One moment, I was talking to my platoon sergeant as we crossed the Buddhist graveyard; the next moment, his entire body was violently thrown back due to the machine gun round hitting him in the head. As I threw myself to the ground, I saw my best friend Danny take a round to the chest, killing him instantly and throwing him backward three or four feet.

The gunfire from the enemy was deafening as they caught us by surprise in the open field. Quickly recovering from the shock, the combat-disciplined Marines began returning fire on the jungle tree line where the enemy had dug in. After 15-20 minutes of being pinned down in the open field, the company commander gave the order to advance toward the enemy position.

Having taken cover behind a Buddhist grave mound, it made no sense (to me) to get up and get killed. But our combat-seasoned CO knew staying exposed in the open field was not an option. We had to attack. As I lay there, I could see Marines on both sides of me begin to rise and advance toward the enemy. I knew I couldn’t just lie there to protect myself. You depend on the Marine on either side of you. Inspired by their courage, I got up and began firing at the enemy muzzle flashes in the tree line.

The battle lasted 45 minutes, but it seemed like hours to us. We evacuated our wounded and then gathered our dead. Getting Danny’s body into the helicopter to be taken to the rear was a wake-up call to how fleeting this life is. This may have been the first display of raw courage I had witnessed, but in my time in combat, it would not be the last. I walked with heroes — men whose courage inspired me when I felt nearly paralyzed by fear.

Recently, I told of my Navy Corpsman and a 19-year-old Marine dragging me to safety after being critically wounded. I would not be writing this if they had not been so courageous.

As I look around our nation today, I sometimes wonder: Where are the courageous ones? In government, business, and even in our churches, we see the lack of both moral and spiritual courage. Politicians fold like cheap suits when protesters shout at them. Business leaders fold under the threat of Black Lives Matter leaders who extorted billions during the George Floyd riots to enrich themselves. Joe Biden supported Israel until he realized the radical Muslims might not vote for him, so he folded.

But the church is where we really need to see moral courage. Going along with the insanity of the culture to appear “tolerant” does not advance the cause of Christ in the country. It doesn’t inspire the people you are called to lead to be morally and spiritually courageous. Where are the Daniels, the Josephs, the Esthers? Daniel was asked by the King of Babylon to interpret the “handwriting on the wall.” Instead, he rebuked him for not humbling himself before the one true God like his grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4).

Esther faced the possibility of death by entering the place of the king of Persia without being summoned. She risked her life for her people, not willing to see them exterminated. Let’s pray for an explosion of spiritual and moral courage across our nation. Washington is not our hope; Jesus Christ is!

Something to pray about!
Semper Fidelis