Rest for the War-Weary
David Alexander on a Marine Chaplain & the Legacy of Okinawa
As a Fleet Marine Force chaplain, I have the honor of serving with Marines. I live alongside them, train with them, go to war with them, and in the valley of the shadow of death I give them my blessing and they keep me alive. I cry with them in the face of great loss when it is the only way to keep our humanity. We answer our nation's call together, and we strive together and grow weary together. Some of my Marines have deployed seven times over the last ten years. We are all getting tired, even as we continue to prepare to answer the call of our nation "in every clime and place."
These days I am given a little rest, along with the solemn duty of helping others find rest, as I have been tasked with running a retreat program for Marine forces and their families serving in the Pacific theater. Along with providing rest, my staff provides help in strengthening marriages and families, developing warrior resilience from a spiritual perspective, and aiding units in cultivating character and leadership potential in their junior Marines. I live on the island of Okinawa, and my duties take me to Korea and to many locations across Japan.
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