Chapter – 7 ‘The Chaplin meets Valentine’
There was a distinct sound coming from the south. It sounded like the noise of a swirling rotor on a chopper. “Maybe there would be replacements coming today,” thought Yosef.
Five minutes later there was a troop helicopter coming into view and starting to descend toward the south side of their hill. Once landed it looked like a little over a dozen new troops departed; a few supplies were offloaded and then the chopper was leaving.
It didn’t take long for the new Platoon Captain to be recognized; Major Cox was talking to one of the men specifically and motioning him to follow. The other Commanders were given the replacements needed to bring their troop level up to the initial standard and then joined the Major. The Chaplin observed each of the new men; each of them wore uniforms that looked clean but slightly faded; like they had been in combat at some prior time. Most of the men were 1st or 2nd class privates with a few corporals but then he saw a set of sergeant stripes on the taller of the new men.
Yosef went to the area where the officers met with the Major; he went through the tent opening and the Major nodded his way as he checked the list with all of the new soldiers. Sergeant Valentine was an E-6 and had served in two other conflicts. He was his same age. He was assigned to Captain Holt’s platoon so he would be senior enlisted man in the group. Yosef took his finger and slid it down the page; the youngest of the replacements was twenty, which made him have a better feeling about their chances in battle. He would make the rounds later in the day and introduce himself.
There was one area on the backside of the hill, near the middle, that had become the small base-camp. The Company of four platoons had been sized by HQ with only one-hundred-twenty enlisted men. Half from two of the platoons met at the same time for thirty minutes, to eat and have one of the commanders cover the next day’s assignments. The Chaplin had a few minutes for a prayer at the end. This happened four times each evening when it was ‘all calm’.
After dark two of the corporals were assigned as scouts and went into the thicket where the enemy were holding up. They would spend twenty-four maybe even forty-eight hours on reconnaissance and then come back with their findings. The previous scout had located a sniper up a tree two days earlier.
The Chaplin made it to a few locations; he wanted to talk with the new sergeant but ran into Jones before he could locate him, “Hey Jones, have you thought about our last conversation?” He told the Chaplin that he had and when there was time he had a couple questions. “I have time right now,” Yosef replied. “OK, how can I be sure if I die that I’ll go to heaven; where is heaven anyway?” The Chaplin asked, “Do you know what trust means?” Jones told him that it was when someone had your back covered so nothing would happen to you. “That’s right,” responded the Chaplin. He told Jones that scripture tells us that Jesus is the one we can put our trust in; he won’t fail us. Chaplin commented, “Where is heaven? Scripture tells us that Jesus told one of the thieves on the cross that he would be in Paradise with him that very evening. It is serene and a place of awesome love; more than our mortal minds can imagine. Not everyone will spend eternity there; how about you; it is a choice?” Rev. 4:1-11.
Valentine, the new sergeant, was not more than ten feet further on the path, beyond some bushes, sitting with his back against a large rock, just listening to the Chaplin explain to the soldier. His dad was a preacher and he had heard many parables up through his first twenty-one years but having a person’s back was stretching it a bit, he was thinking.
Yosef told Jones that in the scriptures there is a verse known as John 3:16, which in the actual translation tells us that whoever puts their ‘trust’ in Christ would have everlasting life. The English translation uses ‘believe’ but the original language reads the word as trust; that means all of us must trust that Jesus is Lord, we must trust that scripture is from God, we must be like that one thief who said “remember me, I’m trusting you Christ” and what was it that Jesus told him?.. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43.
“You have me thinking Chaplin, don’t give up just yet.” Yosef told him that he would lift his name heavenward later that evening before turning in. As he took four steps he almost walked into Sargent Valentine who had his legs stretched in the path he had intended to walk. “Hey Sergeant,” he echoed, “Nice moonlit night isn’t it?” They talked a few moments until Yosef asked, “Have you ever thought about heaven? If you ever need to talk, I’m available.” Valentine told him that he knew the whole story, “My dad is a preacher and I was in church every Sunday and Wednesday evening until I was twenty-one. When my wife was killed I quit going; Jesus and I aren’t seeing eye-to-eye at the moment.” Yosef wasn’t expecting such a heart breaking story from Valentine and tried to contain his emotion. He finally reached his hand over onto the sergeant’s shoulder and spoke, “That’s a hard one to understand; the mysteries of God don’t always seem right do they? It is kinda like, why did God’s son, Jesus, have to suffer and die?” He told Valentine that God foreknew all that was going to take place for man’s atonement. “I understand all of it but Rach’ and I dated from eighth grade until we were married at twenty. We were only married eleven months when she was suddenly killed. Why?” They talked a few more minutes, then Yosef said, “Do you remember when Jesus wept?” John 11:35 He patted the sergeant on the shoulder once more then left Valentine sitting against the rock in deep thought.
***
Have you ever trusted? What about Jones; will he?
Why did Jesus weep? Have you ever wept?
Rev. 4:1-11, a door to heaven was opened for John to observe.
John 3:16, God so loved that HE provided the atonement for sin; God the Son’s blood.
Luke 23:39-43, the two thieves in conversation, one trusting; one rejecting.
John 11:35, the ‘man-of-sorrows weeps over a fallen world, we weep over sadness.
DG