Chapter – 6 ‘The battle rages for the Soldiers’
Six weeks in the combat zone was just coming to a close for company 538. Most wondered when they would be going back to Base camp for a few days. Major Cox had called the platoon commanders into his tent to plan their next move; after an hour he gave a quick summary of the new assignments then directed a comment at each of the Army captains wanting to know how the morale in each of their platoons was going.
Every man is different in how things are looked at, was the main theme. Some of the soldiers were affected by the deaths of their two comrades, others were affected by being on the front lines since the majority of them were there for the first time, still others seemed to be in a depression missing their families back in America. Only a handful seemed to think it was a fun place to be.
Yosef was the only Chaplin and he spent some time with each of the four platoons. He thought there was a difference in each of the four. He had spent some time contemplating this thought. Each of the four commanders were different in their approach to how they spent time engaged with their soldiers; getting them prepared. Him, being a warrior for the Lord, had him thinking more about their eternal souls than the commanders, who had thoughts on keeping them all alive to battle an enemy.
As dusk was starting to take place a barrage of gunfire met them coming from the woods, which was to the northeast. In fact, one tank pulled out into the clearing and raised its turret until it was aimed at the center of their hill. Within a minute a blast could be seen by the soldiers stationed on the north side of the hill. It only took moments for the blast to hit a rocky section of the hill and sent splinters of rock in several directions. That was it, the tank backed into the foliage and could not be seen.
It took only moments for one of the young soldiers near the rock formation to yell out loud, “Chaplin, I need to talk to you. Help me!” Before anything else happened, the soldier’s commander cautiously maneuvered to get at the soldiers side. The commander grabbed the young man by his chin and squeezed it while he told him to quiet down. He commented, “Do you want to man-up or be a sissy.” He made a couple other nasty remarks; then he turned away and left him there alone. It was quiet for several minutes as the Chaplin slowly made his way toward the scared soldier. Yosef was able to calm the soldier with the story of the vine grafting a branch. Romans 11:11-25 “You can become a branch,” Yosef commented.
The Major had each of the commanders back in his tent discussing the revised plans for the next morning. When he was finished he asked, “What happened up there; who hollered for the Chaplin?” It was Van Meter, the eighteen year old, who had just finished boot camp two months earlier. The Major hollered, “Why do they send us eighteen year olds? Some of them haven’t learned how to shave yet.” He told the commander to counsel the kid.
Chaplin Yosef was talking to the young man as the platoon commander silently approached them. He could hear the kid talking; he seemed to have gained his composure for the moment. He listened for a while until he heard the Chaplin say the word ‘Jesus’ and this made him lock his jaw tight. He didn’t like the idea of the Chaplin brainwashing the kid with do-gooder tactics. He stood and walked into the one-on-one meeting and told the Chaplin he could leave, “I’ll handle the kid now.” Yosef did as he was told but stopped several feet away and listened to Captain Taylor royally chew on the young soldier, calling him about every name that Yosef had ever witnessed a man using at another mortal. Before the commander of the 3rd platoon left he screamed, “I hope you choke crying like a baby; you sicken me.”
Yosef let the commander disappear before he returned to the young soldier. “Are you ok,” he asked? Before the young soldier could answer the Chaplin commented, “I’m real sorry you have a commander like you have. There are many who know how to speak with compassion.” Yosef told him about a time when he was in high school. “I was a Jewish kid and my P.E. teacher hated Jews; he was brutal to me. If he hadn’t taken a job coaching at another school, he might have had me killed.” He told Van Meter that bullies can be mean and some probably have had a traumatic incident that made them like they were. The Chaplin tried to get him to discuss Jesus but something had caused the young man to shut down the conversation. Yosef would have to wait until the soldier was ready for help. Acts 8:27.
The Chaplin had, in the past, had several people decide not to talk with him once they were in conversation. Then he remembered that he was only a witness for the Lord. It would take the Holy Spirit convicting the young man before asking for his help again. As in times past, he remembered that God did not force anyone to spend eternity in heaven; some people would be in hell tormented eternally because of their own choice. 2 Peter 3:9.
The battle raged the next morning; it started just prior to the sun coming up. The tank had put about a dozen shells onto the hill. By noon the Major had radioed for backup from the Air Force. He wanted a few missiles aimed at the tank since it was causing the majority of the damage. The medics had pulled some of the wounded soldiers back to the opposite side of the hill. By late afternoon the tank had been silenced but the word was that five of their soldiers had died and another seven had wounds. The medics had all twelve in a secure area on the back side of the hill they occupied.
Sundown was approaching as the Major called for the Chaplin to meet him and the other platoon commanders near the medics. As bad luck would have it, Captain Taylor, the Platoon commander was one of the wounded. He would be going home with a shattered shoulder. The medics were busy patching up the wounded and the word was that a chopper would be picking them up later that evening.
The soldiers were having a prayer with the Chaplin, that is, all but Captain Taylor. He was talking loud trying to confuse the prayer. He commented, “Chaplin, if your Jesus was loving, he wouldn’t let people die. You are just like your Jesus, all talk but don’t give one stinkin’ bit about real people.” He told them they were all sissies and needed to man-up. He finally quit talking once the sedative took effect. The Chaplin told the story again about the two thieves on the cross, “One repented and one was defiant unto death. Only one of them entered into paradise.” Luke 23:39-43.
Question – How about you?
Romans 11:11-25. ..19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. [When the Sons of Israel disobeyed; the Gentile believers were adopted.]
Acts 8:27. So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, [The Disciple was sent to the Ethiopian to provide understanding.]
Luke 23:39-43. 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” [One criminal TRUSTED and one REJECTED Jesus.]
DG