 An old warrior questions the tack of war's opponents The Layman Online Tuesday, May 27, 2003
"Unfortunately, the impression that lasts is that they speak for the rank-and-file, the American citizen, the pew sitter, the pastor in the pulpit, the chaplain in uniform, the Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine serving our nation," Col. Bill Hufham said. "They don't!" he declared. Hufham, a commissioner to the 215th General Assembly and pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Goldsboro, N.C., spoke Monday at the Military Chaplains' Luncheon. He is a Gulf War veteran, an 82nd Airborne paratrooper who rose through the ranks to become head of a force of nearly 100 chaplains at Ft. Bragg, N.C. He saw war firsthand when a coalition of forces repelled Hussein's invasion of Iraq. Fourteen members of his 800-member congregation were deployed to Iraq. One member was killed in action in what he calls OIF, the acronym for Operation Iraqi Freedom. His son-in-law served in the war as an F-15 pilot. His son, William Hufham Jr., a Navy petty officer, will soon be part of the weapons of mass destruction inspection and identification team in Iraq. "Every war has its peace advocates and nay sayers," Hufham told the chaplains and guests at the luncheon. "Every conflict sees marches and demonstrations against war. Political pundits and military experts (now retired) second-guess the leaders, criticize the field commanders and ridicule the president. "It's not an attractive trait of democracy, but it happens. Church leaders, from the pope to the stated clerk, send letters, sign petitions, pay for ads in newspapers and march in parades, rallies and demonstrations." War is intensely personal But war is more than political, Hufham said. It is intensely personal. He told the story of Capt. Eric Das and 1st Lt. Nikki Das, who had been married two years before they were deployed to Iraq. "Both are strong Christians," Hufham said. "Both were following God's leading in their lives. Eric was an honor student, an Eagle Scout, a natural leader. He graduated high in his Air Force Academy class, and so was chosen for the F-15E 'Strike Eagle' program. "Eric was one of those people you loved to talk to and loved to be around. He loved the Lord, loved his wife Nikki, and loved the USAF – our nation's air arm. Nikki was an 'intelligence officer' with the 335th. She deployed very early with her command group. "The call came for volunteers to go with the 333rd Fighter Wing, and Eric Das was one of the first to respond. He came to church in late March with a big smile on his face. He was going to be with Nikki. He was going to do what the nation needed him to do. "April 6 began like any other day for the happy, reunited couple – breakfast together in Bahrain, chapel service celebrating the 5th Sunday of Lent, work together and separately preparing for the day's missions. "Strong resistance was expected. There was lower cloud cover than the pilots like. That would put them into range for all the air defense artillery that had been gathered to defend Saddam Hussein's home base and last stronghold. "Just after midnight, April 7, Capt. Das' F-15 disappeared from the radar. Lt. Das gets the report of a missing aircraft – Boot's plane is down. Where? Near Tikrit." Hufham got the news that same day – very little news. But he knew what was happening. "Scrambled Special Ops rescue operations were under way. It's a big desert, hostile territory. Saddam Hussein had put a $75,000 bounty on any captured pilot," Hufham said. "Minutes, hours, days go by. Tikrit falls. Lt. Nikki Das is sending daily e-mail, telling us that, whether Eric is dead or alive, God is with him and he is with God. Her faith sustains her. She has good Christian friends deployed with her, and they are supporting her. She has a good church community praying for her back in Goldsboro. "Days turn into weeks. DNA identified Eric's human remains the third week. He is dead. A few days later, the same with Lt. Col. Bill Watkins from the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro. He is dead. "War is always personal for the Soldier, the Sailor, the Airman, the Marine," Hufham said. There are other wars. "I served God and country for 28 years," he said. "I would gladly do it again. It is a noble calling, not for everyone – physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually demanding. Now, God has moved me into a new ministry, actually a return to my first calling as a pastor. "After 40 years of ordained service in our church, is it time to quit, retire, hang it up? Not yet. There's still a war going on, a war for the hearts and minds of people, a war to call the people of God to faithfulness, a Word from the Lord to speak, a gospel to preach. Retire?" he asked. "Not yet." |
||
Respond to this article |
||
| Home
· News
· PLC
Publications ·
The
Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives · History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links |
||