I wanted those of you who may post on this new group to know a little about my faith in a forward area. It goes back 35 years to the being stationed at DaNang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam. It is a story about a barely twenty year old Vietnamese Linguist taking his baby steps of knowing about God in a combat environment where I was issued no weapon while on base. Frankly, I was scared, and the battle had not yet begun. Even though, I had the background of a very active Christian through my life, enjoying the social fellowship and encouragement of others, I found myself lacking my first day in Vietnam. It was not that I wanted to go back to the States or anything, or that I cried in fear, or cringed, but I did fear even on a peaceful day. When I arrived at my assignment, there was no combat going on. My mission was to fly as a Radio Operator aboard EC-47's on combat sorties over Southeast Asia. So, in effect, I put myself in harm's way two ways, in the air, and on the ground, but I dug my heels in. Rocket attacks, day and night, rattled me, but I did not panic. I was still, taking it all in. Even when a squadron of Marine F-4's accidentally bombed us, I still was taking it all in. And there were some times there were terrorizing, but I held on. In the end, after the Paris Peace Accord was signed, I felt the struggle, at least on the ground, was over, but I was reassigned to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, continuing to fly combat sorties over Cambodia.

In the end, it was God's Faith that held me up. My own faith could not, and I came out of the situation with a healthy respect for Death and even a greater respect for faith.