The following article came to me recently and I contended that I should pass it on.  It has been slightly edited and a conclusion added.

            The Third Infantry Regiment at Fort Myers has the responsibility for providing ceremonial units and honor guards for state occasions, White House social functions, public celebrations and interments at Arlington National Cemetery....and standing a very formal sentry watch at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

           

            The public is familiar with the precision of what is called "walking post" at the Tombs. There are roped off galleries where visitors can stand to observe the troopers and their measured step and almost mechanical silent rifle shoulder changes. They are relieved every hour in a very formal drill that has to be seen to believe. Some people think that when the Cemetery is closed to the public in the evening that this show stops.

 

            First, to the men who are dedicated to this work...it is no show...it is a "charge of honor”.  The formality and precision continues uninterrupted all night. During the nighttime, the drill of relief and the measured step of the on duty sentry remain unchanged from the daylight hours. To these men...these special men, the continuity of this post is the key to the honor and respect shown to these honored dead, symbolic of all unaccounted for American combat dead. The steady rhythmic step in rain, sleet, snow, hail, hot, cold...bitter cold...uninterrupted is the important part of the honor shown.

 

            One night (in the Fall of 2003), while you were sleeping, the teeth of hurricane Isabel came through this area and made ruin out of everything... We have thousands of trees down...power outages...traffic signals out...roads filled with down limbs and various  debris... We  have  flooding...and the place looks like it has been the impact area of an off shore bombardment.

 

 

(Continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            The Regimental Commander of the U.S. Third Infantry sent word to the nighttime Sentry Detail to secure the post and seek shelter from the high winds, to ensure their personal safety. THEY DISOBEYED THE ORDER...During winds that turned over vehicles and turned debris into projectiles...the measured step continued. One fellow said "I've got buddies getting shot at in Iraq who would kick my rump if word got to them that we let them down...I sure have no intention of spending my Army career being known as the wimpy idiot who couldn't stand a little light breeze and shirked his duty." ....Then he said something in response to a female reporter question regarding silly purposeless personal risk...."I wouldn't expect you to understand.  It's an enlisted man's thing."

 

            God Bless the rascal...In a time in our nation's history needs more men like the one stated above and all need to fully understand that devotion to duty is not a part time occupation. While we slept, we were represented by some fine men who fully understood their post orders and proudly went about their assigned responsibilities unseen, unrecognized and in the finest tradition of the American Enlisted Man. Folks, there's hope....The gene that George S. Patton...Arliegh Burke and Jimmy Doolittle left us...survives.

 

            May we be praying for our military daily!  We are currently reaping great benefits because we have had a strong military  to  uphold  our principles and  the pay the ultimate price to continue our freedoms.

 

   Plainly, don’t get short changed.  Let’s be ready to meet our Maker.  The Bible teaches that to avoid hell and gain heaven - one must:

 

 

1) Believe In Jesus As Savior (16:31)  2) Repent Of Sins  (17:30)   3) Confess Christ Audibly (8:37)  4) Be Baptized In  Water (2:38)  
5) Live A  Christian Life (14:22)   6) Be Active In the Church (2:47)

 

 

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