Posted on 05/26/2003 4:13:02 AM PDT by tame
Last night Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, California held a beautiful service titled, "Honoring Our Heroes".
I was there and I was proud of the tribute paid to our soldiers by Pastors Phil Neighbors and Roger Spradlin.
There was a roll call for relatives of soldiers currently serving in the military. The relatives (and in same cases the soldiers themselves) were awarded blue star placards by a local Assemblyman.
The Kern County family members of Fallen Heroes Osbaldo Orosco and Brian Prosser were honored with gold star placards. Orosco and Prosser were both killed in the war on Terror. Here are some excerpts from the Bakersfield Californian:
"Mayra Orozco, the young widow of Lt. Osbaldo Orozco of Delano who died April 25 in northern Iraq, tried her best to hold back tears Sunday evening as more than 2,000 people gathered for the "Honoring our Heroes" celebration at Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield.
But then Brian Prosser of Frazier Park, the father of Cody Prosser who was killed Dec. 5, 2001, in Afghanistan, moved his wheelchair over and hugged Orozco, who immediately burst into tears.
"We bumped hearts," Prosser explained after the 90-minute celebration and tribute for about 140 servicemen and women, each of whom was called out by name...
The whole congregation, with the help of a 130-voice choir and a 40-piece orchestra, sang "You're A Grand Old Flag," "This is My Country" and "God Bless America," cheered as each branch of the service was recognized, and gave more standing ovations for heroes than most presidents get after a strong speech.
Attendees were told to hold their applause until all the service members were named, but they let loose when Army Specialist E-4 Josh Farley, 22, a church member who had returned just two weeks ago from the front lines in Iraq, stood up when his name was called.
"It was very emotional and touching," said Farley, who admitted to being terrified most of the time he was in the war zone. "It makes me proud to be an American and doing something good."
He said his heart went out to the Prosser and Orozco families.
Prosser said an event like the one Sunday at the church "is not easy, but it is necessary" for the healing. Orozco said, "That's exactly how I feel."
People there remembered a time when it wasn't always so supportive for returning soldiers.
Tom Osterdock, a former Navy serviceman in the Vietnam era, said, "Seeing a celebration like this is something we didn't see back then. I'm glad people realize we are earning our freedoms with the sacrifice of those in the service."
Osterdock held in his hand a certificate with three blue stars, one star for each of his family members now serving in the Navy -- his daughter, Tamalina Boner, her husband, Andrew Boner, and Osterdock's brother-in-law, John Parker.
The blue stars were handed out to families of the service members by Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, who said in recent weeks he's handed out about 2,000 blue stars to show support for the families of servicemen and women.
He said he found it very moving to talk to the families, and an event like Sunday's shows "this community won't forget."
During the tribute, which is actually an annual event at the church but was larger this year because of the recent war, Valley Baptist's pastor, Phil Neighbors, said it was his church's way of honoring the service members for their special sacrifice.
He called their service in defense of American liberties "compelling," and added, "when you see sacrifice, it grips our hearts."
And with that he thanked the Prosser and Orozco families, who received not a blue star but a gold one, in honor of their sacrifice.
And what's more, they got a rousing ovation from a grateful community."
It truly was a beautiful service. Thank God for Valley Baptist Church and for Pastors Phil Neighbors and Roger Spradlin.
Also, at the end of the service there was a taped message from Ollie North to Valley Baptist, and then an offering was taken for Ollie North's Freedom Alliance Fund (for fallen heroes).
No more bleeding, no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
Just divine embrace, eternal light
In the Mansions of the Lord
Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep
Through the ages safely keep
The Mansions of the Lord.
*********
Just so you will know, "The Mansions of The Lord" was first used at the end of the splendid Mel Gibson film "We Were Soldiers." If you have NOT seen it, I urge you to do so. It will be a very emotional experience.
Perhaps this paricular story of the valor and sacrifice of American fighting men touched me so because I was training kids to be combat engineers at Ft. Belvoir, Va between 1962 to 1966. Many of them wound up in Vietnam. Some of them found their way to The Wall (which I STILL cannot bring myself to visit).
Director Randall Wallace and Music Director Nick Glennie-Smith searched for the US Army counterpart to the beautiful and haunting "Navy Hymn" (which, because I was at the Kennedy funeral, STILL rings in my ears) and could not find one. So they WROTE "Mansions" and use it (sung by the West Point Glee Club) as the credits roll. The melody is used during the film as well, but the audience at the screening I attended sat motionless as the credits ran – and words and music enveloped us.
I shall probably watch my DVD version of it today. And I will again be moved to tears...
It was a GREAT movie. I loved the extra features on the DVD, too!
Have a Blessed day!
Thank you! I really wish you all could have been there. It was really moving We also sang "God Bless the U.S.A.".
Dod News:
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