Troop Prayer Thread 4

Welcome to the Troop Prayer Thread! We gather here together in the belief that "whereever two or more are gathered in my name, there am I," and that by the grace of God, group prayer effort can be a great force for good in the world.

We are listing here members of the active armed services known to us for whom we want to pray. We are also seeking to keep track of the Captured/MIAs here for prayer purposes.

If you would like to submit someone for our list, you are welcome to do so at any time. Post their name or pseudonym here on the thread or freepmail amom or myself. If we have made any errors, please let us know so that we may correct the list. We will be making periodic updates. If you want to be added or removed from the ping list please let amom or me know by freepmail.

We invite everyone, active Freepers and Lurkers alike to join our circle in prayer for these fine men and women who have volunteered to place their lives on the line for the defense of our nation and for the liberation of the oppressed peoples of other nations. To them we send our greatest respect and gratitude. We send them our prayers and good thoughts. We ask for God's blessing upon them and their families.

For those of us who have somewhat limited computer capacity, we request that graphics be limited to pictures of loved ones for whom we are offering prayers, special visuals that seem particularly appropriate, and as much as possible, non-moving graphics. Thank you.

Patrick Miller
Joseph Hudson
Edgar Hernandez
James Riley
David Williams
Ronald Young
Shoshana Johnson

Army Sgt. Donald Ralph Walters, 33, of Salem, Ore., 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, of El Paso, Texas, 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Pvt. Brandon Ulysses Sloan, 19, of Bedford, Ohio, 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa, 23, of Tuba City, Ariz., 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, of El Paso, Texas, 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Pfc. Jessica D. Lynch, 19, of Palestine, W.Va., 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, of Cleveland, 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Army Spc. James M. Kiehl, 22, of Comfort, Texas, 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick R. Nixon, 21, of Gallatin, Tenn. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Lance Cpl. Michael J. Williams, 31, Arizona (city not available). Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Lance Cpl. Donald J. Cline, Jr., 21, of Washoe, Nev. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Pvt. Jonathan L. Gifford, 30, of Decatur, Ill. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Pvt. Nolen R. Hutchings, 19, of Boiling Springs, S.C. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Pfc. Tamario D. Burkett, 21, of Buffalo, N.Y. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Cpl. Kemaphoom A. Chanawongse, 22, of Waterford, Conn. Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas A. Blair, 24, of Broken Arrow, Okla. Assigned to the 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Group-28, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, N.C.

To tell you the truth I don't know. When we were children, in the fifties, we sang all the war songs and the patriotic songs all the time.

I found this on a website.

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition"; was written by Frank Loesser. According to the song a chaplain ("sky pilot") was with some fighting men who were being attacked by an enemy. (Generally given at the time to be the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.) He was asked to say a prayer for the men who were engaged in the firing at the on-coming Japanese planes. The chaplain; the song went on to infer, put down his bible, manned one of the ship's gun turrets and begin firing back, saying, "Praise The Lord and pass the ammunition".

Now; however, there are now facts available setting the story straight. According to the writer, Jack S. McDowall, through the years the lyrics of the song have generally credited "a chaplain" manning the gun turrets of a ship, while under attack. "This was not true". says, McDowell.

For some time, long after the attack at Pearl Harbor, stories and reports continued to pop-up about the incident, involving a chaplain who was to have uttered the now famous words, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."

These stories eventualy made their way through the servicemen back to the press. The press, as McDowell noted, . . . led some writers erroneously to identify other chaplains as authors of the phrase.

Nonetheless, the real Chaplain, Howell Forgy, aboard the U.S.S. New Orleans; during the Japanese attack, was that Chaplain. He was a Lieutenant (j.g.) on that Sunday morning in December, 1941.

Another Lieutenant who had been in charge of an ammunition line on the USS New Orleans during the attack remembered.

"I heard a voice behind me saying, Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. I turned and saw Chaplain Forgy walking toward me along the line of men. He was patting the men on the back and making that remark to cheer them and keep them going. I know it helped me a lot, too", he said.

Another Lieutenant j.g. said, the men aboard the USS New Orleans would thereafter kid Chaplain Forgy about the role he played whenever they heard the song that had been written. They also encouraged him to set the record straight as to who actually said what. According to that same Lieutenant the Chaplain would decline saying he felt "the episode should remain a legend rather than be associated with any particular person."

Author McDowell said that press reporters were eventually permitted to interview men of the U.S.S. New Orleans involved in the "ammunition" story. Chaplain Forgy's superior officers set up a meeting with some of the press and; at last, the the real story of the wonderful song and the wonderful man who had inspired it was finally confirmed.

The preceeding information was provided by Henry Wristen, President of the U.S.S New Orleans (CA-32) Reunion Association. "Pearl Harbor: Remembered" Web site thanks him.

The Song

Down went the gunner, a bullet was his fate Down went the gunner, then the gunners mate Up jumped the sky pilot, gave the boys a look And manned the gun himself as he laid aside The Book, shouting Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition and we'll all stay free!

Praise the Lord and swing into position! Can't afford to sit around and wishin' Praise the Lord we're all between perdition and the deep blue sea!

Yes the sky pilot said it You've got to give him credit for a son - of - gun - of - a - gunner was he, Shouting; Praise the Lord we're on a mighty mission! All aboard, we're not a - goin' fishin; Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition and we'll all stay free!

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