0800
(among our rare gifts, and a most welcome change). We hosed down the decks and cleaned
ship. Decorated our mess decks and tied
a small Christmas tree to the masthead—apparently another old, old tradition of
the sea. I got feeling pretty merry on
the punch which the Old Man fixed personally in the seaman’s messdeck. We had a tremendous dinner—all the officers
in a very congenial mood for a change—they were almost human.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In our modern world it is easy to lose appreciation for
simple pleasures. On this Christmas day
during wartime, this seaman didn’t receive a lot of extra benefits. Sleeping late, a special punch, and a good
meal were about all there was. The ship
still had to be cleaned in spite of the occasion. Still, these little amenities were
appreciated and made this a special day.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It would be
well if we could also do less during the Christmas season and enjoy the simple
pleasures of our family and the Christmas story. It has unfortunately become trite to say that
we need to ‘put Christ back into Christmas.’
Nevertheless, this is the only way that we will ever simplify this
increasingly turbulent time of year. Our
entire purpose should be to focus on the Christ child and the beauty of his
story: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son” (John
3:16).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent">
<i>The word became flesh and made his dwelling among
us. We have seen his glory, the glory of
the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.</i> (John 1:14)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br clear="all" />
<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">This story is from <i>Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II</i>, Dec. 24, p. 430.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-8074647751293659292014-10-29T16:20:00.002-07:002014-10-29T16:24:46.230-07:00Knights of Malta Investiture <div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Knights of the Order of St. John, Knights of Malta<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">International Headquarters:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">700 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, Florida 33401<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>News Release<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>October 15, 2014:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">South Carolinian Knighted<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiBQtmvzxfMuzrJdP4HZ4Bk9AqgKU0OzL_YNnpuw-sqKE5kdMgmLIFxpa3tjvMvWmiEa-eOCD-ZnS9f3fIw8qT7o30BFSCq5qKyFLh4MuJuEQeN2rdYMC8JgCKezKSLHy-rczU3bMdeGX/s1600/Lt+Col+Spivey+at+Knighting+Ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" closure_lm_275993="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqiBQtmvzxfMuzrJdP4HZ4Bk9AqgKU0OzL_YNnpuw-sqKE5kdMgmLIFxpa3tjvMvWmiEa-eOCD-ZnS9f3fIw8qT7o30BFSCq5qKyFLh4MuJuEQeN2rdYMC8JgCKezKSLHy-rczU3bMdeGX/s1600/Lt+Col+Spivey+at+Knighting+Ceremony.jpg" height="320" mua="true" width="200" /></a>On September 25, 2014, Lt. Col. Larkin Spivey U. S. Marine Corps (Ret.) was invested as a Knight of Malta at the Grand Master’s Palace in Rhodes, Greece. The Palace is one of the Order’s historic headquarters and is now a World Heritage Site. Eight other persons from the United States, Canada, and France were knighted during the historic ceremony, which has been performed in essentially the same manner for almost 1,000 years. <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
Lt. Col. Spivey was elected to the Order based on his distinguished military career in the United States Marine Corps and his present occupation as a Christian writer and speaker. He has written six books about God’s providential hand in American history and the power of faith among the men and women who have fought America’s wars. His work has been recognized by the Military Writers Society of America and the Stars and Flags Book Awards. His most recent book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Skeptic’s Guide to God,</i> features a forward by Maj. Gen. John Grinalds, past president of The Citadel.Spivey is a Citadel graduate and former Regimental Commander of the Corps of Cadets. He now resides in Myrtle Beach with his wife of forty three years, Lani, and their extended family.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
When asked about this event, Spivey commented, “This is one of the great honors of my life. However, the Knights of Malta are not so much about bestowing honors as they are about strengthening the body of Christ in support of the Order’s worldwide humanitarian activities and its mission of defending the Christian faith.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
Officially titled the Knights Hospitallers of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, The Ecumentical Order, the organization is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida under the direction of Prince Grand Master Nicholas F. S. Papanicalaou. To learn more about the Knights, visit <a href="http://www.knightsosj.com/">www.KnightsOSJ.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 84.75pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 276.0pt;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-35969657661786827182014-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:002014-07-04T11:50:04.959-07:00Hot Off the Press!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzf9Un_4BBH352DBI1QnWkr6w26r3KebydnsvLEF-E6XvVvQzciFNmiJ0x4s14O6bUuvulWZH8NUzrXYlrA-TsFPKUZfE2uDlwXrA4hIjpxhZoYAAZIO2EI44IbXAtcI1XWxAH1VtFbe3/s1600/FrontCover_4583307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_127065="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzf9Un_4BBH352DBI1QnWkr6w26r3KebydnsvLEF-E6XvVvQzciFNmiJ0x4s14O6bUuvulWZH8NUzrXYlrA-TsFPKUZfE2uDlwXrA4hIjpxhZoYAAZIO2EI44IbXAtcI1XWxAH1VtFbe3/s1600/FrontCover_4583307.jpg" height="320" oua="true" width="213" /></a></div>
<i>A Skeptic's Guide to God </i>has been released and is now available on Amazon.com. Hopefully, it will be in bookstores soon. My website will be updated within a few days to explain more about the book. As you may infer from the title, it was written for other skeptics like myself who think they can figure out the answers to life's most important questions through their own intellectual effort. If you are someone who disdains organized religion and seeks your own truths in your own way, I hope you will give this book a try. It is not expensive! If you are a believer but know someone like I am describing, this book might be a great gift.Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-45764906972904469242014-05-24T12:40:00.000-07:002014-05-24T12:40:34.296-07:00The Names<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBawo5EmNDkga9fB3xlgNeOXt11Pn3RCEJMWFyZIumMfSM0aFrYgQ84ICZKqyoWg-mwIeQHWxQXglDKovy4hJN2jUptPwGxJ5uMR-3a5dWqR3fe2KP9fvUfuqsPIl5bOrUGCMSEpB_lLA/s1600/Vietnam+Memorial+Photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_917471="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBawo5EmNDkga9fB3xlgNeOXt11Pn3RCEJMWFyZIumMfSM0aFrYgQ84ICZKqyoWg-mwIeQHWxQXglDKovy4hJN2jUptPwGxJ5uMR-3a5dWqR3fe2KP9fvUfuqsPIl5bOrUGCMSEpB_lLA/s1600/Vietnam+Memorial+Photo.JPG" height="240" kta="true" width="320" /></a>Jan Scruggs was the man who conceived the VietnamVeterans Memorial. Late one night in 1979 he was unable to sleep thinking of friends lost during the Vietnam War. He was suddenly struck by the realization that no one knew the names of these men other than himself. He resolved to build a memorial listing the names of every person that was killed. After years of effort on his part and that of many others, the memorial was finally completed in 1982. Its most distinctive feature has always been the ‘Wall,’ with a complete listing of the names of over 58,000 men and women killed in Vietnam, in chronological order of death.</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
On April 16,2014 I visited the Wall while on the last Honor Flight from Myrtle Beach. I had time to locate the name of one of my best friends from long ago, Judd Spainhour. His name appears in the center of the photo above. It is a name, along with others, that I will never forget. It is a name that succeeding generations of his family will never forget. We know from Scripture that it is also a name God will remember forever. On this Memorial Day, I pray that our nation will not forget Judd Spainhour and the other gallant men and women who have served our nation—especially, those who never came home.</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. ~Isaiah 49:1</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ~John 10:3</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-47431580230875369732014-04-19T10:39:00.000-07:002014-04-19T10:39:06.241-07:00An American Hero<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFm3PG7DXrSQSfEOLTTSWgJR82xmuxcMm_XDlu90YQvMGYler6c4_ntso5gPPuzANgJplMiPc115RMiuAB52Oz8vPYKX3pdnZ7yg7TVPGxuopEDs79X-ZLQtcLJC36K6O3M-wJ0RnuWKP/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_339861="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeFm3PG7DXrSQSfEOLTTSWgJR82xmuxcMm_XDlu90YQvMGYler6c4_ntso5gPPuzANgJplMiPc115RMiuAB52Oz8vPYKX3pdnZ7yg7TVPGxuopEDs79X-ZLQtcLJC36K6O3M-wJ0RnuWKP/s1600/photo.JPG" height="240" uta="true" width="320" /></a>On April 16, 2014 the last Honor Flight from Myrtle Beach, SC took a group of World War II and Korean War veterans to Washington, DC to tour the war memorials. It was my privilege to escort Jack Reed, pictured here, during this trip. Jack is a long-time friend and respected member of my church, and it was a privilege to spend time with him learning about his wartime experiences. He served during World War II in a small ship called an LCI (for Landing Craft Infantry)in the Pacific theater. This was the smallest naval vessel that plied the oceans and was a rough ride most of the time. By the end of the war Jack's original crew of twenty was down to three. His most memorable campaign was at Leyte Gulf, so we took the picture where this action is commemorated in the World War II Memorial. As usual the Honor Flight team, led by Walter and Angela Kollet, did a superior job of organizing a great trip, and countless people gathered along the way and upon our return to pay homage to these great men and women.</div>Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-46398565371420749102013-10-06T17:29:00.000-07:002013-10-06T17:29:49.124-07:00Vietnam Book Wins Award<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ws3bEKqQs_qEqTuHsGuBvoQijKOFdTO6zCXWi4a8qoYX7sJ_vvqzspGb7ucZMMFkI6flqng-pdVDkCL0brpsz1WxJ9i2V5Kqboyf2ft8JkTu236VePq_oQgQHUnVFZnuhx8yS7RpBEWF/s1600/GoldMedal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ws3bEKqQs_qEqTuHsGuBvoQijKOFdTO6zCXWi4a8qoYX7sJ_vvqzspGb7ucZMMFkI6flqng-pdVDkCL0brpsz1WxJ9i2V5Kqboyf2ft8JkTu236VePq_oQgQHUnVFZnuhx8yS7RpBEWF/s200/GoldMedal.jpg" width="200" xsa="true" /></a>The Military Writers Society of America has just announced that <i>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War </i>has been awarded a Gold Medal. Recognition from this great organization is indeed appreciated.</div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-85900588684803831612013-10-05T11:13:00.002-07:002013-10-06T17:35:08.315-07:00A Great Marine<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh3p999jP964W-bdmqeVHX6zxzQ69NcuIt77JH7_tpZs4ePoQRF3FAy-jF96U72r-EnSxpY5fii0IDkSsVrcWd7mPKaHzGmaPw6Z-cPuQsvHtA-dXotR8SRZyAxw2AvIyumbSKAQ6kWI8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_lm_88003="null" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh3p999jP964W-bdmqeVHX6zxzQ69NcuIt77JH7_tpZs4ePoQRF3FAy-jF96U72r-EnSxpY5fii0IDkSsVrcWd7mPKaHzGmaPw6Z-cPuQsvHtA-dXotR8SRZyAxw2AvIyumbSKAQ6kWI8/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" xsa="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Col. Bruce Livingston on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My last blog post was about a young Marine's experience in the Korean War. A few days ago I was honored to meet with Col. Bruce Livingston, USMC(retired) and to present him a copy of <i>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Korean War</i> Col. Livingston is a true hero of the Old Corps and served in three wars. He now lives in Jamestown, Rhode Island with a view of the Narragansett Bay as shown in the photo above.Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-58784865590354448102013-10-05T10:53:00.000-07:002013-10-06T17:34:15.791-07:00Korean War Devotional <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPrMdfvfmwTP6KhcYq84MJuFLLfN62zCT0vBOhNiDejz7M_8ER4A-Ml4Te8Ll6vqVgUpbWN4Kb3maCuWE0xaSqE88pV2AZEY1bcmSmSOUjB0GijBYsJ5BaWCE-3ubLKiBcySMRMSCQ_Jq/s1600/(3-28)+Bruce+Livingston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_lm_801642="null" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPrMdfvfmwTP6KhcYq84MJuFLLfN62zCT0vBOhNiDejz7M_8ER4A-Ml4Te8Ll6vqVgUpbWN4Kb3maCuWE0xaSqE88pV2AZEY1bcmSmSOUjB0GijBYsJ5BaWCE-3ubLKiBcySMRMSCQ_Jq/s320/(3-28)+Bruce+Livingston.jpg" width="281" xsa="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt. Bruce Livingstgon in Korea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Following is a daily devotional from my recently published book on the Korean War. It is about a Marine lieutenant named Bruce Livingston. My next post will be more about this great Marine. <br />
<br />
<b>Hand Guns </b><br />
<br />
Early in the Korean War the Marines learned some hard lessons about nighttime security. During Chinese attacks men were bayonetted in their sleeping bags, and some were even captured as enemy troops dragged them away like bagged game. Word of this soon filtered back to the Officers’ Basic School at Quantico, Virginia, where Lt. Bruce Livingston was undergoing training. A Korean veteran on staff strongly suggested he obtain a handgun to take to Korea, since officers were only issued the M-1 carbine, a lightweight rifle. Livingston was able to heed this advice when his father gave him a German Luger 9mm pistol he had brought home from World War I. Livingston kept this weapon by his side every night, even though he fortunately never had to fire it from inside a sleeping bag. <br />
One of my weapons instructors once discussed the relative merits of rifles and handguns, pointing out a simple truth: “<i>A rifle is obviously a superior weapon in every way . . . unless you’re fighting in a phone booth</i>.” With a pistol’s small size and simple operation, there is a time and place where it has the advantage.<br />
There have been times I felt as if I were in a phone booth with the wrong weapon—during religious discussions with unchurched friends. Even though I knew the truth of the gospel, I still felt I was losing the theological argument. At such times, I have learned to go to a simpler weapon: my own story. When you tell someone what has happened in your life, there is little room for argument. A brief explanation of what you were like before Jesus and what you are like since Jesus can have a profound effect on someone who puts up barriers. Just keep it simple, keep it short, and— make it heartfelt.<br />
<br />
<i>When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified</i>. ~1 Corinthians 2:1–2 Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-1506928301262267502013-09-24T07:08:00.000-07:002013-09-24T07:08:09.895-07:00Korean War Book Released<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqQIhVJChYPCqIv9FkbxZp9Uzj3Okxgmiex5xmXNPFl8uRLw3OIaqcSOQI2btE0UGSvK9QtYRgkAsSvetwJPcOClMD3VECuY_uH-a-9nGZdT9jYMuDPr52YfRPG7T-1-VXPloZoXTDIUh/s1600/FINAL+Korean+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" closure_lm_631514="null" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqQIhVJChYPCqIv9FkbxZp9Uzj3Okxgmiex5xmXNPFl8uRLw3OIaqcSOQI2btE0UGSvK9QtYRgkAsSvetwJPcOClMD3VECuY_uH-a-9nGZdT9jYMuDPr52YfRPG7T-1-VXPloZoXTDIUh/s320/FINAL+Korean+Cover.jpg" title="" width="213" ysa="true" /></a>My book on the Korean War has been released recently by AMG Publishers, timed to coincide with the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War ceasefire. This book is a devotional in the style of my previous books on World War II and the Vietnam War. I have interspersed individual stories related to the war with a history of Korea and this conflict, to explain to veterans and their families the nature of what was accomplished 60 years ago by their service and sacrifice. I hope all readers will be inspired spiritually by these stories of faith under the extreme conditions of war. The book is available on Amazon and Christian Books, and I have a special offer to Korean War veterans of an autographed copy for $15 sent to my mailing address: PO Box 3744, Myrtle Beach, SC 29578. </div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-30641737647704696262013-07-29T16:40:00.000-07:002013-07-29T16:40:31.633-07:00Heroes Remembered<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJuCABThyOGqgnhcFNxybKs0ZQnwSWBZ8WIrLqgDfs1_xiPIGnMMEJxH377XLtGjnpHdBDHn_S32dR9rsmgSDQOpZYI8GMExY4QBY8ikJfkbCdjF_4ysYFY-1Bkmu3QYcnPXMaoTpyia-/s1600/KW60Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img bba="true" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJuCABThyOGqgnhcFNxybKs0ZQnwSWBZ8WIrLqgDfs1_xiPIGnMMEJxH377XLtGjnpHdBDHn_S32dR9rsmgSDQOpZYI8GMExY4QBY8ikJfkbCdjF_4ysYFY-1Bkmu3QYcnPXMaoTpyia-/s200/KW60Logo.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
Our trip to Washington, DC with forty Korean War veterans was highly successful. The Heroes Remembered event on July 27 at the Korean War Memorial was moving and historic. The thousands of veterans present heard from the President of the United States and representatives of the South Korean government concerning the amazing nature of what these men and women accomplished over sixty years ago. South Korea has developed into one of our closest allies and one of the foremost democratic and prosperous nations on earth. At every point of the trip, our veterans were honored--upon our departure, arrival in Arlington, and upon return to Myrtle Beach. On behalf of the veterans and the staff who participated, thanks to all who contributed prayers, funds, and their own time to support and help this cause.Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-67019036554776494282013-03-18T10:13:00.000-07:002013-03-18T10:13:21.384-07:00Faith of Our Fathers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08adkeKyxTDjpES2SmP4xgzIxwq8PwZLoDcAkUOgsRwaaiysq6RvnkPoCgzVoQLhUEN4HPFynGBh46bj0egtWQWnj4s7FWKvFynxBQmGwvmzkA1GThgrufynwojpNRHlKi2QoL7XRcWuA/s1600/easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" psa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08adkeKyxTDjpES2SmP4xgzIxwq8PwZLoDcAkUOgsRwaaiysq6RvnkPoCgzVoQLhUEN4HPFynGBh46bj0egtWQWnj4s7FWKvFynxBQmGwvmzkA1GThgrufynwojpNRHlKi2QoL7XRcWuA/s320/easter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
With warmer weather in South Carolina our attention is turning to spring and new life. A story from my soon-to-be-released book, <em>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Korean War</em>, seems appropriate for this season of reawakening. It tells of men in miserable circumstances looking up for comfort and renewal:<br />
<br />
<br />
"The prisoners at Camp No. 5 endured the horrendous North Korean winter, suffering from malnutrition, untreated sickness, and exposure to extreme cold. The coming of spring seemed to bring a ray of hope with the warmth. Sixty men slowly gathered at 6 a.m. on March 25, 1951, to watch the sun rise and to celebrate Easter. The half-starved, foul-smelling group gathered on the steps of an old, partially destroyed church with stark Korean mountains as a backdrop. As they sang a beautiful old hymn, the words seemed to pour out, expressing their deepest feelings:<br />
<br />
<em>Faith of our fathers, living still</em><br />
<em> In spite of dungeon, fire and sword,</em><br />
<em> O how our hearts beat high with joy</em><br />
<em> Whene’er we hear that glorious word!</em><br />
<em> Faith of our fathers! Holy faith!</em><br />
<em> We will be true to thee till death.</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
<em> Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,</em><br />
<em> Were still in heart and conscience free;</em><br />
<em> And blest would be their children’s fate,</em><br />
<em> If they, like them should die for thee;</em><br />
<em> Faith of our fathers! Holy faith!</em><br />
<em> We will be true to thee till death</em>." <br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed</em>. ~1 Peter 4:12-13<br />
<em>And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.</em> ~1 Peter 5:10-11<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-32720092489048711052013-01-01T08:11:00.000-08:002013-01-01T08:11:12.893-08:00New Year's DayDuring World War II <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy7_o8F1dcjhRlX8lMjML1qTC-nr1TVwLHSIfuJR2L2G-qZ2NGkACPxVSis3IEEe0e2iGOgWRrtz1pLggTkv9wbzFcaEl5JEFsZ1snkcA0u7ngoQs2DknA3a79oHve6gMqxR7IcnrmDiY/s1600/PHOTO+4+Captured+Brits+(NA).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJy7_o8F1dcjhRlX8lMjML1qTC-nr1TVwLHSIfuJR2L2G-qZ2NGkACPxVSis3IEEe0e2iGOgWRrtz1pLggTkv9wbzFcaEl5JEFsZ1snkcA0u7ngoQs2DknA3a79oHve6gMqxR7IcnrmDiY/s200/PHOTO+4+Captured+Brits+(NA).jpg" width="170" /></a>Myron Maycock was a member of the British Northhampton Regiment. He unfortunately spent much of the war in prisoner of war camps. During his many trials he was comforted by a short poem:<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>NEW YEAR’S DAY</em></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>I see not a step before me</em></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>As I tread on another year,</em></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>But I’ve left the past in God’s keeping</em></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>The future his mercy shall clear,</em></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>And what looks dark in the distance</em></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>May brighten as I draw near. </em></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
He explained what the poem meant to him: "Through the difficult days of captivity this verse was constantly before me, suggesting, as it did, a brighter path in the distance, to which the course of time—with faith—must ultimately lead me. The full beauty of these words came to me at the close of my last hour of freedom." <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
This poem is appropriate for any day, but is especially perfect for this day. This is the time to look forward and not back. The past cannot be changed no matter how hard we wish it, and is truly in God’s hands. Neither do we know what lies ahead, and it is just as useless to worry about that. Jesus’ instruction on this point is crystal clear: “<em>Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself</em>.” What we can do is concentrate on our actions in the present and look forward to the future with a joyful hope. Even though we have problems looming ahead, we don’t have to face them alone. Our Savior walks with us and guarantees us the strength to endure and to overcome. There is no darkness that will stand against the light of his presence.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<em>This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin</em>. (1 John 1:5,7)</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
(This story is from <em>Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II</em>)</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-18244675213074815922012-09-30T11:26:00.000-07:002012-09-30T11:26:26.752-07:00This I KnowI attended church today in East Greenwich, Rhode Island and heard the minister mention Karl Barth, the famous Swiss theologian (1886-1968). Barth’s most famous work was his thirteen volume, 8000 page, Church Dogmatics. In 1962 Barth was asked by someone in the U. S. to summarize his theology in a few words. After thinking for a moment, he reportedly said: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” This quote is from the old, well-known children’s Christian song by Anna Bartlett Warner. This song goes back to my own childhood and was the subject of a series of the stories for my upcoming book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Korean War, titled: "<strong>Crawl Before You Walk</strong>"<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXvlbFTlKh-v9Uj_q8lm-Qj79pF2YRtpDnG4QDq05pRaCZDDg_cgX03l-L4ESyWcIiCwqW6tMmkotk6bb458LhGmYhTdQbLcNkA34r3SEfNcPprjQBWwfYB0EEye20bQX8fmnucI5VnxR/s1600/Bitter+cold,+bitter+fight+dec+50+(NA).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXvlbFTlKh-v9Uj_q8lm-Qj79pF2YRtpDnG4QDq05pRaCZDDg_cgX03l-L4ESyWcIiCwqW6tMmkotk6bb458LhGmYhTdQbLcNkA34r3SEfNcPprjQBWwfYB0EEye20bQX8fmnucI5VnxR/s320/Bitter+cold,+bitter+fight+dec+50+(NA).gif" width="255" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
“Lord, if the mortar didn’t kill me, the shooting didn’t kill me, and the beating didn’t kill me, you must want me out of here. But I can’t walk. How can I get outta here?” As Pvt. Ed Reeves lay helpless on the frozen ground beside the now abandoned and destroyed truck convoy, he continued to pray. Suddenly, God seemed to answer him as a thought came to his mind: “You must crawl before you can walk.”</div>
<br />
Painfully lifting himself to his hands and wounded knees, Reeves started crawling over snow-covered fields in the direction he hoped would take him to friendly lines. He passed more Chinese troops who somehow made no effort to stop him. Darkness fell, and he continued his slow, painful journey. He began to sing over and over, “Yes, Jesus loves me!” Finally, he felt the hardness of ice underneath him and knew that he was on the Chosen Reservoir. His hands and feet slipped frequently, causing him to hit the ice painfully. Each time he fell it took a greater effort to straighten his arms and get back to his knees. Exhaustion and the mind-numbing cold were almost overwhelming. Amazingly, the song of his childhood faith kept coming back to him: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”<br />
<br />
Finally, almost a week after being first wounded, Ed Reeves was spotted on the ice by a Marines patrol. He was taken by jeep directly to an airstrip and loaded with other wounded men on a C-47. As the aircraft lifted off the rough runway, Reeves pondered how God never answered his prayers as he expected—but nevertheless: “He answered. Every time I asked God, He answered.”<br />
<br />
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. ~Psalm 138:7<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-90171737963662584662012-07-03T06:44:00.000-07:002012-07-03T06:51:44.622-07:00Fourth of July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrHq_fnWiaXbLZYQ5luY6Dzt4x0OUNuK5pW2vgDpPHYT4X5BOPt54hp_9dN3vwPsl5IpJ_-JskeGTqD0Wj1msgbqnGU43qd_hoV3qaVGRbDUxFVhqH_xod3-If-uwcQz2dphMgevKQGj-/s1600/american-flag%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrHq_fnWiaXbLZYQ5luY6Dzt4x0OUNuK5pW2vgDpPHYT4X5BOPt54hp_9dN3vwPsl5IpJ_-JskeGTqD0Wj1msgbqnGU43qd_hoV3qaVGRbDUxFVhqH_xod3-If-uwcQz2dphMgevKQGj-/s320/american-flag%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left;">
On July 4, 1776, Samuel Adams rose in the Continental Congress to announce, “We have this day restored the Sovereign, to whom alone men ought to be obedient.” Thomas Jefferson voiced the same theme in the Declaration of Independence: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“. . . that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” On this day, our Founding Fathers took one of the greatest steps of faith in history—severing the ties of royal authority, representing centuries of tradition, and putting in its place the authority of God. They looked to God as the source and guarantor of their (and our) rights as human beings. At this moment in history a new nation was created with God at the center and individual citizens at the top of the chain of human authority—since it is the individual citizen who has the relationship with God. Ultimate authority came to rest therefore with the private person, not a king, president, parliament, or congress. These are America’s spiritual roots and what has distinguished this nation from all others ever founded.<br />
<br />
<em>The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power. ~</em>Alexander Hamilton<br />
<br />
</div>Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-22071149057032001722012-02-28T07:36:00.004-08:002012-02-28T07:42:27.927-08:00Darkness and Light<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOnIlOQQoD7cVeYsDD1_eh2ozoeACE_RUP5Bdgx8a7hcq0J9u1DocRNHM8FFF4k-23-Mu-cL3ves9QkAfxJNHRiZ1NQqJ27DYtSYW-T3k8H3BLTSrlafRG9zA_e9BC2kJ4ob7BCPQ89lk/s1600/Sunrise_Tree-600x421.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOnIlOQQoD7cVeYsDD1_eh2ozoeACE_RUP5Bdgx8a7hcq0J9u1DocRNHM8FFF4k-23-Mu-cL3ves9QkAfxJNHRiZ1NQqJ27DYtSYW-T3k8H3BLTSrlafRG9zA_e9BC2kJ4ob7BCPQ89lk/s320/Sunrise_Tree-600x421.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714211767089055794" /></a><br /><br />During the Vietnam War a Special Forces camp at Duc Co was manned by a few Green Beret troops, several hundred Vietnamese soldiers, and a small artillery unit. It was located about six miles from the Cambodian border and far from other friendly forces. Life in the remote outpost was always tense, but especially so at night:<br /><br /><em>As the last helicopter fades into an unidentifiable dot and the sun kisses the sky its golden goodbye, you know you’re in for another long night at Duc Co. Though the night has fallen, work has not ceased. For Duc Co and the men of A Battery, Duc Co is a synonym for work, 24 hours a day. The Duc Co world is a small one. Bunkers, homes, fortresses and recreation rooms are all one (and) the same. Last night PFC Baker was bitten by a rat. The night before was scorpions’ night. What will tonight bring? Sunrise is a pleasant sight. For a new day brings relief not only from the things that kill in the night and bite in the dark, but also offers the hope of some mail from home. </em> <br /><br />Fortunately, most of us associate darkness with rest. We get our much-needed sleep at night and know we couldn’t do without it. We also know, however, that night time can be a time of fear—fear of the unknown and the unexpected. Bad things stalk the darkness, whether insects, enemy soldiers, drunken drivers, or drug dealers. There is nothing worse for a parent than a late night phone call. <br /> Interestingly, the opening verses of the Bible describe the prevalence of darkness in the universe until the moment God introduced light. He then separated the light from the darkness, creating in effect day and night. In the last verses of Revelation, we learn that, when the end time comes, darkness will be finally and totally eliminated. Evil will be purged and, with it, fear of the unknown and unexpected. We are promised that we will live then in the pure light of God’s eternal love. What a promise, and what a future to look forward to!<br /><br /><em>And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.</em> ~Genesis 1:3-4<br /><br /><em>The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.</em> ~Revelation 22:3-5<br /><br />(This devotional is from Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War)Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-21454587809895649292012-02-14T08:28:00.007-08:002012-02-14T08:42:06.380-08:00Happy Valentine's Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1mUkOCyhtX9ZXqCCIqS2x1VxEJ9bA44jjY5AteMMr1q_KbPXny2UD-KBhzwiJDGBrVxm2-XYpe6TIRrROPRsdVs8EX4pQyR5-mN1gOg9cptS1xXC-zFkqrntBCxkvx11Avs162oYRnsL/s1600/Happy_Valentines_Day_Wallpapers_%25287%2529%255B1%255D.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1mUkOCyhtX9ZXqCCIqS2x1VxEJ9bA44jjY5AteMMr1q_KbPXny2UD-KBhzwiJDGBrVxm2-XYpe6TIRrROPRsdVs8EX4pQyR5-mN1gOg9cptS1xXC-zFkqrntBCxkvx11Avs162oYRnsL/s320/Happy_Valentines_Day_Wallpapers_%25287%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709030907648799090" /></a><br />Valentine’s Day was special to Sgt. Edmund Sheldon. On that day in 1968 a Viet Cong mortar round landed five feet from his tent in Vietnam and completely destroyed it. It so happened that he was not in the tent, having been called away a few moments before to take a radio message. Sixteen years earlier, his unit in Korea had been hit by enemy mortar fire on February 14, marking the start of a four-day battle. ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ has had a special meaning to this soldier ever since these events.<br /><br /> Valentine’s Day, as we now know it, has vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman traditions:<br /><br />One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men—his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. <br /><br /> Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day around 498 A.D. Through the ages since then, the day has became ever more associated with romantic love and the exchange of affectionate notes and letters. Printed cards came into vogue in the 1800’s, leading to the billion cards per year industry that we know today.<br /> <br /> Although some of us have a certain cynicism about the blatant commercialism of all our holidays, including this one, Valentine’s Day still presents a golden opportunity to focus our attention on the ones we love. If cards and flowers advance certain romantic relationships, that’s a good thing. If well-established couples rekindle a spark, that is even better. I believe that God smiles in heaven when a man and woman nourish the love that brought them together and, in the process, nourish and strengthen their families.<br /><br /><em>Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.</em> ~1 Corinthians 13:4-7<br /><br />(This story is the February 14 devotional from <em>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War.</em>Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-2453270632992093842011-11-24T09:43:00.000-08:002011-11-24T09:49:03.860-08:00Book Award<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMF_Pg-HyyJnxZzBIvBG7dRZoUcG-Bfra9kP6tMoMnDaY5OQMHYIa06N1m0Rl42h-Lo-ngzbucfrOLpRxyDzCJVDwqXltQiEBHjUya1c7sUb_xqr8g1bOSm78EseFEjHY3eU9MrKzOm6b/s1600/Book-Awards11-20_09.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 217px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMF_Pg-HyyJnxZzBIvBG7dRZoUcG-Bfra9kP6tMoMnDaY5OQMHYIa06N1m0Rl42h-Lo-ngzbucfrOLpRxyDzCJVDwqXltQiEBHjUya1c7sUb_xqr8g1bOSm78EseFEjHY3eU9MrKzOm6b/s320/Book-Awards11-20_09.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5678620688053316370" /></a><br />I just received notice that <em></em>Stories of Faith and Courage from the Vietnam War<em></em> has won a Gold Medal in the Stars and Flags Books Awards. Also, <em></em>Miracles of the American Revolution<em></em> has received Honorable Mention. The awards and book cover images are on display at www.starsandflags.com. Thanks to my great publisher and many good editors for making this possible.Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3206883068448621383.post-1999559152984289232011-08-30T12:59:00.000-07:002011-08-30T13:02:54.200-07:009/11<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ_PUp3Od1MXCsFIFisFTeuDnjdhkzfj3zFCjvnUZwkkphE050_T1QpmvIUijh23aJHCL63RSyre8EPQ6FhoNQtmDfdu6iAhDmxjNL1ZNoTEZqmoSBr8fyw4uVVE3X5TI4OqqiPA_jbMO/s1600/9+11.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ_PUp3Od1MXCsFIFisFTeuDnjdhkzfj3zFCjvnUZwkkphE050_T1QpmvIUijh23aJHCL63RSyre8EPQ6FhoNQtmDfdu6iAhDmxjNL1ZNoTEZqmoSBr8fyw4uVVE3X5TI4OqqiPA_jbMO/s400/9+11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646741924482090450" /></a>
<br />During a radio interview today on WHKW in Cleveland, the host, Glenn Mertz, asked me what I, a Vietnam veteran, thought about the current conflicts in the Middle East. The question took me back to September 11, 2001, the day of the most cowardly attack ever perpetrated against America (in my opinion, even surpassing Pearl Harbor). As my thoughts went back to that day, I was overtaken by the feelings of anger and frustration that came over me and so many others. This declaration of war against our nation required a response. I think I can speak for the vast majority of military men and women, past and present, in expressing the profound belief that such a war needed to be fought on the ground of our enemies, not our own. I think this feeling prevails in spite of the hardship endured by our service men and women during repeated deployments and constant danger. Our modern warriors have been placed under the greatest strain imaginable. Many have paid a high price. We as a nation are blessed that young men and women are still found willing to step forward and pay this price. God bless our people in uniform, and God bless America.Larkin Spiveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14291846495869483010noreply@blogger.com1