Latter Day Warriors

In a recent gathering of like minded Saints I was completely blown away by a very unexpected presentation. A United States Army Colonel was present and acknowledged the past military service of several of our group. Accompanying the individual recognition was a beautifully mounted certificate, a letter from the Chief of Staff of the Army and cosigned by Pete Green, the Secretary of the Army. This “dog face” was very moved by this expression, coming fifty-two years after separation from service.

The Marines widely advertise “once a Marine, always a Marine.” The other service branches, even though lacking their PR skills, also feel the same way. My brother, long ago discharged, is Navy through and through and proclaims it from the house tops. The presentation raised in me an emotional return to those days of arduous training, travel to foreign lands, and pride in the uniform and flag which I had sworn to defend.

The men and women who have shared this experience are inextricably linked to each other and to the memories they hold. We prefer to remember things which seem meaningless to others. I still use the last four digits of my service number as a PIN. I can see the faces of the men in my old outfit as well today as I could when I got on the boat to come home. I vividly recall that shouting “302” (302nd Comm. Recon. Bn.) would immediately assemble as many of my unit as were available to come to my aid, or I to theirs. We were not maudlin about it; we knew our responsibility and reacted. I well remember singing "Silent Night" on Christmas Eve in the Chapel of the Three Stones (named for an altar constructed from the rubble of a bombed Catholic and Lutheran Church plus a Synagogue) at Badenerhof Kaserne. This moment of peace in a formerly war torn land will never dim.

Today, our culture does not produce warriors automatically. They must be trained. In today’s world, the military tends towards increased specialization. Before that military occupational specialty is taught, however, young recruits endure 8 to 16 weeks of preparation to defend themselves and their country in a hostile world. The first job the drill sergeant faces is to relieve the recruit of the notions taught at home. We now live in an age where the slightest sign of aggressive behavior is squelched in the young. “Play nice, don’t fight!” These are the watchwords for our society. We ban dodge ball on the playgrounds, shun meritocracy at all levels of society, and try to feminize our young men to deny their God given inherent manhood. If it were not so serious, the label “baby killer,” applied to our armed forces by leftist "peaceniks," would be laughable.

The sworn enemies of the republic suffer no such restrictions. They teach their youth to be aggressive, ensconced in a false doctrine encompassing a warped moral code and then strap
explosives on them and send them off to a busy market place to die. International codes of conduct and treaties are useless in an atmosphere of terror. When faced with an enemy whose driving force is to approach his eternal reward as carnal pleasure with 72 virgins there can be no moral equivalent.

If any one believes that there is no rectitude in conflict, he had better open his Book of Mormon and re-read a couple hundred pages. Therein is documented so many armed conflicts in defense of the faith as to actually become tedious. Don’t take my word for it; try it. If that doesn’t do it for you, try the Inspired Version. The adversary has mounted assaults on the will of God since the earliest verses of Genesis. He is a tireless enemy and assumes many identities in his attacks. Over the ages, men of varying stripe have risen to answer God’s call. Their reasons and reactions to Him have taken many forms but none say it as succinctly as Moroni does in Alma 21:41: “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children.” You have read these words here previously and will no doubt see their appearance again. To me, they say it all. If you need a reason to take up arms, they are catalogued here.

My only regret about the military aspect of our get together was our failure to recognize the all volunteer force which stands today as a bulwark of the advancement of liberty in the world. These treasured men and women are due our gratitude, respect and continued support for their individual sacrifice. I have recently had the opportunity to observe them in action (6 days on the USS Fitzgerald, DDG-62 on a “tiger” cruise) and found them bright, energetic and wholly prepared to carry out their assigned duties. It even softened my attitude toward the Navy. If anyone is in need of our constant prayers, it is these fine young men and women.

I am very grateful to those who engineered the occasion which stimulated these recollections. As a result, I was forcefully reminded why I volunteered so many years ago. I am especially proud of my “brothers” who also took the same action. Today, in our dotage, none of us is looking for a fight. But, we, like Moroni, are more than willing to take his battle cry and say in today’s parlance, “Bring it on!”

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon