Jane Cook - Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan

Dear Lord, renew me in my inner man. May I act justly, love mercy, and walk humble with you throughout this life. And may I enjoy a wonderful welcome into heaven.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Ronald Reagan once stated, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free.”

Address to the annual meeting of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce March 30, 1961:

I work with a lot of kids. My wife and I go to Washington D.C. every spring. We take school groups around Washington to see our great capital. Our theme is that freedom is not free. When we get to the Korean Memorial you’ll see it written in stone, “freedom is not free.” We don’t want anyone to be killed in combat. Life is precious to us. Our serviceman’s lives are precious as is every life in our country babies, teenagers and adults. We value life. You can see the wheels turning in our student’s minds. They seem to grasp the concept that life is precious. It is never okay to die. But sometimes it’s necessary.

I enjoy the chance to explain to them our precious freedoms and how sacred the sacrifice paid for them is. There are many on this earth that would like to take it away from us. There’s also a jealousy when others see what we have. It is often very different than what they have. There’s also the unfortunate reality that sometimes we forget what was paid in sacrifice for these freedoms. It’s great to be able to share the values that we have. Our family has sacrificed for those values greatly.

Failure is not an option. Ronald Reagan’s wisdom is true for all democracies. It is only one generation away from extinction. In a matter of one generation, Iraq’s democracy will fall if we just walk away and leave Iraq without a stable democracy.

Dear Lord, please make me holy, eager to do what is good and right and just and true. Please redeem many millions more, turning them from darkness to light.

“Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:14)

Loyalty is one of those unique words that brings clarity and focus to circumstance. It is an enabling word that can help me separate selfish and selfless motives and actions. In a moment that word can identify a gift or highlight an opportunity to give.

We are often motivated by deep values that define character. Loyalty is that for most people that serve. Service is in essence a byproduct of loyalty. We are loyal to our nation and its heritage. We expect it from others and we give it as well. Loyalty begets loyalty.

I used to think a great deal about the shared heritage we had with those who had fought in other great wars. I thought initially it was the shared burden of stepping into harm’s way and the toil that separation from our families cost us. While that defines a part of that heritage there are some even clearer connections.

Do you remember how you felt the day the towers fell? Do you remember what it was like the next few days as people began to display American flags on everything? It was a culmination of all the emotions that come from seeing the true face of evil. It is that gut churning solemn state that arises from the horror of senseless death and destruction. That sense of the presence of evil is a part of a soldier’s tie to heritage.

Whether walking through Fallujah or the European theater in 1944, the presence and effect of evil constantly surrounds the American soldier. To daily interact with people who are free who were once enslaved is a motivating thing. It is in part that intangible tie to heritage. It motivates us to continue to fight. We want to rid this small part of earth from the cancer of terrorism. There is no rationalization for its evil existence. It must be completely and utterly destroyed.

This is a part of what it means to bear true faith and allegiance to the US constitution, the Army, your unit and other soldiers.

In the Bible “the men of Zebulun” were singled out for their “undivided loyalty.” What must have defined these men to be called out from so many great warriors? We know that they were experienced warriors and ready for battle. They were skilled with every type of weapon. Perhaps their greatest weapon was their loyalty.

Father God, help me remain loyal to you and those that have sacrificed so much before me. Impress on me the heart of the men of Zebulun. I want to be known as one with undivided loyalty.

“The men of Zebulun, experienced soldiers prepared for battle with every type of weapon, to help David with undivided loyalty 50,000.” (1 Chronicles 12:33)

It was a cold November night in 2003. Julie and I had not come to terms about my service, but I had already been commissioned and attended Basic Training in San Antonio and the Army’s Flight Surgeon School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. We had a babysitter and in classic John and Julie fashion, our special date consisted of a light dinner and a walk in a local park. At the end of the first lap I told her the news that she never wanted to hear. “My unit is going.”

She didn’t say anything. She looked at me in disbelief. She turned and walked to the car and left. I didn’t know if she was going to come back and pick me up or not. I just kept walking.

A couple of hours passed. She came and picked me up and we drove home. We went to bed without a word. A further split in the chasm.

I awoke the next morning with the kids. I fixed breakfast and played with them while Julie slept. Actually, I doubt she slept at all that night. You should know that my wife’s faith has been very consistent. She has always had a close relationship with God. From time to time the way she would respond or relate to me would prove that it was not her emotions that spoke but rather the word she received from God. That morning, after the worst news she could imagine, she gave me a gift. She didn’t have to, but she blessed me in a way that still is hard for me to understand.

She came out of the bedroom and walked in front of me to get her morning coffee. She returned to the living room, stood near the fire place and looked at me. She sat her coffee on the mantel and walked over to the sofa where I was sitting. With a slight grin she reached out her hands to my neck and said, “You know, I could strangle you.”

Duty involves a commitment to do what is right even when it leads to personal harm. Following through with my commitment to serve was a necessary part of duty. The act of stepping away from my family and promise of a good job was difficult but necessary.

Dear Lord, the cost of duty is so high. The cost is separation, lost opportunity, uncertainty. So often we give into the fear of the unknown. Remind us always that any cost is temporary for those who know and love you.

“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… . But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)