Proud Soldiers: Countering The Anti-Soldier Culture

Proud Soldiers: Countering the Anti-Soldier Culture Capt.Kelly Durant

2 Timothy 2:3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. :4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

2. I grew up in the 1960s and there were several TV shows with Army Soldiers as the main characters. These characters were usually funny, and most every American enjoyed seeing all the funny situations. Have you heard of Gomer Pyle USMC? Mash? How about Hogan's Heroes? If not, look them up someday, they will make you laugh! These were all Soldiers in typical settings living their daily lives in the barracks. Soldier characters were loved and applauded.

In the 1960s the population of the USA was half that of today, and probably about 1 in every 5 men back then had been in the armed forces either from WW1, WW2, of the Korean War. In that time period every family had someone in it who had served in the Armed Forces.

After World War 11 it was exposed how Hitler and others had horrifically killed mega millions of people and everyone was relieved that the USA, England, and Russia won. The Japanese were suicidal demons as well and if either of those demonic powers had succeeded, they would have killed and enslaved the whole planet! It was God's grace, and the bravery and death of many Soldiers, that saved us from a hellish kingdom of Satan on earth. Soldiers were the heroes!

3. So what happened to the popularity of the Soldier? Why is it today some comfortable rebellious people decide that soldiers and uniforms are not cool, that they represent repression and evil war, that young people should be rude, disrespect, and be belligerent and speak up against them? Good people with common sense know that the killers of killers are the heroes. It is Satanic to mock and reject the ones who prevent warmongering Satanic murderers from having free reign. How absurd to propose that any aggressive attackers should just murder, rape, and pillage innocent ones as they please! Divisive abusive destroyers deserve no pity! Murder and evil has no justification that, 'Oh they had a bad life', Oh, that's their religion, or Oh, that's their culture'. Stop the sympathy for Satan! Evil is evil and only righteous judgement stops it.

The seeds of disrespect were sewn in the 1960s. The Vietnam era was a time in which 600,000 U.S. men went to war and 300,000 returned injured with 60,000 killed. It was very unpopular because it seemed that battling with small battalions invading villages and caves that the war would never end. The basis of the war was to prevent the spread of communism, but the noble sense of mission got lost once all the suffering of both sides was exposed by the press. It seems the press has always created controversy and brought division, but they get to go home and be comfortable while the rest of the people suffer the consequences of their revealing of secrets.

So what happened in the 1960s? I think we are all still trying to figure that out! Why all the protests? It was sad that the returning soldiers were not treated with the attention they deserved; they needed jobs, medical, mental and spiritual attention but that was scarce. The wave of protests was not for the favor of the hurting soldiers, it was mostly about countering the evil establishment that propagated wars. It was ironic hippie clothes included military shirts with flowery bell bottoms!

4. The system was exposed as corrupt, making certain politicians filthy rich through the sale of arms and young people were infused with the idea they could make a better world with love and peace. These ideas came from the liberal colleges and from music that had the most amazing new sounds, message, and creativity ever heard. The protests were spiritually and morally reinforced by the gathering of people at concerts and, the rebellion to stop the war was so great that Pres. Jimmy Carter had to announce that we were pulling out because it was not winnable; The draft stopped.

After many millions of Vietnamese dead, the communists seemed to be the victors, as the world ended up with a North and South Vietnam, not long after having to accept a North and South Korea. It seemed the world was divided, made up of huge nations with suffering people behind iron curtains, enslaved under dictators, getting paid pennies per hour, getting killed for speaking against the system, while the rest of the world was free from tyranny. 'Freedom' was the buzz word for the 60s generation but that freedom always has cost the sacrifice of heroes.