A fallen soldier
This was taken from the Insider weekly newsletter to The Moral Majority Coalition and The Liberty Alliance.
A Fallen Soldier Comes Home
“I’m bulletproof until the Lord calls me home to be with Him.” — Jesse Strong
On Friday, I will journey to Vermont to conduct the funeral of Marine Sgt. Jesse Strong, a Liberty University graduate who was killed in Iraq on January 26.
This young hero lost his life in the continuing effort to effect justice and freedom in a land that is slowly beginning to embrace these values after many years of living in the darkness of Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror.
Jesse, of Irasburg , Vt. , was a member of the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division. He died in Al Anbar Province as a result of hostile action as he was riding in a convoy to sweep for mines and repel insurgents in the area.
A firefight ensued that day. Sgt. Strong was killed along with Cpl. Jonathan W. Bowling (23, Patrick, Va.), Cpl Christopher Weaver (24, Fredericksburg , Va. ) and Lance Cpl. Karl Linn (20, Chesterfield, Va.) when their Hummer was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Jesse’s death stunned the Liberty community.
Students and faculty who knew him have described him as a gregarious soul with a booming and engaging laugh. While at Liberty , he served as a prayer leader and a resident assistant. He was a standout spiritual leader who was often described as having an ability to inspire others in their faith.
This was a young man full of life. Jesse loved people and cherished his relationship with Jesus Christ. He was an avid golfer and hunter and baseball fan. And I have learned that he enjoyed doing imitations of me. Following graduation from Liberty in 2003, he enrolled in seminary.
“If he had a bad day he didn’t show it,” said graduate student Linley Harrison, a friend of Jesse’s. “He had a heart of gold. He always wanted to talk about others, never himself.”
I am so proud of this young man and I continue to grieve for his loss. He had a future so bright and promising, but for reasons we may never know, God saw fit to call him home to heaven. In his brief time here among us, he touched many hearts and his friends and family will embrace his memory as long as they live.
The Ongoing Battle
As of this writing, 1,439 Americans have been killed in Iraq . Other coalition troops from 13 nations have also been killed there. More than 10,000 U.S. troops have been wounded in action.
We must never forget the sacrifice of these men and women, many of them at the very dawning of their lives, who valiantly left the comforts of home to fight for the freedom of the Iraqi people.
We are bolstered by the fact that freedom is taking root in Iraq . The elections there have been a resounding success.
“[T]he people of Iraq have spoken to the world, and the world is hearing the voice of freedom from the center of the Middle East ,” said President Bush.
During Wednesday’s State of the Union address, President Bush explained how the effort in Iraq is having enduring significance.
He stated, “In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. ... The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom.”
In the days to come, as we mourn for Sgt. Jesse Strong and the other brave Americans who have fallen in Iraq , we will remember the President’s words and be strengthened to know that the blood of these heroes has not fallen in vain.
--Dr. Jerry Falwell
A Fallen Soldier Comes Home
“I’m bulletproof until the Lord calls me home to be with Him.” — Jesse Strong
On Friday, I will journey to Vermont to conduct the funeral of Marine Sgt. Jesse Strong, a Liberty University graduate who was killed in Iraq on January 26.
This young hero lost his life in the continuing effort to effect justice and freedom in a land that is slowly beginning to embrace these values after many years of living in the darkness of Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror.
Jesse, of Irasburg , Vt. , was a member of the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division. He died in Al Anbar Province as a result of hostile action as he was riding in a convoy to sweep for mines and repel insurgents in the area.
A firefight ensued that day. Sgt. Strong was killed along with Cpl. Jonathan W. Bowling (23, Patrick, Va.), Cpl Christopher Weaver (24, Fredericksburg , Va. ) and Lance Cpl. Karl Linn (20, Chesterfield, Va.) when their Hummer was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Jesse’s death stunned the Liberty community.
Students and faculty who knew him have described him as a gregarious soul with a booming and engaging laugh. While at Liberty , he served as a prayer leader and a resident assistant. He was a standout spiritual leader who was often described as having an ability to inspire others in their faith.
This was a young man full of life. Jesse loved people and cherished his relationship with Jesus Christ. He was an avid golfer and hunter and baseball fan. And I have learned that he enjoyed doing imitations of me. Following graduation from Liberty in 2003, he enrolled in seminary.
“If he had a bad day he didn’t show it,” said graduate student Linley Harrison, a friend of Jesse’s. “He had a heart of gold. He always wanted to talk about others, never himself.”
I am so proud of this young man and I continue to grieve for his loss. He had a future so bright and promising, but for reasons we may never know, God saw fit to call him home to heaven. In his brief time here among us, he touched many hearts and his friends and family will embrace his memory as long as they live.
The Ongoing Battle
As of this writing, 1,439 Americans have been killed in Iraq . Other coalition troops from 13 nations have also been killed there. More than 10,000 U.S. troops have been wounded in action.
We must never forget the sacrifice of these men and women, many of them at the very dawning of their lives, who valiantly left the comforts of home to fight for the freedom of the Iraqi people.
We are bolstered by the fact that freedom is taking root in Iraq . The elections there have been a resounding success.
“[T]he people of Iraq have spoken to the world, and the world is hearing the voice of freedom from the center of the Middle East ,” said President Bush.
During Wednesday’s State of the Union address, President Bush explained how the effort in Iraq is having enduring significance.
He stated, “In the long term, the peace we seek will only be achieved by eliminating the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder. ... The only force powerful enough to stop the rise of tyranny and terror, and replace hatred with hope, is the force of human freedom.”
In the days to come, as we mourn for Sgt. Jesse Strong and the other brave Americans who have fallen in Iraq , we will remember the President’s words and be strengthened to know that the blood of these heroes has not fallen in vain.
--Dr. Jerry Falwell
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