I was one of more than 300 runners in the NSA Armed Forces Week 5K run in Fort Meade, Maryland. It was pretty crowded at the start, but things thinned out after about five minutes or so, and I took my bearings.
Perhaps 200 yards ahead of me was a group of maybe eight Marines or so who were obviously running together. I decided that a good goal would be to beat them, which seemed reasonable, as I am a macho Air Force Chaplain and they were only a bunch of United States Marines.
I kept them in sight for the next couple of miles, but the longer the race went on, the younger those guys got. It became apparent to me in the last half mile that I was not going to catch them, and I resigned myself to finishing well behind them.
Then I noticed that one of their number was struggling and was gradually dropping off the pace. I panted out a word of encouragement as I caught him and realized that he was not about to give up.
Within 100 yards of the finish line I saw a strange sight. The entire group of Marines made a U-turn in the road and was running back towards me. As they ran past me I noted their well-chiseled muscles and the determined set of their jaws.
I glanced over my shoulder in time to see them rally around their buddy to provide the emotional support of the team so that they could all finish together. I was impressed. No way would they leave a struggling comrade behind.
As I entered the finishing chute I murmured a prayer. "God, I'm glad those guys are on our side."
And so it was that I learned a theological truth from the U.S. Marines that is as vivid as any my seminary professors ever taught.
"If anyone sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
I witnessed "a few good men" in action. They reminded me of the strength of being a team, and that words without actions are pretty much useless. Thanks, Marines.
~ The author is Chaplain (Lt Col) Dwight Johnson who at the time he wrote this story he was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland ~
4 comments to A Few Good Men - True Story
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Unknown Hi CLY
Thanks for sharing your sharp observations. Being a woman, I could only resonate with the sentimental part of the tale and paid little attention to the figures :-(.
I did not type the article but copied it from a mail that someone sent me years ago.
Perhaps there are some older ones who cannot complete 5km effortlessly...:-)
I for one would not be able to even complete 3km LOL!
Take care and have a lovely evening!
Kind regards
CLY Is it a typo? It was a 5 K run and yet he said he kept them in sight for the next couple of miles. One mile is 1.6 kilometer so 5 km is about 3 miles. He is walking his first mile and the next couple should be more than 2 miles?
And a fit marine who cannot complete
5 km effortlessly should be retired.