 LATITUDES & ATTITUDES: A Few Good Men By Glen Willard |
I know "A Few Good Men" is the title of a book, which begot an average movie, and that the two were about American Marines and some Naval officers and a court marshal. Nevertheless, in writing this piece in my mind I'm thinking of a few good men I met by chance in late March. They just happen to be army guys. More than that, they are elite army guys. And they are all good Christians. And I met them having fun in a bar one night. Well there's more.
I was sitting in my usual corner at my reserved table at Sunduk Pub on a Thursday evening. I was alone as usual and was reading a book while listening to the band, my normal avocation these days, it seems.
I like my spot at Sunduk. My table sits in an enclosure next to the fake fire and the service bar and adjacent to the band's platform. It's just under a sign that reads "Old America" in neon red. To top if off, the walls to my right and behind me are filled up with confederate war pictures. Yep, ol' Stonewall and General Robert E. Lee back me up.
So on this Thursday night the band is playing. It's fairly loud, and some guy walks up and asks if he and his buddy can sit down. I barely noticed him as I rather curtly and, I think, impolitely brushed him off. Slightly recovering from my absorption it dawned on me the guy had spoken in American English and he had been polite. Recovering, I called him back as he was walking away. I apologized and asked them to sit down.
Turns out they were two of about six or seven in a group. At one time or another each of them came over introduced themselves by first name and shook my hand. They were all too polite and I never heard so many 'Mister Willard Sirs'.
Turns out they were just a bunch of army guys on bivouac.
Well, not exactly. They were students, cadets that is, studying at the United States Military Academy. West Point people. Three other things that they had in common besides being students in a bar late on a Thursday evening: they weren't into alcoholic beverages, they weren't chasing women and they were all young Christian men.
I wanted to known more. I invited them to breakfast at O'Brien's the next morning.
At precisely the appointed time they arrived. I think in all about 15 or 16 people showed up. I had wondered if any would show since it dawned on me that 10:00 a.m. is pretty late for youngsters to have a meal. Sure enough, most had eaten. Many had other things to do so, after introductions and many more 'Mister Willard Sirs' all but five left. Included in the five was Randy Greer, a local Baptist missionary. Also in the group staying was an Army officer, Captain Ben (whose last name I've lost), He turned out to pretty much be the spokesman. He also was a West Pointer, a graduate of the academy.
One of those who introduced himself and who had to leave with the others was retired Ukrainian Lt. Col. Vasyl M. Khimich.
All of the Americans were Baptist Student Union (BSU) members. BSU has chapters on most American university campuses and is sponsored by the churches that comprise the Southern Baptist Convention, headquartered, I think, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Captain is a BSU director and I believe a pastor also. He is stationed at West Point on active duty as one of two regular army personnel - one officer and one NCO - assigned to each of the 32 companies that make up the cadet corps.
This group of 12 or 13 men were in Ukraine and had visited various Ukrainian military facilities, including Ukraine's Military Institute, in the company of Colonel Khimich. But that wasn't really why these young cadets were here for their spring break. They were here at the behest of the colonel, also a Christian, who is promoting the idea of having chaplains in the Ukrainian military.
Much of their 'free' time was spent visiting churches or attending church events. Not much bar time.
So, an amazing and interesting story for me. Funny, I had never thought of the Ukrainian military and the church. It seems obvious in retrospect now why the Ukrainian military hasn't in the past been really big on chaplains.
A confession. Throughout my youth I was always in the church. My parents at least tried to raise me right. This was long ago. And the churches were always Southern Baptist. I went twice on Sundays and frequently on Wednesday nights. I went to the cookouts, songfests, the Bible drills, belonged to the Royal Ambassador boy's youth organization, etc. My father was a deacon and a Sunday School teacher, my mother the same in women's church activities.
Essentially, all those cadets and the captain had similar upbringings so we had much to talk about. I was thoroughly entertained. I don't think I've ever seen such politeness. I couldn't even get the Captain to stop calling me Mister Willard, or Sir.
I did have to confess that my churching stopped when I got to my college days at Ole Miss.
I did bow my head as prayer was said before our breakfast.
To think...these young people gave up their spring break for the colonel's mission.
To think...the Captain spent a year in Iraq. And one of the cadets also spent a year there before being accepted into the academy.
I plan to interview Colonel Khimich and missionary Greer soon.
Maybe this article should have been called "Onward Christian Soldiers".
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More in the section:
Prime Minister Akhmetov?
THE WORKPLACE: First Class Service
Read also previous issue' articles:
RANDOM NOTES: Let's Have Another Holiday
Public Relations Versus Advertising
RANDOM NOTES: Billing by the Hour is Dumb
THE WORKPLACE: Public Relations and Common Sense
THE EAR: Looking Back - and to the Future
THE WORKPLACE: Can't Die? May As Well Work
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