The Lord is My Light


Tarzan1888

New member
Last night I had a once in a lifetime experience.

As many of you know I am a Scout Master.

From time to time we have joint activities with the young men and young women youth groups at our Church.

We had one such activity last night, and as luck would have it, the Scouts were charged with supplying the inspirational speaker.

We had been wondering for some time who we could get and then one of my Scouts suggested that he had a Grand Uncle, who might come and speak to us.

This Grand Uncle is Jay Hess, who was shot down over Vietnam in 1967 and spent 6 years as a POW. First at the Hanoi Hilton and then in Dog Patch.

A bunch of teenagers and a few adults sat for an hour and listened to this quiet un-assuming man, who shared a deeply touching message with us.

He had joined the Air Force during the Korean war, and trained as a pilot, but the war ended as he was completing his training.

He loved flying fighter planes and then in 1964 the Vietnam War started.

He had flown some 35 missions when he was finally shot down.

He said he might have made it back, but after his plane had been hit, he wanted to get out of there fast and so he hit the after burners. His plane was flying fine until then and this ignited a fuel leak and turned his plane into a ball of fire, from which he had to eject.

He talked about how he was captured and became a POW.

He talked about those he knew there and some of the things they went through.

He talked about the faith he and his 3 roommates had that saw them through.

He talked about how Freedom is not free, and how any day that you have a door knob on your side of the door is a good day, or any day that someone does not tie your hands behind your back and then pull them up and over your head and down until they tie them to your feet in front pulling your arms from their sockets, using what they called "the rope trick" is a good day.

He finished with the following story;

In 1972 the war and the bombing escalated and he and some of the other prisoners were moved from the Hanoi Hilton to a place they called Dog Patch.
This was out in the country and they had no electricity in the small stone structure where they were held. There were 2 larger rooms where most of the men slept, that had kerosene lamps for light, but they did not have room for 2 of the men to sleep in these rooms.
2 men had to sleep 1 in each of 2 small closets. There was no light or lamps in these closets and so as they lay alone, when they slept there they hoped that what crawled across their feet was rats and not cobra's and what crawled on their bodies was Misquotes and not spiders. They took turns sleeping alone in these closets.

They were given soup to eat, with some rice and to try and get some light he started to skim small amounts of oil off the top of his soup and save it in his spoon. He took some threads from his shorts and made a wick and dipping the wick in this oil he hoped to have a small oil lamp, but the guards would not light it for him.

Finally he convinced them it was only for light and they did light it and he had this tiny little light.

Staring at that tiny light, all alone in that tiny dark closet, the words of the old hymn came to him, "The Lord is my Light, then why should I fear, by day and by night, his presence is near...." This helped him keep his sanity in those darkest of days.

For me, it really puts things in prospective.

Tarzan
 

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Thanks for sharing this. I am a Christian. I don't know how I would be able to face all that is happing in our country and the world if I did not have faith in Christ.
 
Thank you, This was very touching. I know my life would be much worse and more confusing without my Christianity and faith in God.
 
Thirsting for the Light

I too am a Vietnam Vet. I was fortunate enought to be in helicopters, Chinooks, CH 47 and was never shot down but served with pride and honor. When I arrived home I was treated like the enemy and pretty much never mentioned that I was a Vet for many years. Recently, since the war in Iraq and Afganistan there is a new found respect for those of us who have come through all of that with our sanity and our faith. For this I am grateful.

I am going to be 57 years old and would still today stand and fight for your rights and mine. "Freedom is not Free!!! These forums bring a lot of infor to me and others. I just don't have the time to write as often as I would like to repond to every post, but alas the mighty $ must be earned not stolen by any means.

God Bless America!!

The Iceman
Shoot straight and be Safe...
 
I too am a Vietnam Vet. I was fortunate enought to be in helicopters, Chinooks, CH 47 and was never shot down but served with pride and honor. When I arrived home I was treated like the enemy and pretty much never mentioned that I was a Vet for many years. Recently, since the war in Iraq and Afganistan there is a new found respect for those of us who have come through all of that with our sanity and our faith. For this I am grateful.

I am going to be 57 years old and would still today stand and fight for your rights and mine. "Freedom is not Free!!! These forums bring a lot of infor to me and others. I just don't have the time to write as often as I would like to repond to every post, but alas the mighty $ must be earned not stolen by any means.

God Bless America!!


The Iceman
Shoot straight and be Safe...


You are my age and I thank you for your service. I too remember that time all to well.

Tarzan
 
USMC 1968-1971, I'm now 56 and have been following that light since 1977. I just can't imagine how those without Christ keep themselves going sometimes! It's becoming a very hopeless world. :(
 
First off very good story! Would have loved to been there to hear it! Thanks for sharing.

I'd like to thanks both Sgt. SIG, PaulIcemanMC, and any of the others that have served for are country. I'm only 26 so I was not around for Vietnam but in my book all your sacrifices are greatly appreciated! I had some great career opportunities at a young age so I never had the privilege of serving but I pray everyday for each and everyone one of you that has or is sacrificing to keep are freedom alive! Thanks agian!
 
USMC 1968-1971 I'm also 56+ God got me in 1977 also. 1Corth.10:13 Who can be against us.
 
You are my age and I thank you for your service.
Ditto for me. I'll be 60 in March and was in the Army from '65 to '69...a Vietnam Era Vet. I was deprived the chance to go to Vietnam and help (4 "Requests for Transfers", all declined), but it was interesting, even in Berlin, during Tet '68 and when the Pueblo was captured. Maybe I'll get a chance to help in my next life.
 
Thanks you for relaying that story! Vetnam vet here also, voluntered for Vietnam but they sent me to Thailand. Without God in my life I doubt I could make it every day. Through adversity he will comfort!
 
Coincidence?

Wonderful story Tarzan, thank that Vet for this Vet. Seems there are a number of us that are Vets and have a deep and abiding relationship with God. A friend of mine has just told me that the new 1 Dollar coins being minted do not have "In God We Trust" on them. Anybody heard/seen/verify this? It is indefensible if it is true!
 
Wonderful story Tarzan, thank that Vet for this Vet. Seems there are a number of us that are Vets and have a deep and abiding relationship with God. A friend of mine has just told me that the new 1 Dollar coins being minted do not have "In God We Trust" on them. Anybody heard/seen/verify this? It is indefensible if it is true!

Yep saw one 2 days ago and you are correct. There is no "In God We Trust" on them! Sad times!!
 
Thanks for the thought inspiring story, I to am a Christain, and Vietnam Vet. I served in Vietnam 1970 and 1971 in the Central Highlands. I thank God for all our brave servicemen and women, who put themselves in harms way every day, to help keep us free.
 
The new US dollar coins do have "In God We Trust" on them. It is on the outer ring. Look on the edge.

I also served in Nam. Three times between 1966 and 1969.
 
The new US dollar coins do have "In God We Trust" on them. It is on the outer ring. Look on the edge.

I also served in Nam. Three times between 1966 and 1969.

Really! Thanks I'll have to look again! Sorry about the miss info.
 
If you do find one of the new dollars without "In God we Trust" on the edge it's a mint error. A very small amount of the first coins were not stamped and instantly became a collectors coin.
 
This Weekend...

What a wonderful post for Veteran's Day weekend!! I'm pleased to see so many other vets on this site, makes my heart warm. (maybe it's just heartburn, you know our age and all.)

All joking aside, God Bless all who have served!! Past and present.

My father just passed away last October and was a WWII vet 2 purple hearts and silver star. My oldest brother served 2.5 tours as a pathfinder ranger, 3 hearts and 2 silver stars. I was the least of all. Just one tour in the whirley birds unscathed. Oh, almost forgot my second oldest brother, Navy served in country in the China Sea. Tough way to get your Vietnam service medal. I kid him all the time.

Well, time to get back to work from lunch...
 

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