Portland/Observer Thursday February I, 1973
PageS
Zest of Life
Reflections of a chaplain: War and peace
Carnegie 'H appy' Pullen
M any
A m e r ic a n a
watched with mixed emotion«
the awning of a C88M fire
agreement in Vietnam. It wax
our hope that all American
Servicemen would he able to
return home safely from Viet
nam.
Prayers
were
said
throughout the country for a
lasting peace,
I could not help but think
about the time I had spent in
Vietnam and other war torn
areas. I personally thank God
for the cessation of heart
breaking,
blood
shedding,
familiy wreaking, economy
draining, miserable shooting
and treacherous hostilities in
a long war. We cannot help
but pray that the Vietnamese
people will have an opportu
nily to enjoy the blessings of
an era of peace.
In 1965 and 19661 felt the
sorrows of the Vietnam con
flirt in a very personal way.
As a military chaplain at Fort
Banning. Georgia, I worked
with the men and their
families of the 1st A ir Cavalry
Division as they prepared for
and went to Vietnam. After
the men left for Vietnam,
many of their families stayed
on or near the m ilitary post
awaiting their return. Many
of them came to the chapel
where I conducted services
because they had gone there
when the men were preparing
to go overseas.
It was ir, what was called
the Iron Triangle and around
Pleiku, Vietnam where many
of the men were felled by the
enemy. All Chaplains at Fort
Henning were put on 24 hour
duty rosters to go with the
notification officers to notify
(he next of kin when husbands
or relatives were missing or
killed in action. No one was
notified by phone, it was a
personal message to each one.
The ordeal of that experience
cannot be explained in detail
for lark of words ami spare.
Some samples may help to
understand what the acations
and reactions were as a result
of the war. It was a common
ex,M-rienre to go two and
i (tree times a day to notify
someone that the worst had
happened. There was no color
distinction. The notification
o f f i c e r s were thoroughly*
briefed and had in writing
what they were supposed to
say. It was after he had
expressed regrets and told
the person the sad news that
he often looked to the chaplain
to find the appropriate words
of comfort for himself and the
family. Many young officers
were so shaken tnat they
could hardly say the words.
Some families would see you
coming toward the house in an
army staff car with chauffer
and begin screaming because
they felt that they knew what
the message would be. Some
would not let you in the house
but ask you not to deliver the
message fearing that it was
bail. On one occasion the
person sat still and heard the
news, then bolted from the
chair and ran out of the bark
door down a steep embank
ment. The delivery of a death
message to one very close
friend of my family caught all
of us by suprise when the lady
fainted at our feet. It was then
that I thanked God that the
military had started allowing
a lady to go along with us and
that one was there at the
time. The situation became so
acute until we stopped using
military vehicles and used our
personal automobiles. It was
not unusual to have a neigh
bor come over and help
console a neighbor and then
you go bark in the afternoon
to inform that neighbor who
helped to console in the
morning that her husband had
suffered the same fate. This
was war with its heartaches
ami heartbreaks. A problem
with which so many people
had to deal from day to day.
In 1966 I too received
orders to go to Vietnam.
During my one year stay in
Vietnam as chaplain, I logged
many air miles by different
types of planes because many
times it wan too dangerous to
drive to where the troops had
to serve. I<and mines on the
road, snipers and enemy am
bushes made you appreci
ate different modes of travel.
I saw the end results of war in
a land where it was being
waged. The Vietnamese peo
pie were examples of what
war can do for or to you. Fear
gripped many people who did
not know what the next day
nor next hour would bring.
There were American
ami Vietnamese casualties of
the war. In hospitals they
were there with physical and
psychological effects of the
mines, shells, grenades and
Dr. T.L. Strayhand
other weapons of war. Many
questions were in their eyes
when you stopped at their
bedside. There were no easy
answers when a youth with a
twisted fare w o u l d
ask,
“Chaplain, how do I look?" Or
a 19 year old who would never
be able to walk again with his
legs would ask, "Chaplain, do*
you think I will ever 1 m - able to
get married," or "W hat kind
of future do you think I have
now?“
I am so glad I never used
up all my prayers. I always
had more to say. I prayed
often with and for the men in
and out of battle. I must admit
that on one occasion 1 prayed
extra for mv commanding
officer The intelligence offi
rer told us in a briefing that
an enemy sniper unit was in
the town where we were
stationed. They blew up an
ammunition dump and the
report said that they were
there to assassinate officers of
our unit by rank beginning at
the top. I happened to be the
third ranking officer in the
unit, there was the Com
manding officer, the executive
officer and the chaplain in that
order. Thanks be to God they
n e v e r accomplished their
mission.
When I returned to the
U.S. in 1967. I was stationed
at Oakland Arm y Base in
California. There men were
processed daily to go to
Vietnam. Counseling men and
their families became my
heaviest duty in those two
years. This was a relief to my
family who had spent the year
when I was in Vietnam on the
military post at Fort Benning
with other waiting families,
not knowing what kind of
news would come to them.
We hope there will be
peace again in the world. In
1945 we rejoiced when the
war ended. I was in Europe
when the war ended there.
While we were awaiting ship
ment to the Pacific Theater
we received word that the
war in the Pacific had ended,
Moat men returned to the
United Slates with a feeling of
pride that they had accom
plished their mission. I en
joyed a few peaceful years in
school and the civilian pastor
ate. I found myself reentering
the military near the end of
the Korean war. I arrived in
Korea after the cease fire
agreement had been signed.
There we experienced a few
incidents where it seemed
that some people had not got
the word that they were
supposed to stop shooting. I
found myself in Germany
during tense moments when it
was difficult to get in and out
of Berlin. They say we had a
period of Cold W ar while
people rebuilt and reclaimed
lost possessins and veterans
tried to make a new life for
themselves before involve
ment in Vietnam.
W ar ia as bad as they say
it is no m atter who says it. As
a retired M ilitary Chaplain I
am glad there is a positive
movement for peace. I.e t all of
us pray and work together
that man will learn to settle
disutes another way and
fighting will become obsolete.
If we could now spend as
much time, energy, money
and mobilize as many forces
and work together as hard for
peace as we have done for war
I am sure we can have peace.
We can have peace a long
time. In the segregated mili
tary, the late President John
son was wise and brave
enough to help us start living,
eating, working and riding
together on the homefront by
his persuasion and help of a
strong congress. W ill we now
build a lasting peace? We
have learned that when one
person or nation thinks he is
better than another and tries
to treat him as less than
worthy of respect, rights and
equalities, and tries to take
away from him that w*>ich is
rightfully his, we have always
had war. Let's try something
different for peace. I would
not give anything for my
experiences at home and
abroad but I would give
everything to keep future
young people from having to
go through the same thing.
"W ar is Hell, Peace is Hea
venly."
y
The two participants show from ” N Tim e F o r Reason” , an ecumenical youth talk show
broadcast Sundays at 9:30 a jn . by KCW -TV (Channel 8), include: (left to right) Jan E . Davis,
Senior at Adams High School and member of M allory Avenue Christian Church, and Paul Andrew
M arsh all, Junior at John Adams High School.
The series is presented by KGW-TV in co
operation with the Youth Concerns Commission of The G reater Portland Council of Churches.
(Photo by Gary M . Chambers)
Ecumenical show features students
Eighteen youths of the
Portland a r e a are partici
paling in the ecumenical talk
show now being viewed on
Sundays, at 9:30 a.m. on
KGW T V (Channel 8). N o w in
its eleventh year. "A Time
For Beason” television series
is cosponsored by KGW I V
Public Service Department
and the Youth Concerns Com
mission of the Greater Port
land Council of Churches.
Bringing together senior high
youth and adult moderators,
the thrust of this five month
series is toward highlighting
ethical and moral judgments
that young people face con
stantly today. Begun initially
toward local church class dis
cussion stimulus, its effec
tiveness has broadened to
include individuals and groups
of t h e
non-churched a n d
churched of all ages in the
station's viewing band.
By consideration of some
self chosen weekly topics, new
edges of understanding are
reached by panelists and
viewers alike. Sample sub
jects of future shows include:
"The Decline and Fall of
Superman", “National Priori
ties: What Comes First?" and
"W hat Is Education?".
Joining weekly with alter
nating three panel groups is
one of these Moderators:
Donald J. B arrett, Mallory
Avenue Christian Church and
Dean of Freshmen and Soph
omore students at Jefferson
High School; Sister Judith M.
Iwen, St. Thomas Moore
Parish and teacher of religion
and French at St. Mary's
Academy; and Dr. Paul S.
W right, First Presbyterian
Church. Production direction
is given by the 1973 program
chairman, Casey Crookham,
Grant High School Senior
from Rose City Park Presby
terian Church; Robert H.
J a c k s o n . KG W T V Public
Service Director; and Jeff
Edwards, Promotion coordi
nator, junior at Clackamas
High School and member of
Lynrhwood Christian Church.
Audience participation and
evaluation is encouraged and
appreciated.
Address your
comments to the Youth Con
c e r n s Commission of the
Greater Portland Council of
Churches or the Public Ser
vice Department of KG W TV.
AC.0,
,0 1
by R everend
V. Brown
God loves us and has a
wonderful plan for each life.*
To find God. the Bible teaches
these simple steps. Believe
that God is. Realize that God
loves vou. Understand that
God's love found expression in
the giving of hia son Jesus
Christ, to die for mankind.
Therelore "If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unright
eousness” (John 1:191. For by
grace are ye saved through
faith, and that not of your
selves: It is the gift of God.
Therefore those that are
saved arr saved by the grace
of God and not by their own
works, but they are saved in
order to do good works. Thus
the riches of God's grace will
be manifest for all times
through His r e d e e m e d
church. "His workmanship".
Paul's emphasis is that salva
tion ia of God, both in its plan
rang and its accomplishment,
and it is to His glory.
Salvation is altogether of
grace from first to last. The
plan of salvation as originally
Otar«* end
devised by the Savior who
wrought it out for us, is the
acceptance of his vicarious
sacrifice in our behalf, and the
faith wereby we are made
partakers of his sacrifice, are
all the gifts of free nnd sov
ereign grace; the founda
tion and the superstructure
are wholly of grace.
Redemption ia the central
theme of the Bible. It is the
crimson strand that is woven
through all the Scripture. In
the Pentaterich we see it in
the sacrificial system, which
symbolized the atoning sacri
fice for sin which Christ was
to make on the crosa.
It seems to me that the
greatest need in the world
today is life; spiritual life that
ia given to us only through
Christ. "For God so loved the
world, that he gave hia only
(»•gotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting
life" (John S*:l«>.
Our greatest privilege is
to come to god. Thus our sins
have separated us from God,
Reverend Thomas L . Strayhand, M inister
4
57
'S
5828 N.E. 8th
A. La« Henderson, Minister
Vancouver Ave. Fir«» Baptist Church
2 8 8 -5 4 2 9
Ellis Casson, Associate Minister
Church School
M orning W orship
Wed Noon -s-The Hour of Power
Wed Proyer & Clots Meeting
__
Nursery Core Provided
9:45 am
U:O0 am
12:00 noon
7:30 pm
3138 N. V an cou ver Ave.
P hon e 282-9496
Sunday School
9:00 A M.
Morning Worship
1 b 0 0 A.M.
Dr. O. B. Williams, Pastor
" T h e church with a h e a rt-fe lt welcom e”
C O M M U N IT Y
CHURCH OF GOD
2 0 2 N. E. Skidmore
Rev. T. N . N o ffa
Welcomes you to
2 8 1 -5 6 7 8
Pastor V . R. Brow n
Home: 2 8 4 -5 5 5 9
Sunday S c h o o l^ ^ 9:45 a j n .
Elder V.Brown
but God so loves us that he
gives us this privilege. “Come
unto me, all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest" (M att. 11:28),
When God forgives and
saves a sinner, he does not
give him a suspended sen
tence or parole him on good
behavior, but grants him a full
and complete pardon.
You are invited to come and
worship with us
Church Service
Evening Service
fAr Jlvuttf Olivet baptist Church
Rev. John H Jockion
M inu ter
N.E First and Schuyler
Portland, O re .
Phone 2 8 4 1934
Sunday School
Morning Worship
Vesper
11:00 a j n .
7:30 p jn .
6401 N.E. 10th Avenue
9 o «
I t o i
5 P '
Let ut m trr «o eroreMp and d e r a r t fe> i r r i t
'Come A live’
'Come to Jesus'
tw
J H «42«
i
t MtfCwM teMMWS
CHURCH
119 N . E . M o rris
Sunday Service 9 ;1 5 /ll:0 0 a jn .
Evening S ervice 7:30 p jn .
Reverend Edward W ild e r
SUNDAY SERVICES:
9:45 Sunday School
11:00 M orning W orship
7:00 Evening W orship
ST A N M C W S CATHOLIC CHURCH
» m
W E LC O M E TO
S T . M A R K ’S B A P TIST
» « I Cm ilCt
" W e e re making our Neighborhood A Brotherhood"
Smile - God loves you
numbers.
But they cannot
escape the ultimate evils that
come upon them because of
their disobedience.
Peter wrote: "We have a
more sure word of prophecy,
whereunto ye do well that ye
take heed, as unto a light that
shineth in a dark place, until
the day dawn, and the Day
Star arise in your hearts.”
Ill Pe. 1:19)
"And in all m atters of
wisdom and understanding,
that the king inquired of
them" (Daniel and his friends)
“he found them ten times
better than all the magicians
and astrologers that were in
the realm." I Daniel 1:20).
The Prophet Isaiah wrote.
‘ Let now the astrologers, the
stargazers, the monthly prog
nosticators stand up and save -
thee from these things that
shall come upon thee.
“Behold, they shall be as
stubble; the fire shall burn
them; they shall not deliver
themselves from the power of
the flame." (Isaiah 47:13 141.
U e th o d is f £
ALLEN TEMPLE CME CHURCH
C o rn e r of 8th and Skxlm ore
Sunday School 9:30 a j n .
Sunday W orship 11:00 a j n .
C h ris tia n Youth Fellow ship 6:00 p jn .
(Second and Fourth Sundays)
Many Christians are like
the little boy who waa playing
on top of the roof of his house.
He suddenly slipped, lost his
footing and began sliding
down the steep roof.
He
instantly shouted out, “0 God,
save me, u v e me - never
mind, God, I caught on a nail,"
he added.
So many Christians do not
recognize the great and small
incidents; the good things of
their lives, if they are re
sponsive to the leading of
God's Spirit; and the evil
things of their lives if they are
contrary and disobedient of
Christ’s commands and in
structions; and the hands of
God working in their lives to
chastise, to instruct, and to
save. Many blunder through
life and never learn the
lessons that were meant for
them.
Why the sudden world wide
interest in astrology?
So
many famous persons, movie
stars, industrialists, as well as
members of the Liberated
Generation are deeply de
voted and engrossed in the
various aspects of Astrology.
Why?
Astrology has become so
popular among both Chris
tians and non-Christians alike
because so few are willing to
obey Christ's whole instruc
tion that they might have
God's unmeasured blessings
and miracles of absolute di
vine protection. They choose
to disobey God and then put
their trust in signs, stars and
foutvan ©
Church of
Com* A,iv*
the Living God
P.G. of T. Temple # 3
omooMuran
Me»»«« » 0 0 » » Wymew 10 W « • (M s
11 0 0
’ e * M e..
Call 2M -9145
Hotline N ortheast Is s telephone service fo r people
In N ortheast P o rtland to receive em ergency help, In fo r
m ation, and personal counseling.
The hotline is open
during hours when most c ity agencies a re closed. We
answ er c a lls during the following hours:
M onday - Thursday
5 p j n . - 9 P4i>.
Friday
5 pjn, - 1 »jn.
Saturday
Sunday
9 p j n . - I sun .
4 pjn, - 11 ijn.
C a ll 288-9145 fo r help. Hotline N ortheast Is actively
seeking community fwopl« to tra in and serve as volun
te e rs fo r the hotline. Contact Joyce Pedersen, volunteer
coord inator fo r fu rth e r Inform ation.
90 0 NE Ainsworth Portland, Oregon
Sunday School 9:45 a j n .
T .U .
6:00 p j n .
MARANATHA CHURCH
1222 NE Skidmore
Church school and Blhle class:
Sunday m orning worship:
Sunday Evening worship:
Wednesday Evening p rayer:
F rid a y W orship Service:
Bob Harrison - Pastor
3
9:15 a j n ,
10:45 »jn.
7;00 p jn .
7:00 p jn ,
7:30 p jn .
288-7241
P r a y e r S ervice
J u n io r Church
M orning Service
Evening Service
11:00 a jn '.
7:30 p jn .
Wednesdays 7:30 p jn .
F rid a y 7:30 p jn .
Pastor Rev. S. Green 111
4635 N. E. 9th Avenue
Sunday School
10:00 a jn .
M orning
S ervice
11:00 a j n .
Breakfast 9:00 -
10:00 a jn .
Reverend Samuel Johnson
Telephone: Evenings 287-5341
^ i . i ’ j-H M srie ee rR e vr»
by Reverend T .L . Strayhand