05-20-2003, 11:19 AM
Major Scott Hawkins, my business partner, is in Kuwait with the US Marines 8th Tank Battalion as they prepare to return home from the war. From the turret of an Abrams Tank, he participated in some of the fiercest fighting of the war around Al Nasiriyah. My friend is a 42 year old, proud father of 4 daughters. When not fighting for his country he lives on a small horse farm near Berlin, Maryland.
He asked me to provide this letter to everyone who has prayed and supported him and his troops. I thought you should get a copy.
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A Message From A Marine In Iraq
Our country did a good thing here.
Our battles were not with the citizens of Iraq, rather they were against an evil that had consumed their government.
I volunteered to come here because I still believe the words "In God We Trust" printed on our currency.
I truly believe that we are indeed, "One Nation Under God".
I believe that we are also a blessed nation and that we were called upon by God to assist in fighting an evil that was growing.
I have been humbled beyond words and I feel blessed to have been allowed to have been a part of God's plan for this region of the world. I have also felt God's presence - when I asked for his protection before battle and when I called out to him during battle. And now, I feel very blessed to be coming home, alive and in one piece to be a witness to God's work. I want to tell you about an experience I had:
When we were in one of the smaller towns south of Al Kut, I had an opportunity to meet a man named Hida Hessen. Hida has five children, three boys the oldest 10 and two daughters, the oldest 14. Hida and I spent many hours "talking" about his country. Our discussions were more drawings on MRE cases, animated hand and arms, and very broken English.
At times our discussions were very emotional as he cried while telling me about the suffering his family incurred under Saddam's henchmen. He talked about the lack of food and medical care. He showed me the scars on his son from breaking a bone that was not treated. He showed me the cloths that his children wear, and the crude stitching that holds them together, because there were no new cloths for purchase for the children under Saddam. I knew they had suffered greatly as I saw firsthand how his loyalists had shielded themselves behind women and children as they shot at us.
We also talked about positive things. He expressed his excitement for the new democracy that was coming to his country and his concerns regarding the economy. I could see hope building in his eyes when I explained to him that Iraq was for the people of Iraq and that the oil belonged to the Iraqi people. I explained that the oil and democracy together would be good for his country.
He then told me that he had prayed that America would come and save his country from Saddam and he thanked me again.
Then something happened that I will never forget for the rest of my life.
We started talking about God. He explained to me what he knows about Allah and Muhammad, and he asked me about Jesus. After we talked for a little bit he told me, in the way that I will never forget that he felt that there was only one God over all of the heavens and earth. It was a very simple statement that based upon our discussions that he believed that we shared the same God.
Now you have to understand that this was not a discussion between two highly educated theologians who could logically argue the technicalities that separate our beliefs and how we worship. This was just two simple men coming to an agreement that there was far more in common between us then different because we share the same God. With that, Hida took out his prayer rug and showed me how he prays. After that, I knelt to one knee, bowed my head, and closed my eyes and showed Hida and his children how I pray. Then, without words, we prayed together for the same things. We prayed for success for his democracy, and we prayed for God's protection for our families and the Marines that were outside his home.
I know in my heart that God was still listening to both of us.
Major Scott Hawkins, USMCR
Forward Air Controller, 2 MEB, A Co., 8th Tanks
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You are welcome to share Scott's message with others as you feel it is appropriate. If you'd like to write to Scott - his email address is hawk@sysops.com
If you have any questions, feel free to call or write me.
All The Best To You and Yours!
Tom
Thomas S. Cropper, Jr.
President
SYSOPS INC
229 W Main St STE 1
Salisbury, MD 21801
410-742-7420
tom@sysops.com