A Soldier's Perspective

A Special Breed

Matt over at Blackfive gave me my goosebumps moment of the night with a story he received from his readers that was posted on the blog of Chaplain Jim Higgins a month ago. I hope the Chaplain and Matt don't mind me lifting this story to share with all of you who might not have seen it.

"I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3" here at LSA Anaconda.

We have a large auditorium we use for movies as well as memorial services and other large gatherings.

As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States?

I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.

Here, the 1,000 soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped [mid-anthem].

What would you expect to happen?

Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat down and expected the movie to start.

Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every soldier stood at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers:

'And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?'

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq.

I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

That is when I was hit with the goosebumps. I continued reading down the comments and came across this from martin.musculus.

This story puts me in mind of something that happened winter 2005 at the McGuire/FtDix shoppette.

It was on a frozen Friday, in the dim at 1700 and people were rushing to fill their gas tank and get back in their warm cars, lots of people heavily bundled up, with a good strong wind.

A middle aged well dressed woman pulled-up at the pump behind me & started filling her pink (yes, really pink) car, and a grizzled-haired, well-weathered man his SUV at the pump on the other side of the pump-island from her. I noticed this because I ws cleaning the road-grime of the windows of my van, and the cold-wind-induced stiffness made moving around on my cane slow-going.

After retreat, the anthem played, and the grizzled-man & I stood at attention, he saluting, e with my hand over my heart. The woman finished filling her pinkmobile and was squeegy-ing her windows when the anthem ended.

Before I could move, the grizzled soldier stepped over and gently said, (Ill always remember this exchange): "Ma'am, please show respect for our country and those who serve, by stopping for our National Anthem."

She turned, and looking down her nose said: "My husband is a Lt Col., so just mind your own business!"

At this point the man unbuttoned the top of his jacket, and shrugging a shoulder down, (because of the lighting & angle I couldn't see clearly) he said "Ma'am, I'm a general, and I know I would be hurt if my wife had said that, and angry if someone under me had a spouse who expressed that attitude." He never raised his voice, nor did his tone express recrimination. Still, it brought tears to my eyes.

The wonan stopped what she was doing and left.

This taught me to be valient and ask (nicely) that people sho proper respect for both the Flag and the Anthem.

- martin.musculus

Check your pulse if you don't feel anything after reading those stories.

I sent the link of Matt's entry to my wife and told her I had goosebumps. While writing her I got harsh chills up and down my body. It's the kind of chills you get when something is just so inspiring. I then told Anna, "Cut me, I bleed red. White. And blue." I still have those chills and suspect I will for some time. God Bless America!