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GOOD SOLDIERS

I am told as a young man Winston Churchhill was in a heated battle. The war planes were dropping bombs all around the soldiers assignments. Several died, but many were running away and hiding and not following commands. One soldier ran past Winston Churchhill. The soldier asked if Winston was going to leave and run away. The great leader replied: "I will not do the cowardly. I will stand at my post of duty."

This great soldier knew the beauty of standing faithful to his post. His words still echo in the hall of time: "Never quit. Never quit. Never quit!"

Alvin C. York was a great soldier from Tennessee. The heat of the battle was so strong. The ammunition was very low. Soldier York captured many enemies that day. He had only two bullets left in his weapon. He fired one shot and wounded the enemy that was running in the back of the line.

He yelled a warning and drew his weapon. All the soldiers behind the wounded man stopped and dropped their weapons and surrendered to Alvin York. He never had any more bullets, but the enemy didn’t know. Alvin York became a hero and there is a movie about him. York never retreated --- he stayed at his post of duty when others ran.

There was a great soldier, a general that made a great promise to his troops and to the enemy: "I shall return."

I have a hero. He was my Dad’s hero. General Douglas Mac Arthur. He was a great soldier. Mac Arthur’s unit was facing defeat, quickly Mac Arthur gathered his many soldiers and they left the Philippine Islands. As Mac Arthur and the US troops left, Douglas Mac Arthur made a vow: "I shall return."

After some time of training and R&R, (relaxing and recreation.) The troops loaded up and returned to the Philippines. It was different this time--with sweeping vengeance the U.S. troops won victory after victory. Finally the troops took what had been the U.S. POW camp.

Our men had been abused. Many had died and starved to death in the POW camp. Mac Arthur personally commanded the rescue. Mac Arthur states in his autobiography that the troops were walking skeletons. As Mac Arthur’s jeep topped the hill and rushed into the POW camp, Mac Arthur saw the most touching event of his life. The captured soldiers were helping each other to stand. When the General came into their presence, the crippled, wounded, starved men were standing, leaning on each other--standing at attention to salute and greet their General.

Now this is what being a good soldier is all about. Four words that must be in a soldiers training: Never Quit! Never Quit!

(SOURCE: From a sermon by Wade Hughes, Sr. "Enlist as a Good Soldier," 7/15/2008.)

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