Godspeed Captain Joe

For those of us who have served or who have waited, this picture needs no caption.  Matthew and Ashley took the girls to see Captain Joe off to sea, and possibly to war.  May God bless him, and bring him home safe and with the honour of having served faithfully.  There are some great pictures of the boys (and girls) putting to sea, but my old operational security briefings just won't let me post them.  Old soldiers never die.  Instead, I offer this prayer.

"O Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; Vouchsafe to take into thy almighty and most gracious protection our country's Navy and Marine Corps, and all who serve therein.  Preserve them from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy; that they may be a safeguard unto the United States of America, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions; that the inhabitants of our land may in peace and quietness serve thee our God, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen"


Son-in-Law Matthew on TV- Military Service and Priestly Vocation

This week, Son-in-Law Fr. Matthew Canter was interviewed by the TV news in San Diego California about his service as an infantryman in Iraq and how it impacts his service as a priest today.  I hope you will take a few minutes to watch this news report. (sorry I don't know how to get past the advertisement, but it is short.)

http://www.cbs8.com/story/18067851/from-the-front-lines-of-war-a-local-mans-new-mission

Matthew+, we are thankful for you and honour both your service to the Republic and the ministry to which God has called you.

Pro Deo et Patria!

Bill+, Rebecca, and Tristan

Blessed George, My Namesake and Patron

A blessed St. George's Day to friends far and wide.  While many of the legends about George stretch the imagination to its limits, we do know that he was a Roman soldier in the Imperial household who manfully resisted the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian, even unto death.  In all probability, he was very generous to the poor, and we know that his example of faithfulness to Christ under persecution led many people to accept the Lordship of Jesus. 

On this day, I cannot help but think of the many Christians who are persecuted today, in many cases even unto death.  May God give them steadfastness in their sufferings, and may their courage, and the evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives lead to the conversion of their persecutors and detractors.  As Christ our King overcame the pains of death, so may they be raised incorruptible to live with him and all of the white robed martyrs in Heaven.  Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

It Really Is Worth It All

Daughter Ashley sent this picture today of the girls on their way to the library for story time.  Seeing my grand-daughters so happy and safe gives real meaning to so many of the decisions Rebecca and I have made over the course of our life together.  The hard work of making a marriage work and sacrificing to provide for a family, the decision to serve in the military and pass on a heritage of service, the decisions to circumscribe our desires and keep our passions within due bounds by living the Christian life- all of these things and so many more seem more worthwhile than ever when I see a picture such as this.   If there is anyone out there struggling with life's realities who is considering giving up, or wondering if it is all worth it, I hope you can take my word that it is worth it all when we consider the impact we have on the people we love.  Stay the course my friends.  We may never know the good we do and the difference we make in the lives of others.

Honor Virtutis Praemium ( Honour is the reward of virtue)

John Harris and I served together as Lieutenants on staff at the Ohio Military Academy about three lives ago.  Later. we worked together on the staff of a Divisional Cavalry Squadron.  Finally, he was my Commander in the Second Squadron 107th Cavalry.  He is, in the words of Terence (Adelphi III.iii.88), "homo antiqua virtute et fide," "a man of old-fashoned virtue and loyalty."  John is a man of prayer and deep personal faith.  He is a devoted husband and father, and a faithful follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He loves this Republic as did his father (a retired Cavalry Scout) before him.  He cares deeply for the soldiers entrusted to his leadership and insists that virtue and the right always trump pragmatism and triumphalism in the accomplishment of his mission.  The soldiers and people of Ohio are blessed to have a man like John Harris as our newest Assistant Adjutant General for Army.  May God bless you, General Harris, and may your watch be characterized by honor, duty, and a love for that which is right.

Wisdom from Margaret

When I logged on this morning, I found the most wonderful message from daughter Ashley. The subject line read simply "Wisdom from Margaret" (our beautiful three year old grand-daughter in "the California.") The message read, "I love Jesus because Jesus loves me." What a wonderful way it was to start the day. Life gets so very complicated some days, and as the Scriptures say, "Out of the mouths of babes thou has perfected praise!"

Good news came to us yesterday afternoon. Bishop Salmon, retired of South Carolina and currently Dean of the Seminary at Nashotah House, will be able to attend son-in-law Matthew's ordination in Advent in "the California." He is a godly man, filled with the wisdom and good humor or our Lord, and has had such an important role in the formation of Matthew for holy orders.

Tuesday afternoon, I had occasion to stop by Ohio Christian University in search of an organist for our parish. Things there went quicker than I had anticipated, and on my way to Columbus to the University Medical Center, I determined that it would be a shame to complete such a beautiful day without some small sporting diversion. So I swung by the boat ramps at A.W. Marion State Park and cast a leadwing coachman into the edge of a weedbed bordering a hole where I had done pretty well in years past. While I was working on my roll cast, I noticed a hiker coming down the trail. He looked familiar, and as he came closer, I realized it was Sergeant Major Osbourne, with whom i had served some years back. We laughed and talked about the old days, our kids, and life out of uniform. He was in the woods plotting hardwood locations for a study about the impact of exurbanization on reforestation patterns. It seems that the breakup of the large farms into smaller holdings over the past forty or fifty years has led to substantially fewer field and woodlot fires, with the unintended consequence that softwoods are replacing hardwoods in many parts of the region- something to do with faster regeneration rates among the lesser desirable woods and insufficient light for the early hardwood growth (I think.) It is much more complex than that, but I suppose that is a layman's misunderstood generalization of the type that makes up most political ads. In any event, I think I learned something, and it was great to catch up with an old friend who did much throughout his career in the Army and in the Fire Service to care for his soldiers and firefighters and their families. May God bless the SGM for his godliness, his decency, his concern for the environment, and his love of the people among whom he has worked.

A Wonderful Shoot!

This afternoon Chuck, Tristan, fat Leo the Labrador, and I converged on Buckeye Pheasant Farm west of Dayton for a memorable shoot. After a lane or two of very fast hunting in a new and exciting place, Leo settled into his customary rythem, and by the end of the day was hunting as well as I have ever seen him work. We bagged ten pheasants, which are now awaiting their destiny as stir fry in Tristan's freezer in Oxford. Those of you who follow this blog may remember that one of the questions surrounding this hunt was how much of the Marine Corps remains in my Son. The question was answered shortly after we arrived. Tristan uncased the Winchester model 12 pump gun and layed it next to the Stoeger side by side. He then quietly recased the double and loaded his grandfather's pump. Every time someone signaled that the dog was "on", Tristan assumed that assault stance that is so characteristic of so many of our young men today and shot like the professional he was and remains. Once a Marine, always a Marine! I suppose that this means he will never shoot with the grace of a Robert Churchill or the style of an Elmer Keith, but he does bag more than his share of birds with the quick shots of a veteran infantryman. Two years ago when he was home on leave after his first deployment to the high desert, I remember watching him in the field when we were following the terriers in search of vermin. As we crossed a fence or forded a stream, it broke my heart to see him assume the slouching range walk of one who expected to engage at any moment. Even in Fairfield County, he was back in "the Stan." After he came home as a wounded warrior, I remember watching him scan every parking lot for trip wires and every rooftop for snipers. But today my boy was back, and the joy of the hunt was in his eyes again. He did comment once that it was nice to be able to step wherever he wished and not have to worry about being blown up. Welcome home son, we love you more than words can express.

More Light

Last weekend, T and I went to Columbus where he experienced the basic degrees of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. He entered the gentle craft shortly after his graduation from high school, and before he left for the Marine Corps. While he was home on convalescence leave after the second tour to Afghanistan, he and Danny Meenach, an old friend of the family, were made Mark Masters and initiated into the mysteries of the Holy Royal Arch. And now he joins so many others as a Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret. Exquisite and self-important titles apart, the higher degrees of the Royal Craft are designed to transmit those lessons of responsible manhood which are so often not passed on in society in any age. Personal responsibility, dedication to God, high minded citizenship, commitment to your own beliefs and principles while tolerating and understanding those of other people, and the brotherhood of man, are all taught in the higher degrees. While the French degrees of the Scottish Rite tend to be a bit more emotive and radical than the stately experiences of the British degrees of Mark Master and Royal Arch, they are every bit as profound, and their Gallican flavour stirs the soul to great ideas and greater deeds. It is good to go with my son to a place where good men gather to learn more about being better. The feel of an all male lodge is different from other venues for the transmission of values I have known. It is more primal, and more visceral in some ways. I am glad to be able to pass on to my son what I received from my father. In spite of creaking knees and failing memory, growing older has its own set of blessings that I could never have known as a younger man. For such blessings I am eternally thankful.

Musings on Tomorrow's Shoot

The terriers are wrestling on the couch, and the night is late. Tomorrow begins early, and much of this evening has been spent in preparation for the day. It will be the third pheasant shoot of the season, and Tristan's first since his return from the war. Chuck will be by with Fat Leo the Labrador shortly after breakfast, and we will drive to Buckeye Pheasants, just west of Dayton, and Tristan will drive up from the university to meet us there. He has asked me to bring his grandfather's Model Twelve pump and the Uplander double, both in 16 gauge (his deceased grandfather's gauge of choice.) It will be interesting to see which gun he hunts with tomorrow. He handles a pump very well, but very agressively, like a Marine infantryman on patrol. The double by comparison is more of a gentleman's gun, slower and more deliberate. I often wonder how much the fleet stays with him, and his choice tomorrow might indicate where his heart truly resides. If he is anything like my dad, his grandfather, the fleet will never be far from his thoughts, even as the years make him more and more of a civilian. It is so very good to have him home at last.