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August 18, 1969 - the final day of that perverted orgy known as "Woodstock."

Where was I? On an early morning mission in the "Arizona" - Quang Nam Province, I Corps, RVN. We were sent out to relieve and bring in some of our guys who had been ambushed earlier in the day.

Some of you have heard this story before, or parts of it. The reason I bring it up this evening is to make one point. I was hit in that mission, lying prone in the tall grass but clearly exposed to further fire. My 3/5 Brothers laid down a heavy field of fire to protect me, secured the area, and came to my aid.

My most vivid memory of that incident was immediately after I was hit. I looked over to one side, and a young Marine was crouched with his M-16 spitting rounds at the enemy, reloading and repeating, again and again. That young Marine was a gentleman of color, as were many of the young Marines who stood with me that day. He, and they, sprang into action immediately - without any question as to my "race."

I was born into a society where prejudice was common, some say ingrained in its fabric, but I was not reared to be prejudiced. I was reared by my Mother and Father to respect all without regard to race. I agree with Dr. Martin Luther King that we we should be judged by the content of our character, not the color of our skin.

Any vestiges of racial prejudice that I may have harbored were fully washed away that morning. I pray that the barriers of race in our society be thrown down once and for all and that we may all share equally in the manifold benefits our Dear Lord has bestowed upon our Beloved Nation.

"Dia shábháil ar fad anseo!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)