This site is dedicated to developing and encouraging the kind of leadership God ordained and intended for use in both the Military and Law Enforcement professions. Those are the fields of missionary service upon which I simultaneously spent my last 40 + years. I spent those years actually working in those jobs and being impacted by them directly, and not, as some of you may be thinking as a by-standing Chaplain. Not until I had finished overlapping careers as a US Marine and a Deputy Sheriff and Police Officer and retired from both, did I see that God was calling me into service as a Police Chaplain with a secondary role of working with all first responders and especially those who respond to natural and man caused disasters. This includes our military responders as well. I realized when I tried to retire that we Christians have been instructed by Our Lord and Savior to make use of all the life experiences and accumulated knowledge with which He provided us, to make the path to "Salvation" more visible and readily accessible to others. We have also been directed to help others grow as Christians through "Discipleship". Sadly, while many congregations (there is but one church and Jesus Christ is its head) are doing an acceptable job of recruiting for God's army, all too few instill or even provide their members with true spiritual leadership and discipleship training. These "recruits" are often left trying to mature on their own. If this was such a great way to learn then we would let our children raise themselves and our cops, soldiers and the rest of the world train themselves as well. I would hate to think of the results of that course of action.
On the 18th of December at a meeting of our local detachment of the United States Marine Corps League I was suprised and inducted into the Legion Of Honor of The Chapel of the Four Chaplains.
The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation is a humanitarian foundation that exists to further the cause of “unity without uniformity” by encouraging goodwill and cooperation among all people. The organization achieves its mission by advocating for and honoring people whose deeds symbolize the legacy of the Four Military Chaplains aboard the U.S.A.T. Dorchester in 1943. The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation's vision is to impart the principles of selfless service to humanity without regard to race, creed, ethnicity, or religious beliefs.
The Reverend Daniel Poling, in honor of his son Chaplain Poling's heroism, began the movement to celebrate the Four Chaplains acts of courage. The organization was dedicated on February 3, 1951 by President Harry S. Truman. In his dedication speech, the President said, “This interfaith shrine... will stand through long generations to teach Americans that as men can die heroically as brothers so should they live together in mutual faith and goodwill.”
The Legion of Honor Humanitarian Award is given in recognition of a lifetime commitment to selfless service and societal advancement that has demonstrably affected the quality of life in the community, state or nation, service without regard to faith or race. The selection process for this award is rigorous. Distinguished recipients of the Legion of Honor Awards have included Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, James Carter, and Ronald Reagan. Notable luminaries who received the award were Bob Hope, John Glenn, Martha Raye, James Michener, Marian Anderson, C. Everett Koop, Tommy Lasorda and Shirley Chisholm as well as deserving military personnel, veterans, and civilians from all walks of life.
Nominations are accepted for any of these awards from past recipients of the Legion of Honor; church and government leaders; and leaders of civic, fraternal and veteran organizations only. All awards must be publicly presented at a Legion of Honor service or as part of an appropriate ceremony which includes the Saga of the Four Chaplains, which follows.
You can hear anything in a law enforcement "locker
room", I know because I have spent most of my life in them. Locker rooms
are where "rookies" learn the "Real Story" from the tried
and true "Vetranos" of the Street. Or so the veterans want the
rookies to believe. While it is true that a great deal of good training really
does take place informally, especially during the after academy "OJT"
phase, rookies need to be discerning in just what they consider "the real
gouge" or "Street Gospel." I mean there is a lot of truth to
that old adage that says, "You cannot give that which you do not
have." That applies to the advice of a number of senior officers I have
met who seem to think that a years experience 15 times is the same as 15 years
experience. It is not! These "ROD's" (Retired On Duty) never grew
beyond their own self-focused lives. They will never view a half full glass,
only the half empty variety. I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard one
of these "Locker Room Sages" say, "Get over it rookie, there is
no place for compassion in police work." Well I can promise you this, if I
lost my compassion for others, I would have given up my badge (any one of the
30 or so I have worn in the last 39 years) and withdrawn from the brotherhood
and left "The Jericho Road" a long, long time ago. If you want to
find out why I stayed, Click on Read More and follow along.
When I made the decision to patrol the Jericho Road, it was,
at first, a reluctant decision on my part. I was a U.S. Marine Corps Staff NCO
and I had decided that I was going to follow that career path forever. God, on
the other hand, obviously had other plans. However, I was not going to make
things easy. You see that just wasn't my way back then. I resisted God until He
made the Marine Corps order me to become a cop. Well, they listened and they
told me and that my friend, was that.
I became a reserve police officer in 1971 Little Rock Arkansas while I was
assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit of Co. D (-) 4th MP BN and then
after 10 years in the Corps, I left the active duty Marine Corps 2 years later
in 1973 and joined the USMCR and the Anaheim CA Police Department.
I can't remember ever telling anyone on the "hiring" side of any Oral
Board table I sat before that I wanted to become a law enforcement officer (Cop
or Deputy Sheriff) so people would respect and thank me for my service and
sacrifice on their behalf. I also cannot remember any applicant giving me that
answer either, as I sat on the opposite side of the hiring or promotion board
table in my later years in law enforcement. Actually I recall receiving many
"textbook answers" like "I want to serve my community" and
"I want to make my community a better place". "I want to make
this agency a better agency to work for"... etc. What happens to Cops who
start out with such "noble" intentions?
This section is where the books I have written will be highlighted. Any reviews of those publications will also be posted in this article whether from published sources or from reader feedback. When possible links to the publishers website will also be included. Other sources will be indicated for each book when available. Currently there are two books in print or eBook format. My second was released May of 2009. It is called "Are You Destined To Lead" and should be available through your local book stores and on the web.
"Ephesians: God's battle Plan For Spiritual Warfare" is available (see below) in paperback and eBook formats from iuniverse publishing. It is also available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobel's website and Books-a-million's website and Book Stores or other locations in your area should be able to order it for you. You may also request ordering information via the contact tab onthis website.
The following article is based on a book review written by Wayne Ford of the Athens Banner Herald and published in the "Living" Section of that newspaper on 22 May 2006. It has been edited for composition but not for content, Click Read More to continue...
