"A Story Worth Sharing"?

A friend sent along this e-mail today, wondering if it's legit.

A story worth sharing...

An unreported story worth sharing... At a recent Soldiers Breakfast held at Redstone Arsenal, AL, Sergeant Major of the Army Jack Tilley shared the following story. (The vignette was captured by James Henderson, Association of the U.S. Army Redstone Huntsville Chapter Chaplain) He (SMA Jack Tilley) described one such recent visit to our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington that I (Chaplain Henderson) will never forget.

The Special Forces soldier had lost his right hand and suffered severe wounds of his face and side of his body. As SMA Tilley described, how do you honor such a soldier, showing respect without offending?

What can you say or do in such a situation that will encourage and uplift? How do you shake the right hand of a soldier who just lost his? Finally he told how he acted as though the man had a hand, taking his wrist as though it were his hand and speaking encouragement to him.

But he said there was another man in that group of visitors who had even brought his wife with him to visit the wounded who knew exactly what to do. This man reverently took this soldier's stump of a hand in both of his hands, bowed at the bedside and prayed for him. When he stood from praying he bent over and kissed the man on the head and told him he loved him.

What a powerful expression of love for one our wounded heroes! And what a beautiful Christ-like example! What kind of man would kneel in such humility and submission to the Living God of the Bible?

It was George W. Bush, President of the United States and Commander in Chief of our Armed forces, a man who understands and follows his chain of command, a leader God has given us.

Snopes says, as of May 31, that the status of this story is "undetermined"; Truth or Fiction says, as of June 5, "A spokesperson for the Association of the U.S. Army's Redstone Huntsville chapter said Chaplain Henderson's story is true. We have contacted Sgt. Major Jack Tilley for confirmation of the story as well and will post his reply."

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Fri. 06/27/03 09:59:00 PM
Categorized as War.