Wiley, our son, went with me to the movies last night. We have a little but courageous theater here on the Island. They show all the big movies but maybe just a little late. Curt one of the local cops, a big Viking, is in a tiedyed t-shirt and helps to sell popcorn beforehand. I think we Norman Rockwelled again.
Curt said he had already seen the movie twice and praised it. I said my Dad was there, a combat medic in the same regiment as Private Doss. Curt said his Dad was at the Battle of the Bulge, different continent but same naked exposure to weather, heartbreak and flying metal.
Wiley went with me as I couldn’t face going alone, too _____. So, this is Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge”. If you saw his film the “Passion of Christ” you will know the intensity that he can bring. The reason I am blogging now about this is that I am feeling overwhelmed by it. Overwhelmed by my memories and conversations with my father who was there doing the same job as Private Doss in the massive funk that was Okinawa in the spring of 1945.
Foretunately, there are massive redeeming qualities about Gibson’s movie and about my dad. Private Doss, a consciousous objector, finds a place in the intense and complicated comradary of his unit by having an intense and uncomplicated faith in God and his unswerving devotion to the following the Ten Commandments. He was made a combat medic which is the EMT of the day so he didn’t have to touch a weapon but still was contributing. And boy did he contribute.
He takes saving lives to the ultimate level staying behind on the contested battlefield alone* to minister, transport and save 75 combatants some of which were enemy troops. Very intense, was my son’s comment. Yes. Private Doss received our nation’s highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his devotion to his comrades. I might add to the list his enemies, and ultimately his God.
My son and I this morning are dwelling on the realization what we owe to my Father and Wiley’s Grandfather. I have always been in awe of the stories of the service that he provided to so many. Wiley got a glimpse of that last night. And we have to know that God kept him alive and intact in body, mind and spirit to be a major part of our upbringing. It is so amazing when history becomes so raw, intense and personal.
Ah, there is blue sky out between the puffy white clouds. God is looking down on us. Time to cook breakfast for My Rebecca and myself, shallots and eggs in the peace of the morning here with Norman Rockwell over in the corner painting. Yup, we are thankful, love you always, Felipe.x
Isn´t it amazing when we stop a minute and thought all that others who came before us did for us -even at the time not even knowing “we” were coming after-? I think of this quite often, and it happened to me lots when walking in the Camino… that font to take water, the yellow arrows painted, the ones who set up an albergue… This is why it worries me a bit when I watch sometimes these days that were are just thinking of what benefits us today… not thinking we should make sure we are contributing to those who come after us…
Love to find your writings, I watched the trailer of your film when you were just back from the Camino… today I saw this in the CSJ post in facebook.
Warm hugs from Buenos Aires, from a fellow pilgrim.
Kindly
Cris
Cris ~ you are so welcome to Caminoheads! I am always excited about someone new coming onboard. The comments really bring life to the blog. You don’t know how good “warm hugs from Buenos Aires” is for me right now, us in the middle of winter here. I’m not going to whine about it but as I get older winters seem more of a hurtle every time. But one of the themes of Caminoheads is how great it is when we can buoy each other up. You are buoying me up with your comment here miles away.
Read about St Dominic de la Caldiz (I think I spelled the right). He is known as the first engineer of the Camino building the trail and building bridges along the trail to get pilgrims to walk together and be able to defend themselves better against the bandits. Before that I think people just sort of filtered across the landscape not on a specific “way” and were easy pickings for the bad guys. He was someone with a vision and the where-with-all make it happen.
Please keep in touch and be with us here. Another theme of the blog is figuring out what this means: “When you get to Santiago your Camino actually begins”. Right, you with me? See you soon, Felipe.x