A Soldier Encounters St.

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A Soldier Encounters St. There's a story about a young Marine named who wrote a letter home to his motherwhile he was in the hospital after having been wounded in Korea in 1950. A Navy Chaplainnamed Father Walter Muldy apparently was given the letter, checked the facts and concludedwhat was in the letter was true. A year later he read the letter in public for the first time, to agathering of some 5,000 Marines at the Naval Base in San Diego.

Karin - from Oregon sent the following story regarding Archangel ....A Soldier Encounters St. This was forwarded to us by a reader:There's a story about a young Marine named who wrote a letter home to his motherwhile he was in the hospital after having been wounded in Korea in 1950. A Navy Chaplainnamed Father Walter Muldy apparently was given the letter, checked the facts and concludedwhat was in the letter was true. A year later he read the letter in public for the first time, to agathering of some 5,000 Marines at the Naval Base in San Diego. Here is the letter:Dear Mom,I wouldn't dare write this letter to anyone but you because no one else would believe it.Maybe even you will find it hard but I have got to tell somebody. First off, I am in a hospital.Now don't worry, ya hear me, don't worry. I was wounded but I'm okay you understand.Okay. The doctor says that I will be up and around in a month.But that's not what I want to tell you.Remember when I joined the Marines last year; remember when I left, how you told me tosay a prayer to St. every day. You really didn't have to tell me that. Ever since I canremember you always told me to pray to St. the Archangel. You even named meafter him. Well I always have.When I got to Korea, I prayed even harder. Remember the prayer that you taught me?", of the morning, fresh chord of Heaven adorning," you know the rest of it.Well I said it everyday. Sometimes when I was marching or sometimes resting. But alwaysbefore I went to sleep. I even got some of the other fellas to say it.Well, one day I was with an advance detail way up over the front lines. We were scoutingfor the Commies. I was plodding along in the bitter cold, my breath was like cigar smoke.I thought I knew every guy in the patrol, when along side of me comes another Marine Inever met before. He was bigger than any other Marine I'd ever seen. He must have been6'4" and built in proportion. It gave me a feeling of security to have such a body near.Anyway, there we were trudging along. The rest of the patrol spread out. Just to startconversation I said, "Cold ain't it." And then I laughed. Here I was with a good chanceof getting killed any minute and I am talking about the weather.My companion seemed to understand. I heard him laugh softly. I looked at him, "I havenever seen you before, I thought I knew every man in the outfit.""I just joined at the last minute", he replied. "The name is .""Is that so," I said surprised. "That is my name too.""I know," he said and then went on, ", of the morning ..."I was too amazed to say anything for a minute. How did he know my name, and a prayerthat you had taught me? Then I smiled to myself, every guy in the outfit knew about me.Hadn't I taught the prayer to anybody who would listen. Why now and then, they even referredto me as St. . Neither of us spoke for a time and then he broke the silence."We are going to have some trouble up ahead."He must have been in fine physical shape or he was breathing so lightly I couldn't see his breath.Mine poured out in great clouds. There was no smile on his face now. Trouble ahead, Ithought to myself, well with the Commies all around us, that is no great revelation. Snow beganto fall in great thick globs. In a brief moment the whole countryside was blotted out. And I wasmarching in a white fog of sticky particles. My companion disappeared."," I shouted in sudden alarm.I felt his hand on my arm, his voice was rich and strong, "This will stop shortly."His prophecy proved to be correct. In a few minutes the snow stopped as abruptly as ithad begun. The sun was a hard shining disc. I looked back for the rest of the patrol, therewas no one in sight. We lost them in that heavy fall of snow. I looked ahead as we came over alittle rise.Mom, my heart stopped. There were seven of them. Seven Commies in their padded pants andjackets and their funny hats. Only there wasn't anything funny about them now. Seven rifleswere aimed at us."Down ," I screamed and hit the frozen earth.I heard those rifles fire almost as one. I heard the bullets. There was still standing. Mom,those guys couldn't have missed, not at that range. I expected to see him literally blown to bits.But there he stood, making no effort to fire himself. He was paralyzed with fear. It happenssometimes, Mom, even to the bravest. He was like a bird fascinated by a snake. At least, that waswhat I thought then. I jumped up to pull him down and that was when I got mine I felt a suddenflame in my chest. I often wondered what it felt like to be hit, now I know..I remember feeling strong arms around me, arms that laid me ever so gently on a pillow of snow.I opened my eyes, for one last look. I was dying. Maybe I was even dead, I remember thinkingwell, this is not so bad. Maybe I was looking into the sun. Maybe I was in shock. But it seemed Isaw standing erect again only this time his face was shining with a terrible splendor. As Isay, maybe it was the sun in my eyes, but he seemed to change as I watched him. He grew bigger,his arms stretched out wide, maybe it was the snow falling again, but there was a brightnessaround him like the wings of an angel. In his hands was a sword. A sword that flashed with a millionlights. Well, that is the last thing I remember until the rest of the fellas came up and found me. I donot know how much time had passed. Now and then I had but a moment's rest from the pain andfever. I remember telling them of the enemy just ahead."Where is ," I asked.I saw them look at one another. "Where's who?" asked one.", the big Marine I was walking with just before the snow squall hit us.""Kid," said the sergeant, "You weren't walking with anyone. I had my eyes on you the whole time.You were getting too far out. I was just going to call you in when you disappeared in the snow."He looked at me, curiously. "How did you do it kid?""How'd I do what?" I asked half angry despite my wound. "This marine named andI were just ...""Son," said the sergeant kindly, " I picked out this outfit myself and there just ain't another in it. You are the only Mike in it."He paused for a minute, "Just how did you do it kid? We heard shots. There hasn't been a shotfired from your rifle. And there isn't a bit of lead in them seven bodies over the hill there."I didn't say anything, what could I say. I could only look open-mouthed with amazement.It was then the sergeant spoke again, "Kid," he said gently, "every one of those sevenCommies was killed by a sword stroke."That is all I can tell you Mom. As I say, it may have been the sun in my eyes, it may havebeen the cold or the pain. But that is what happened.Love, The prayer in the story seemed to be:, , of the morning,Fresh chord of Heaven adorning,Keep me safe todayAnd in time of temptation,Drive the devil away.