Every so often, we will have explosions on the base. When I was last here we had 152 in 120 days. They are usually mortars or rockets. Fortunately they rarely cause any harm to us because the base is so large. They do cause a fare amount of porta-potty damage. The other night there were quite a few explosion and it made me think of the National Anthem and the portion: ”And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air”. The Star Spangled Banner, can be hummed by most, a few could recite the words and fewer yet can sing it well. However, what I have been thinking about is what the second verse has to say. Here it is:

O thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the wars desolation;
Blest the victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that has made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, “In God is our trust”;
And the star-spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave

This is just a very small part of our very strong religious history. I am saddened by how often the strength of the conviction of our fore-fathers is minimized by revisionist history. The importance of the faith of a nation at war is clear from the second verse. The first tells us that the banner standing is an encouragement, the second tells us who deserves the credit.

Just like in the days of Francis Scott Key, Iraq has had its fare share of explosions, bombs and rockets. The other night on this base they “gave proof through the night that our flag[s] were still there”. Here, the Iraq and the US flag fly beside one another and the colors: red, white, and blue, do not run.

Solis Deo Gloria

More thoughts to come,