WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.080 This is Dale Throneberry wishing a happy Easter 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:04.799 to all of our Veterans Radio listeners. Today's 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:07.919 special program is a replay of our 2010 program, 00:00:08.259 --> 00:00:10.740 Tear in the Desert with author Navy Chaplain 00:00:10.740 --> 00:00:13.779 Father Ron Moses Carmada. Tear in the Desert 00:00:13.779 --> 00:00:16.320 is Father Ron's story of his tour in Iraq in 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:20.239 2004 as a Navy chaplain at the surgical hospital 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:23.719 in Fallujah during the Battle of Fallujah. His 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:26.059 story of faith is an inspiration to all of us, 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:29.079 especially during the Easter season. Keep listening 00:00:29.079 --> 00:00:32.219 after Father Carmada plays Taps with an additional 00:00:32.219 --> 00:00:35.520 reading from Tear in the Desert and two songs 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.280 chosen by Father Carmada by W. Keith Moore. And 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:43.219 now, Father Ron Carmada and Tear in the Desert. 00:00:56.920 --> 00:00:59.859 And welcome to Veterans Radio. My name is Dale 00:00:59.859 --> 00:01:02.320 Thromer and I get to be your host on this beautiful 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:05.200 Sunday afternoon and we have a special program 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:07.260 out of our archives that we wanted to play for 00:01:07.260 --> 00:01:12.290 you and that is from 2010 with Father Ron Moses 00:01:12.290 --> 00:01:14.950 Karmada. He was the author of a book entitled 00:01:14.950 --> 00:01:18.310 Tear in the Desert and it's all about his experiences 00:01:18.310 --> 00:01:22.370 as a chaplain in 2004 during the Battle of Fallujah 00:01:22.370 --> 00:01:25.069 and I think you're going to find this very inspirational 00:01:25.069 --> 00:01:27.909 and I know I did and I think that you're going 00:01:27.909 --> 00:01:30.329 to really enjoy this program. Without further 00:01:30.329 --> 00:01:34.489 delay here is our interview with Father Ron Karmada. 00:01:34.909 --> 00:01:38.409 Joining me on the air right now is Father Ron 00:01:38.409 --> 00:01:42.049 Moses who is the author of a book entitled, Tear 00:01:42.049 --> 00:01:45.030 in the Desert. And Father Ron, welcome to Veterans 00:01:45.030 --> 00:01:48.590 Radio. Oh, Dale, it's great to be here with you. 00:01:49.049 --> 00:01:50.930 It's pretty exciting stuff, isn't it? What's 00:01:50.930 --> 00:01:55.129 going on on the radio today? Life is great. Life 00:01:55.129 --> 00:01:58.670 is great. You are also an award winner with the 00:01:58.670 --> 00:02:02.150 Military Writers Society. And I had the honor 00:02:02.150 --> 00:02:04.349 of meeting you in Pittsburgh a couple of weeks 00:02:04.349 --> 00:02:07.180 ago. and you were kind enough to give me a copy 00:02:07.180 --> 00:02:09.800 of your book, and in all honesty, I could not 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:14.340 put it down. You have told an amazing story, 00:02:14.460 --> 00:02:16.400 and we're going to talk about it a little bit 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:19.680 today. I don't want to give the whole thing away, 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:22.800 but tell me how you became, first of all, how 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:25.099 you became a priest. I thought that was a fascinating 00:02:25.099 --> 00:02:30.960 story. Actually, I went to the U .S. Merchant 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.650 Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. While 00:02:34.650 --> 00:02:37.830 I was there, we sail six months a year out on 00:02:37.830 --> 00:02:41.930 the ships. And then while I was there, I fell 00:02:41.930 --> 00:02:45.569 in love with this young lady and beautiful woman. 00:02:46.430 --> 00:02:48.330 And when I was getting ready to graduate instead 00:02:48.330 --> 00:02:50.810 of sailing on merchant ships, I took a job with 00:02:50.810 --> 00:02:54.590 the US Coast Guard. And when I took the job in 00:02:54.590 --> 00:02:56.270 Jacksonville, Florida, close to where I grew 00:02:56.270 --> 00:02:59.669 up in Daytona Beach, and as soon as I got down 00:02:59.669 --> 00:03:03.030 here, I usually just say, well, she dumped me. 00:03:04.460 --> 00:03:08.020 How cruel that's not what it is really it's more 00:03:08.020 --> 00:03:11.180 like it was that's what God was calling me to 00:03:11.180 --> 00:03:13.419 it I just didn't know what God was calling me 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:18.000 to so I three years later I applied and I went 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:21.919 to the Seminary from the Coast Guard I got out 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:26.020 on August 24th and August 25th I was in the seminary 00:03:26.020 --> 00:03:29.539 at st. Miner at Indiana for a year and Then the 00:03:29.539 --> 00:03:31.360 following year I always said to God I'll give 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:34.680 you two years As God said to me, I'm not going 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:35.740 to tell you if you're going to be appraised, 00:03:35.740 --> 00:03:38.620 He just wanted me to go into the seminary. And 00:03:38.620 --> 00:03:40.979 after the two years, I was almost like I didn't 00:03:40.979 --> 00:03:44.000 want to return, but it was like a five -year 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:47.699 program, and I got like six years for good behavior. 00:03:48.819 --> 00:03:52.639 But when I was ordained in 1990, I had already 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:55.439 switched over from the Coast Guard Reserves to 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:58.520 the Navy Chaplain Candidate Reserve Program. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:02.969 So in 1990, won, I became a full chaplain, but 00:04:02.969 --> 00:04:05.370 I kind of delayed putting my papers in because 00:04:05.370 --> 00:04:07.289 the Gulf War was going on and I didn't want to 00:04:07.289 --> 00:04:10.590 go to the Middle East. Okay, a reluctant warrior. 00:04:12.330 --> 00:04:16.029 So I, three years after being ordained, Bishop 00:04:16.029 --> 00:04:19.649 Snyder, the bishop who ordained me, asked me, 00:04:19.730 --> 00:04:21.129 called me in the office and said, I'd like you 00:04:21.129 --> 00:04:23.029 to go active duty and I said, no, I don't want 00:04:23.029 --> 00:04:25.529 to go active duty. He says, but I want you to 00:04:25.529 --> 00:04:31.909 go. Yes, sir. You know how obedience is. But 00:04:31.909 --> 00:04:34.129 he asked me, like, Ron, why don't you want to 00:04:34.129 --> 00:04:38.430 go? I said, well, they always put the new priests 00:04:38.430 --> 00:04:41.490 with the Marines. And in this case, I know it's 00:04:41.490 --> 00:04:44.350 going to be Okinawa, Japan. And they go out in 00:04:44.350 --> 00:04:46.089 the field a lot. And the bishop said, what's 00:04:46.089 --> 00:04:48.029 wrong with that? I said, Bishop, my idea of roughing 00:04:48.029 --> 00:04:50.290 it is a Motel 6 rather than a Hyatt Regency. 00:04:51.269 --> 00:04:57.149 He said, get out of my office. And he smiled. 00:04:58.269 --> 00:05:01.410 i went out to in nineteen ninety four to uh... 00:05:01.410 --> 00:05:03.230 for a year and a half i was with the marines 00:05:03.230 --> 00:05:06.389 in okinawa and uh... they asked me if i want 00:05:06.389 --> 00:05:08.449 the air side of the grunts and i said let me 00:05:08.449 --> 00:05:10.990 swing with the wing so they put me with the stinger 00:05:10.990 --> 00:05:13.350 battery and if any marines are listening to know 00:05:13.350 --> 00:05:17.430 that that's the grunt of the air and then i followed 00:05:17.430 --> 00:05:20.129 and uh... about a year later uh... i mean a year 00:05:20.129 --> 00:05:21.569 and a half later they asked me where i wanted 00:05:21.569 --> 00:05:25.089 to go and i said how about puerto rico make it 00:05:25.089 --> 00:05:27.209 like what we go i think there's no marine there 00:05:29.420 --> 00:05:32.160 I mean, the Marines, I love them. But once I 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:34.560 got to Puerto Rico, I was there for less than 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:36.360 a month. I was on vacation, and they gave me 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:39.639 orders to go to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba during the 00:05:39.639 --> 00:05:42.800 Cuban operation in 1995. There were 10 ,000 Cubans 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:48.000 and 10 ,000 Haitians refugees. And I ended up 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:52.480 baptizing 28 Cuban refugees, full immersion, 00:05:53.740 --> 00:05:56.699 the CBs and everybody. It was just a beautiful 00:05:56.699 --> 00:06:00.870 occasion. and I returned three months later to 00:06:00.870 --> 00:06:03.009 Puerto Rico and I got passed over for lieutenant 00:06:03.009 --> 00:06:06.290 commander and they said since you got passed 00:06:06.290 --> 00:06:08.410 over twice you have to get out but you're a priest 00:06:08.410 --> 00:06:10.269 so you can stay I said well I don't want to stay 00:06:10.269 --> 00:06:13.889 so I left and I stayed with the reserves the 00:06:13.889 --> 00:06:16.569 VTU and a year later they promoted me anyways 00:06:16.569 --> 00:06:21.290 to lieutenant commander by that time I was out 00:06:21.290 --> 00:06:23.949 for seven years I was a pastor at Saint Patrick's 00:06:23.949 --> 00:06:25.589 on the north side of Jacksonville it's an inner 00:06:25.589 --> 00:06:28.439 city parish And we were doing some marvelous 00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:30.920 things, and I got a phone call from New Orleans 00:06:30.920 --> 00:06:35.579 that said to me, I was a captain. It was at the 00:06:35.579 --> 00:06:36.920 time the reserve unit in New Orleans, this was 00:06:36.920 --> 00:06:40.980 before Katrina, in 2004, July 5th. I qualified 00:06:40.980 --> 00:06:45.100 for 20 good years in the reserves. I get this 00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:47.139 phone call and it says, Padre, do you have experience 00:06:47.139 --> 00:06:52.339 with Marines? I said, no. And then they said, 00:06:52.579 --> 00:06:54.420 pack your bags. You're going to Fallujah, Iraq. 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:58.360 Oh, my. I said, you are. No way. This is a joke. 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:01.720 And he says, no, no, no, no, this is serious. 00:07:01.779 --> 00:07:04.060 We need someone over there. I said, listen, I 00:07:04.060 --> 00:07:08.000 can't go. I'm 45 years old. I can qualify to 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:09.660 retire. They said, well, but did you put your 00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:13.720 papers in? I said, no. You've been extended. 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:17.800 Oh, they, well, actually, you have to submit 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:20.720 for it. And so now I'm retired reserves eventually. 00:07:21.540 --> 00:07:27.269 But then they said, I said, listen, I have season 00:07:27.269 --> 00:07:30.230 tickets to the NFL Jaguar games with my dad. 00:07:31.730 --> 00:07:34.069 They said, now that's good, but that won't work. 00:07:34.610 --> 00:07:40.170 And then a year, a few minutes. Then I said, 00:07:40.389 --> 00:07:42.829 well, what if I had my bishop remove my endorsement? 00:07:42.850 --> 00:07:44.649 Because as a chaplain, I have to be endorsed 00:07:44.649 --> 00:07:48.589 by my bishop. It's like being licensed. And he 00:07:48.589 --> 00:07:50.589 said, well, two priests have already done that. 00:07:50.709 --> 00:07:54.170 And I said, thank you. And I said, goodbye. I 00:07:54.170 --> 00:07:57.500 hung up the phone, didn't tell a soul. On July 00:07:57.500 --> 00:08:00.879 15th, I got orders to report the first week of 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:05.079 August, two weeks later. And I took the orders, 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:07.360 and I walked over to the church, and I placed 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:12.939 my orders on the altar. And I said, Jesus, I 00:08:12.939 --> 00:08:14.579 know you don't want me to go, so I'm going to 00:08:14.579 --> 00:08:16.339 ask the bishop to remove my endorsement. I know 00:08:16.339 --> 00:08:19.800 you need me here to work in this parish, not 00:08:19.800 --> 00:08:22.860 for any glory or anything. And it was like Jesus 00:08:22.860 --> 00:08:25.990 caught my bluff. and that internal voice like 00:08:25.990 --> 00:08:28.209 tapped me on the shoulder and said, Ron, I want 00:08:28.209 --> 00:08:31.189 you to go. I said, no, you don't. Yes, I do. 00:08:31.189 --> 00:08:35.470 No, you don't. And I was struggling. I said, 00:08:36.169 --> 00:08:38.769 you can't be serious. And he said, Ron Moses, 00:08:38.850 --> 00:08:41.210 which is my confirmation name, my grandfather's 00:08:41.210 --> 00:08:44.450 name, I said, you can't send me. I complained 00:08:44.450 --> 00:08:50.649 too much. And Jesus said, yep, you do. So he 00:08:50.649 --> 00:08:52.820 put it in my heart that I was supposed to go. 00:08:52.940 --> 00:08:54.460 I even said, well, send the other two priests. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:57.480 He said, no, I need you. And I didn't know what 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:00.980 this was all about, the typical call that most 00:09:00.980 --> 00:09:04.980 of us have. Sometimes we resist things, and some 00:09:04.980 --> 00:09:07.759 of the most beautiful things happen. So then 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:12.200 I ended up in Fallujah, Iraq. And who were you 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:17.340 with over there? I was with the Bravo Surgical 00:09:17.340 --> 00:09:19.600 Unit, which was a Marine unit, which was sort 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:23.080 of like MASH. If anyone knows the television 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:25.320 show or the movie MASH, I was just like Father 00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:29.679 Mulcahy. There was about a hundred of us. The 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:32.899 first 50 went over, I went over on September 00:09:32.899 --> 00:09:35.600 2nd, and then we went all the way through Althakottam, 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:39.659 then went through just a horrific journey, I 00:09:39.659 --> 00:09:42.279 tell you. They were shooting us as we were landing. 00:09:42.340 --> 00:09:47.240 That gives you an idea. And then we were in the 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:50.169 convoy, which the— The first convoy for anyone 00:09:50.169 --> 00:09:53.269 is just so horrible and I think that's part of 00:09:53.269 --> 00:09:55.830 what the book actually helps a little bit for 00:09:55.830 --> 00:09:58.350 family members. When we go through it, once you 00:09:58.350 --> 00:10:01.830 get through it, then you get used to it. Family 00:10:01.830 --> 00:10:05.289 never gets used to the dangers that are implying 00:10:05.289 --> 00:10:10.269 for those that they love. The Bravo Surgical 00:10:10.269 --> 00:10:14.549 includes about 20 Marines and then there's doctors, 00:10:14.769 --> 00:10:19.360 surgeons, nurses. We have a combat stress team. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.179 And I was the only Catholic priest on Camp Fallujah, 00:10:23.220 --> 00:10:26.840 which had about over 10 ,000 people at the height 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:29.480 of the Fallujah, the Battle for Fallujah. This 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:34.360 was shortly after the Abu Ghraib incident. In 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:36.440 fact, I actually had an opportunity to go over 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:41.980 there in October of 2004. So I was actually in 00:10:41.980 --> 00:10:44.399 Camp Fallujah. And everybody knew that I wasn't 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:48.139 going off anywhere. my family did, but then they 00:10:48.139 --> 00:10:50.779 started asking me to go out into the city, especially 00:10:50.779 --> 00:10:52.639 during the battle for Fallujah, and I said at 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:55.899 first, no, no, no, and I was complaining a lot. 00:10:57.460 --> 00:11:02.360 So from September 6th until December 23rd, we 00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:08.720 had casualties every single day from IEDs, amputations, 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:12.960 shrapnel to all parts of the body. And what I 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.019 started doing is I had this little green notebook 00:11:15.019 --> 00:11:18.929 that I started writing the names of all the people 00:11:18.929 --> 00:11:24.149 there. There was over 2 ,000 names that I had 00:11:24.149 --> 00:11:27.929 written in there, 1 ,500 casualties in my seven 00:11:27.929 --> 00:11:31.309 months over there, and 81 deaths in which 12 00:11:31.309 --> 00:11:34.029 died in front of me. Well, I want to get to that. 00:11:34.029 --> 00:11:35.490 I want to tell our audience, again, we're talking 00:11:35.490 --> 00:11:38.009 with Father Ron Moses Camardi, who's the author 00:11:38.009 --> 00:11:40.809 of Tear in the Desert, which is taken from his 00:11:40.809 --> 00:11:43.009 journal that we were just mentioning here on 00:11:43.009 --> 00:11:46.070 Veterans Radio. And Father Ron, I want you to 00:11:46.070 --> 00:11:49.129 talk a little bit about what it was like with 00:11:49.129 --> 00:11:51.190 all those casualties coming in because in your 00:11:51.190 --> 00:11:53.490 previous life as a, you know, as a priest you 00:11:53.490 --> 00:11:56.190 weren't exposed to that kind of horrific damage 00:11:56.190 --> 00:12:03.610 to a human being. Exactly. I found a journal 00:12:03.610 --> 00:12:07.070 entry that I had written after I had returned 00:12:07.070 --> 00:12:11.389 that I was sitting back reflecting and I wrote, 00:12:11.970 --> 00:12:14.899 in a sense, Each tear that I witnessed in the 00:12:14.899 --> 00:12:18.080 desert was, in a sense, my tear. I am incapable, 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:21.639 like God, to experience the tear as a gift. I 00:12:21.639 --> 00:12:24.799 was crying also. I struggle. The heart of some 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:28.320 was pierced and drained. The only relief would 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:31.919 or could be the creator of blood and heart. My 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:34.840 being was parched. Only one drop, one tear, would 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:36.940 be needed to flood the dryness and emptiness. 00:12:37.820 --> 00:12:40.320 And with that rejuvenation, as in all storms, 00:12:40.840 --> 00:12:44.509 there is a genuine danger. As we take in tear 00:12:44.509 --> 00:12:47.210 in the desert, there is a blessing and a grave 00:12:47.210 --> 00:12:51.169 danger. In the storm, Jesus is coming to you. 00:12:51.529 --> 00:12:54.389 Don't be afraid. He is your love and source of 00:12:54.389 --> 00:12:59.129 being. Don't be afraid. And go to Him. Walk on 00:12:59.129 --> 00:13:02.190 the flood of tears, and don't look away. Have 00:13:02.190 --> 00:13:06.509 faith, and if you do, receive His hand. And Jesus 00:13:06.509 --> 00:13:08.850 will grab me and say, oh, you of little faith, 00:13:08.909 --> 00:13:13.399 why did you doubt? And move on. Focus on Jesus, 00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:18.100 follow Him through the tear. As the people followed 00:13:18.100 --> 00:13:21.179 Moses, only the desert is blooming and flowing 00:13:21.179 --> 00:13:24.639 with life eternal. While I was over there, when 00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:27.419 the people would come in, the first thing that 00:13:27.419 --> 00:13:30.259 I did, I said, okay, buddy, the Marines are stripped 00:13:30.259 --> 00:13:33.139 down. As soon as they come into Bravo Surgical, 00:13:34.019 --> 00:13:36.139 I have a bodyguard that was with me. We were 00:13:36.139 --> 00:13:38.820 like the religious ministry team. So Patrick 00:13:38.820 --> 00:13:41.980 was a Methodist. And he was from Ohio State, 00:13:41.980 --> 00:13:45.080 had twin boys that were about five years old 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:48.039 and a little daughter about nine. And he was 00:13:48.039 --> 00:13:51.000 supposed to defend me. I'm the only military 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:53.700 people, chaplains are the only ones without a 00:13:53.700 --> 00:13:58.700 weapon out there. And he said, so he would strip 00:13:58.700 --> 00:14:00.820 them down. We'd look at the dog tags, look and 00:14:00.820 --> 00:14:02.840 find out what their faith would be if we knew 00:14:02.840 --> 00:14:05.240 anything. Sometimes I would just have to ask 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:07.779 them because maybe their dog tags had no preference. 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:09.700 Like the Jewish people always put no preference. 00:14:10.220 --> 00:14:12.320 You don't want that on your dog tags if you get 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.419 caught. Right. So when they would come in, I 00:14:15.419 --> 00:14:18.100 would say, okay, buddy, breathe in through your 00:14:18.100 --> 00:14:20.240 nose and exhale. And they're all like shaking 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:22.039 and they were trying to get the morphine and 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:23.600 the nurses and the doctors. At first, I didn't 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:25.840 know what I was doing there. So I said, breathe 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:28.620 in and breathe out. You can ask everybody. Just 00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:31.299 look if everybody of your listeners would just 00:14:31.299 --> 00:14:33.419 do that. If everyone, please just breathe in 00:14:33.419 --> 00:14:37.720 through your nose really deeply and exhale through 00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:44.600 your mouth. Yeah, it's just amazing calmness 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:47.159 and that's about all I did. I was teaching people 00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:48.539 how to breathe. It's sort of like when you're 00:14:48.539 --> 00:14:50.299 lifting weights, sometimes you need someone to 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:52.399 remind you to breathe, if you can lift some more. 00:14:52.860 --> 00:14:56.139 So I said breathe in and breathe out and one 00:14:56.139 --> 00:14:59.620 time this Marine, he was 19 years old, you know, 00:14:59.879 --> 00:15:01.720 shaken a little. I mean we had to get him over 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:03.539 to the surgery and I said, Marine, I want you 00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:05.600 to breathe in and breathe out. He looked at me 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.820 and says, Padre, I'm not Catholic. I said, you're 00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:10.100 not. What are you? He says, I'm non -denominational. 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:11.559 I said, what the hell does that mean? Do you 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:14.039 believe in Jesus? He goes, I believe in Jesus. 00:15:14.580 --> 00:15:18.500 I'll breathe in Jesus and exhale crap. He's going 00:15:18.500 --> 00:15:20.100 to get you calmed down so we can get you over 00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:23.460 to the surgery. And he looks at me and he breathes 00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:27.000 in and he says, Padre, it works. And we got the 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:30.279 morphine into him and sent him off. That's a 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:31.820 great story. And we're going to be taking a break. 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:33.220 I'm going to ask you to hold on to that. We're 00:15:33.220 --> 00:15:35.889 talking with Father Ron Moses Comardia, the author 00:15:35.889 --> 00:15:37.730 of Tear in the Desert. It's something that all 00:15:37.730 --> 00:15:41.330 of you need to read. It's got some great stories 00:15:41.330 --> 00:15:43.870 in there. As you just read earlier, it sounds 00:15:43.870 --> 00:15:46.110 like you were writing letters to God or writing 00:15:46.110 --> 00:15:48.509 letters to yourself. We'll be right back after 00:15:48.509 --> 00:16:01.049 this message. And we are back on veterans radio 00:16:01.049 --> 00:16:03.190 and we're talking with father Ron Moses Camardi 00:16:03.190 --> 00:16:05.649 author of tear in the desert that music that 00:16:05.649 --> 00:16:08.090 you just heard kind of overlapping something 00:16:08.090 --> 00:16:13.090 Is from his television program that was based 00:16:13.090 --> 00:16:15.690 on the book isn't that true father Ron? Yes, 00:16:15.690 --> 00:16:18.490 it is. It's a 30 -minute television special that 00:16:18.490 --> 00:16:21.809 was done by the director who's We're actually 00:16:21.809 --> 00:16:24.230 in the process of making the book into a movie. 00:16:24.309 --> 00:16:26.899 It's just a story that get out for the Marines. 00:16:27.259 --> 00:16:30.639 W. Keith Moore wrote the music for it. He actually 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:32.740 wrote music for all of it. And if you ever get 00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:35.860 a chance to hear his music, he's just phenomenal. 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:38.000 He has a great depth of the understanding. In 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:41.000 fact, he does some great work with our soldiers 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:44.179 and troops out there. He sends out music for 00:16:44.179 --> 00:16:47.679 them. There's like a few clips on my website. 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:49.759 Right. I was just going to tell everybody they 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:53.840 need to go to tierinthedessert .com. That's tierinthedessert 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.379 .com and Father Ron has got a great bunch of 00:16:57.379 --> 00:16:59.200 information on there, including some segments 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:01.980 from the program, and I think you'll find it 00:17:01.980 --> 00:17:03.860 very interesting. As I mentioned, we are talking 00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:07.500 with Father Ron Camarda, who is the author of 00:17:07.500 --> 00:17:10.220 Tier in the Desert. I wanted to ask you a little 00:17:10.220 --> 00:17:12.220 bit about the Battle of Fallujah. You get into 00:17:12.220 --> 00:17:15.890 that in the book where you were... As I mentioned 00:17:15.890 --> 00:17:18.269 earlier, you sounded a little bit like a reluctant 00:17:18.269 --> 00:17:21.769 warrior, but once you got there, you went out 00:17:21.769 --> 00:17:26.430 and you were performing mass for anybody and 00:17:26.430 --> 00:17:29.950 everybody who would come, weren't you? Yes, sometimes 00:17:29.950 --> 00:17:34.430 I would celebrate mass 19 times, especially at 00:17:34.430 --> 00:17:36.829 Christmas time and go to little places three 00:17:36.829 --> 00:17:41.319 times or 200 at the base. It was just the ministry 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:43.380 of the Anointing of the Sick, which is a Catholic 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:46.759 sacrament for people. About 40 % of the people 00:17:46.759 --> 00:17:48.279 out there are actually Catholics. Some of them 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:51.339 struggle, you know. But a lot of times when you're 00:17:51.339 --> 00:17:53.559 really injured, it really changes when you come 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:57.160 in, especially when you're recovering. But if 00:17:57.160 --> 00:17:59.460 I dare, I'll tell you the story that makes it 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:02.220 here in the desert and why this whole thing happened. 00:18:02.339 --> 00:18:05.680 I think it can celebrate pretty much. I was on, 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.660 it was November 12th actually, and November 11th 00:18:08.660 --> 00:18:11.880 here because of the time zone. But I was just 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:15.039 with two Marines, one died in front of me and 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.279 I eventually found out that one died six months 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:19.220 later, but I was going back and forth in the 00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:21.720 trauma. And it was just, I had been talking to 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:24.880 them, to this one guy, Gene, and then I experienced 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:29.980 his death. Wonderful guys, I mean, I get the 00:18:29.980 --> 00:18:32.960 last minute of their lives practically, and then 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:36.579 I find out later and I, It's a lot of times getting 00:18:36.579 --> 00:18:38.839 in contact with their families when I return, 00:18:39.059 --> 00:18:44.200 mothers, wives, even the children. And what happened 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:46.160 is, and even with the pictures you see there, 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:48.359 you get an idea of the actual Bravo Surgical, 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:52.079 but I was woken up early in the morning after 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:55.759 being out until about 1 in the dorm and the guys 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:57.980 from Mortuary Affairs, which is right close by, 00:18:58.140 --> 00:19:01.559 came in and tapped me on the shoulder among all 00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:04.640 the guys I was sleeping with and said, We have 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:07.099 another angel, which is someone who has died, 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:09.119 and asked me if I would come over quickly, and 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:12.740 I said, where's your chaplain? Like 5 .30 in 00:19:12.740 --> 00:19:15.559 the morning. They said, we can't find him. And 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:17.960 it was for various reasons. But anyways, I got 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:21.579 up quickly, and I hadn't showered in four days. 00:19:21.700 --> 00:19:24.500 So I put my backpack on to go to the showers, 00:19:24.519 --> 00:19:27.660 which are about 50 meters away. And just as I 00:19:27.660 --> 00:19:31.299 was going to do that, I went over to Mortuary 00:19:31.299 --> 00:19:34.440 Affairs, go inside, and there was this young 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:37.500 man, Jonathan Shields, he was ruddy, he was handsome, 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:41.819 he was Baptist, but the only thing is he was 00:19:41.819 --> 00:19:45.319 dead, and I just was right with him, right there, 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:47.119 and as soon as I folded my hands, all the Marines, 00:19:47.380 --> 00:19:49.339 with their tattoos and their struggles, because 00:19:49.339 --> 00:19:51.779 I had known them a little bit, they folded their 00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:54.400 hands and just wanted me to pray with them. And 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:57.119 I basically prayed, I said, God, please be with 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:00.380 the family, his family, he's Baptist, and so 00:20:00.380 --> 00:20:03.309 on the cross, Jesus said, Father forgive them 00:20:03.309 --> 00:20:05.410 they don't know what they do and today you'll 00:20:05.410 --> 00:20:07.690 be with me in paradise and as you welcome this 00:20:07.690 --> 00:20:11.349 man into eternity we ask that you bless his family 00:20:11.349 --> 00:20:14.730 and those people who will be struggling for after 00:20:14.730 --> 00:20:18.309 this and then I just started singing amazing 00:20:18.309 --> 00:20:22.369 grace how sweet the sound it saved and set me 00:20:22.369 --> 00:20:27.109 free and then I saw his soul rise it was absolutely 00:20:27.109 --> 00:20:29.710 amazing it was like the room filled with angels 00:20:29.710 --> 00:20:33.230 and it's hard to explain I'm sure people can 00:20:33.230 --> 00:20:35.509 doubt what I was experiencing, but it was so 00:20:35.509 --> 00:20:38.730 beautiful. It was, you know, once someone's about 00:20:38.730 --> 00:20:40.650 to die, it's the most beautiful thing in the 00:20:40.650 --> 00:20:42.970 world. It's also the poorest person in the world 00:20:42.970 --> 00:20:44.589 because they can't breathe. It doesn't matter 00:20:44.589 --> 00:20:47.609 how much money you have. Once you can't breathe 00:20:47.609 --> 00:20:50.829 anymore, then you, then you leave. And then I 00:20:50.829 --> 00:20:52.829 was filled with great joy and I walk outside 00:20:52.829 --> 00:20:54.450 and then the weight of the world came back onto 00:20:54.450 --> 00:20:59.589 me. And then I walked down the 50 meters to the 00:20:59.589 --> 00:21:02.390 showers. And as I was just getting ready to put 00:21:02.390 --> 00:21:06.890 shaving cream on my face. The door opened and 00:21:06.890 --> 00:21:08.990 there's no one else around. But the commanding 00:21:08.990 --> 00:21:10.309 officer came in and says, Padre, you got to come 00:21:10.309 --> 00:21:12.769 quick to the trauma. We're losing another one. 00:21:13.569 --> 00:21:15.529 And the doors slammed. And all I could think 00:21:15.529 --> 00:21:19.170 of, I just want to go to bed. I had 28 deaths 00:21:19.170 --> 00:21:23.349 already and countless trauma. And it was in the 00:21:23.349 --> 00:21:26.109 middle of the battle for Fallujah. And I just 00:21:26.109 --> 00:21:29.089 said, I just want to go to bed. And I took the 00:21:29.089 --> 00:21:32.599 shaving gear out. And I'm not proud of it. I 00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:34.619 started shaving slower than I've ever shaved 00:21:34.619 --> 00:21:36.920 before in my entire life. And when I finished 00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:41.839 shaving, I didn't shower, but had I not taken 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:43.779 this delay, the rest of this story doesn't happen, 00:21:43.779 --> 00:21:46.059 I wouldn't be talking to you, Dale. That's how 00:21:46.059 --> 00:21:49.740 amazing, and so it's but by a thread. I walked 00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:52.660 back to the hospital where I'd seen bombs hit 00:21:52.660 --> 00:21:54.960 the hospital once coming out of the head, and 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:57.500 all I could say was, thank God I took a dump. 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:03.940 But when I got there, I went inside and went 00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:06.920 down the hallway and I was too late so I had 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:10.599 to go into the and I got shoved down the hallway. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.440 We didn't have enough corpsmen because we had 00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:16.019 been depleted because of everything. They started 00:22:16.019 --> 00:22:17.980 giving me orders. Padre, hold the blood, squeeze 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:21.759 out the plasma. They shoved me into the operating 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:25.140 room and they pulled out an 11 -inch cylindrical 00:22:25.140 --> 00:22:27.960 rocket mortar that had lodged in his abdomen. 00:22:28.259 --> 00:22:30.720 I said, how did this guy last this long? Why? 00:22:31.289 --> 00:22:33.750 and I knew that he was conscious when he came 00:22:33.750 --> 00:22:37.369 in, but he was out, and I helped put him up on 00:22:37.369 --> 00:22:40.950 the gurney, and I stretched him on the table. 00:22:41.269 --> 00:22:43.130 He looked like Jesus, and then they slid him 00:22:43.130 --> 00:22:45.890 open, and I could see his heart pumping and everything 00:22:45.890 --> 00:22:48.869 inside, and I'm cramming myself up against the 00:22:48.869 --> 00:22:51.609 wall, and when Nourish yells out, he's Catholic, 00:22:51.650 --> 00:22:53.509 and I can't think of any of the prayers. I mean, 00:22:53.509 --> 00:22:55.589 it was amazing. I could not think of any prayer 00:22:55.589 --> 00:22:58.210 whatsoever, not even the Hail Mary. And I'm just 00:22:58.210 --> 00:23:00.549 like, if I could... get out of there, I would. 00:23:00.670 --> 00:23:03.829 I was just amazing. And then they looked at me 00:23:03.829 --> 00:23:08.430 and they said, my agnostic roommate, surgeon, 00:23:08.650 --> 00:23:10.410 he yells at me, he goes, Padre, set up the light. 00:23:10.549 --> 00:23:12.289 And I'm like ignoring him and he says, Padre, 00:23:12.390 --> 00:23:15.589 please set up the light. And I said, and then 00:23:15.589 --> 00:23:18.170 he looked at me and he said, Padre, you're standing 00:23:18.170 --> 00:23:21.250 on it. So I had to get off this big light and 00:23:21.250 --> 00:23:23.130 I brought the light to the table and all of a 00:23:23.130 --> 00:23:25.710 sudden I felt like I could get a prayer like 00:23:25.710 --> 00:23:29.359 a basket. I would be like, I could be the professional 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:31.619 prayer, get out, do my duty, have another notch 00:23:31.619 --> 00:23:35.559 on things. But just as I was feeling that comfort, 00:23:35.619 --> 00:23:37.980 and I was about to do it, both of the surgeons 00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:39.819 looked at me and said, Padre, we can't do anything. 00:23:39.980 --> 00:23:41.839 It's up to you. And they just walked out of the 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:44.279 room. Blood everywhere. It was a pool of blood 00:23:44.279 --> 00:23:47.039 on the floor, all over his body. The only place 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:49.240 he didn't have blood was on his face. He had 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:53.299 tattoos and everything. He had red, tight hair. 00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:55.579 He was an Army soldier. His name was Edward. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.400 started brushing his hair, and I said, Ed, you're 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:02.220 dying. Unless it's a miracle, it's right here. 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:05.539 And I don't see that kind of a miracle, because 00:24:05.539 --> 00:24:09.660 I'm going to be your family. And I said, when 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:11.740 Jesus was on the cross, he just said seven things. 00:24:12.019 --> 00:24:13.519 Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:15.740 doing. Today, you'll be with me in paradise. 00:24:15.779 --> 00:24:18.079 And when I got to that point, it was just the 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:19.740 thief. The thief said, Jesus, remember me when 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:23.640 you come into your kingdom. And then the thief 00:24:23.640 --> 00:24:29.289 says, Today, you'll be with me in paradise. I 00:24:29.289 --> 00:24:31.690 Looked at him and I just you know, Edward. I 00:24:31.690 --> 00:24:33.589 am sick and tired of this war. I'm jealous of 00:24:33.589 --> 00:24:38.849 you I mean you're going to be in heaven and I 00:24:38.849 --> 00:24:40.990 I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go 00:24:40.990 --> 00:24:44.650 with you. I'm jealous and But don't just go to 00:24:44.650 --> 00:24:46.329 the light. Don't be afraid. I'll let your family 00:24:46.329 --> 00:24:49.609 know everything and So as I was praying and then 00:24:49.609 --> 00:24:51.549 I I didn't know what to do He's just there breathing, 00:24:52.049 --> 00:24:53.869 you know breathing in and out on his own and 00:24:53.869 --> 00:24:56.599 I I turned to the I just looked at him and I 00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:58.039 said, I'm going to sing to you what I sang to 00:24:58.039 --> 00:25:00.180 my mother when she was dying. And it's a song 00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:02.980 of birth. It's a song that people hear all the 00:25:02.980 --> 00:25:04.920 time. But when my mother was dying, we sang this 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:09.839 to her. So I started singing, oh, holy night. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:14.920 The stars are brightly shining. It is the night 00:25:14.920 --> 00:25:18.539 of our dear Savior's birth. And I'm feeling unconscious, 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:22.099 self -conscious because the Marines are all there 00:25:22.099 --> 00:25:25.440 and army and stuff. Long lay the world in sin 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:29.680 and error pining till he appeared. And the soul 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:36.880 felt it's worth a thrill of hope. And as I said, 00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:39.539 a weary world rejoiced as a tear came squirting 00:25:39.539 --> 00:25:43.579 out of his left eye, traveled down and froze 00:25:43.579 --> 00:25:46.680 on his face. I swear, Dale, I could hear the 00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:50.839 sound of that tear. And that's when I stopped 00:25:50.839 --> 00:25:55.940 complaining. That's when I knew. God needed me 00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:58.000 to just come and just witness a tear. That's 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:00.180 all I do. I mean, people have lots of things 00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:02.660 to do in their lives or special things, but all 00:26:02.660 --> 00:26:04.640 I was supposed to do was experience this tear. 00:26:05.140 --> 00:26:08.319 And then I was just, I could, the angels were 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:11.660 in the room. It was just absolutely heavenly. 00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:15.680 And I finished the song, Fall On Your Knees. 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:18.819 And when I was just finished with the song, I'm 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:21.160 praying. I did the anointing of the sick on his 00:26:21.160 --> 00:26:23.039 forehead. I said, through this holy anointing, 00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:27.539 may the Lord His love and mercy saved you and 00:26:27.539 --> 00:26:30.880 raised you up. And I did it on his hands that 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:34.640 were bloody. And it was like, when I finished 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:37.839 that, I'm just there. He's just breathing. And 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:39.880 I thought, like, well, what do I do? Just wait 00:26:39.880 --> 00:26:42.579 for him to die, I guess. And then I got this, 00:26:42.579 --> 00:26:45.700 like, tap on my shoulder again. And it was Jesus 00:26:45.700 --> 00:26:49.460 said to me, Ron, tell him you love him. I said, 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:52.710 I ain't telling him that. Ron, please. No, no, 00:26:52.710 --> 00:26:55.869 no, no, no. I can't do that. Ron Moses, you've 00:26:55.869 --> 00:26:58.730 got to. I says, I can't. He says, well, do you 00:26:58.730 --> 00:27:01.690 believe it? I says, yes, I do. The problem is, 00:27:01.849 --> 00:27:04.910 Jesus, if I do that, I can't function out here 00:27:04.910 --> 00:27:08.089 anymore. I can't minister to anybody else because 00:27:08.089 --> 00:27:11.069 my heart will be absolutely crushed. I cannot 00:27:11.069 --> 00:27:18.009 do this. Ron, please. Ron Moses. I said, oh my 00:27:18.009 --> 00:27:22.359 God. And I looked at Ed Rurion. I said, Edward, 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:25.140 I love you. I leaned over and I kissed him on 00:27:25.140 --> 00:27:27.119 the forehead. There was a flash of light and 00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:31.299 he was gone. We'll be right back after this. 00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:43.319 Welcome back to the second half of our program 00:27:43.319 --> 00:27:46.259 with Father Ron Carmada, the author of the book, 00:27:46.440 --> 00:27:48.660 Tear in the Desert. He's going to continue by 00:27:48.660 --> 00:27:51.759 telling us a couple more stories that were really 00:27:51.759 --> 00:27:55.700 emotional to him and also emotional to me when 00:27:55.700 --> 00:27:57.859 I was listening to them. When we end the interview 00:27:57.859 --> 00:28:00.079 with Father Carmada, we're going to also be playing 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:03.180 a little segment where he is reading from his 00:28:03.180 --> 00:28:05.089 book. And then after that, we're going to be 00:28:05.089 --> 00:28:07.589 playing a song that was written by the man who 00:28:07.589 --> 00:28:11.569 did the soundtrack for Father Kamada's television 00:28:11.569 --> 00:28:14.130 program. And his name is Keith Moore. And we're 00:28:14.130 --> 00:28:15.829 going to be playing a song by Keith Moore, and 00:28:15.829 --> 00:28:18.740 it's entitled Hold On. and I think you're going 00:28:18.740 --> 00:28:21.039 to find it a really powerful song as well to 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:23.920 end today's Easter program. So I hope you have 00:28:23.920 --> 00:28:26.460 enjoyed our program and make sure that you come 00:28:26.460 --> 00:28:29.539 back next week because next week we will be having 00:28:29.539 --> 00:28:32.759 our benefits program and we will be drawing again 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:35.480 for one of our leather jackets from U .S. Wings. 00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:39.500 So again, as I said earlier on, here's our interview 00:28:39.500 --> 00:29:00.299 with Father Ron Carmada. We're back on Veterans 00:29:00.299 --> 00:29:04.240 Radio and we're talking with Navy Chaplain retired, 00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:09.380 Father Ron Moses Camarda. And Father Ron, I hope 00:29:09.380 --> 00:29:11.119 our listeners will go into our archives and listen 00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:14.720 to that last segment because I couldn't stop. 00:29:15.619 --> 00:29:18.039 I didn't want to stop you. And I didn't even 00:29:18.039 --> 00:29:19.779 want to take a commercial break, but we had to, 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:23.319 unfortunately. You know what was so good about 00:29:23.319 --> 00:29:26.420 that, Dale? Yes. I'm sitting here. I'm shaking 00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:30.779 a little bit, but... That was the silence that 00:29:30.779 --> 00:29:33.279 sometimes I go ahead you just try I think we 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:35.480 get nervous with that silence and when Edward 00:29:35.480 --> 00:29:40.119 died that was such a beautiful Moment to cherish 00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:42.380 and we in our society with so much information 00:29:42.380 --> 00:29:44.140 so much things going on sometimes We just need 00:29:44.140 --> 00:29:47.339 to take the time to just be silent. I think that's 00:29:47.339 --> 00:29:52.359 even why taps Is such a moving experience every 00:29:52.359 --> 00:29:56.160 night the military has that but it's just a quiet 00:29:57.130 --> 00:30:00.710 time for us to say, wow, just be filled with 00:30:00.710 --> 00:30:04.009 gratitude for life itself, with all its ups and 00:30:04.009 --> 00:30:06.289 downs, good times, bad times, sickness and then 00:30:06.289 --> 00:30:09.029 health. I was trying to find in your book, there 00:30:09.029 --> 00:30:11.190 was a segment there where you were talking about 00:30:11.190 --> 00:30:18.809 a marine memorial service. I actually have it 00:30:18.809 --> 00:30:20.410 right in front of me. Okay, this is one where 00:30:20.410 --> 00:30:23.309 they call out the names. Can I share it with 00:30:23.309 --> 00:30:53.359 you? Yes, please do. Get the Kleenex out. likely 00:30:53.359 --> 00:30:55.680 provided the strength and discipline Oscar might 00:30:55.680 --> 00:30:58.920 have lacked in his family of origin. I gleaned 00:30:58.920 --> 00:31:01.059 a few things about Oscar from his friends who 00:31:01.059 --> 00:31:04.299 spoke at the memorial service. Oscar smiled, 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:06.539 laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed the life given 00:31:06.539 --> 00:31:09.720 to him, but now his life was abruptly ended. 00:31:10.500 --> 00:31:13.660 Over 300 Marines gathered to show gratitude for 00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:17.160 Oscar's sacrifice. In many ways, the whole ceremony 00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:20.200 reminded me of Good Friday services when we remember 00:31:20.200 --> 00:31:23.299 the death of Jesus of Nazareth. The scripture 00:31:23.299 --> 00:31:25.779 at the memorial service was the book of Kahela, 00:31:25.900 --> 00:31:29.240 Ecclesiastes, and spoke of vanity of vanities 00:31:29.240 --> 00:31:31.000 in which there is a time for everything, including 00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:34.660 a time to be born and a time to die. The gospel 00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:37.640 spoke of the many houses God will provide, one 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:40.720 for each of us. Jesus loves us and assures us. 00:31:41.460 --> 00:31:44.799 A huge Marine Corps flag, approximately 30 feet 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:49.279 by 20, draped the stage. The flag has a red background 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:52.539 and a globe with an anchor in the center. Above 00:31:52.539 --> 00:31:56.240 the globe an eagle touts, Semper Fidelis. Underneath 00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:58.819 this motto is a banner of the United States Marine 00:31:58.819 --> 00:32:02.299 Corps. There were also seven Marine Corps flags 00:32:02.299 --> 00:32:05.359 and one US Navy flag on stands that fanned out. 00:32:06.380 --> 00:32:08.660 At the stage's center was the cross equivalent. 00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:12.480 There was no body. Oscar's boots were there. 00:32:12.720 --> 00:32:15.579 His rifle also stood beside the boots and supported 00:32:15.579 --> 00:32:19.079 his helmet and dangling dog tags. The words and 00:32:19.079 --> 00:32:22.829 benediction were spoken. The Gunny Sergeant then 00:32:22.829 --> 00:32:25.730 marched to the front and called the roll. The 00:32:25.730 --> 00:32:28.369 names of about five Marines in Oscar's platoon 00:32:28.369 --> 00:32:31.549 were called. These Marines forcefully proclaimed 00:32:31.549 --> 00:32:36.490 with a trace of guarded grief. Present. Then 00:32:36.490 --> 00:32:40.190 the Gunny yelled, Private, First Class Martinez. 00:32:56.490 --> 00:33:03.170 States Marine Corps." Still silent. Then the 00:33:03.170 --> 00:33:07.509 gunny barked. Private, first class Oscar A. Martinez, 00:33:07.809 --> 00:33:10.049 United States Marine Corps, killed in action 00:33:10.049 --> 00:33:16.390 by enemy attack October 12, 2004. The gunny saluted 00:33:16.390 --> 00:33:25.430 and then tapped. After filing up, over 300 of 00:33:25.430 --> 00:33:28.329 us one by one gave Oscar our respect and love. 00:33:29.190 --> 00:33:31.910 The tribute was very much like Good Friday when 00:33:31.910 --> 00:33:34.930 we individually go forward to the cross. It was 00:33:34.930 --> 00:33:38.609 emotional and tearful. I will never again experience 00:33:38.609 --> 00:33:41.490 Good Friday without remembering this service. 00:33:42.650 --> 00:33:45.890 Jesus had a cross rather than a rifle. Jesus 00:33:45.890 --> 00:33:48.170 has conquered and will eventually gather us all 00:33:48.170 --> 00:33:56.170 home. God is good all the time. I can hardly 00:33:56.170 --> 00:33:57.930 breathe myself. I'm going to have to breathe 00:33:57.930 --> 00:34:01.609 in through my nose and out my mouth so I can 00:34:01.609 --> 00:34:04.670 continue. It's such a powerful segment of the 00:34:04.670 --> 00:34:07.069 book, Father Ron, and there are many, many others 00:34:07.069 --> 00:34:09.670 like that out there. It's such an inspirational 00:34:09.670 --> 00:34:15.989 story of your journey through not only your faith 00:34:15.989 --> 00:34:19.369 but also in what was going on over there and 00:34:19.369 --> 00:34:23.590 is still going on. I have to admit that I have 00:34:23.590 --> 00:34:27.909 a much higher regard or I'm not sure the word 00:34:27.909 --> 00:34:30.869 I'm looking for for chaplains I didn't even I 00:34:30.869 --> 00:34:34.909 Didn't realize what work that you did and it's 00:34:34.909 --> 00:34:37.969 it's it's so impressive That you were able to 00:34:37.969 --> 00:34:39.590 do that and then you know that you're coming 00:34:39.590 --> 00:34:43.869 back with your own Baggage that you have to work 00:34:43.869 --> 00:34:46.449 through and you know what it is So I also find 00:34:46.449 --> 00:34:49.150 Dale is it's the parents and the family when 00:34:49.150 --> 00:34:53.159 I write sign a book sometimes I say beloved and 00:34:53.159 --> 00:34:56.260 I'll say thanks for taking the service and thanks 00:34:56.260 --> 00:34:59.039 for your service as being the mother of a Marine, 00:34:59.739 --> 00:35:02.360 the brother or sister or a cousin or a friend 00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:07.539 and continue and in the journey it's like I was 00:35:07.539 --> 00:35:11.260 just there all I did was witness it and you know 00:35:11.260 --> 00:35:13.840 I think God uses the weakest and the dumbest 00:35:13.840 --> 00:35:16.380 and that's why I know that I was chosen for this 00:35:16.380 --> 00:35:20.019 not because I do anything except that you know 00:35:20.019 --> 00:35:22.719 the Marines love it if you pitch your tent with 00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:26.039 them. And a lot of times, had I didn't go out 00:35:26.039 --> 00:35:27.920 some of the places, they wouldn't give me any 00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:31.320 credibility. But like you see some of the pictures, 00:35:31.539 --> 00:35:34.380 one of them is in the city of Fallujah, to accept 00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:40.019 them where they are, as they are. I have this 00:35:40.019 --> 00:35:41.900 gratitude at the end of the book that I'd like 00:35:41.900 --> 00:35:43.440 to share with you, because I really think it 00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:48.300 puts it into perspective. I wrote this 12 November 00:35:48.300 --> 00:35:53.829 2007. which is like three years ago today. I 00:35:53.829 --> 00:35:56.210 held a man figuratively and literally as he died. 00:35:56.329 --> 00:35:58.190 Okay, we've only got about a minute to go, so. 00:35:58.369 --> 00:36:02.389 Okay. Sorry. He was stretched out in the operating 00:36:02.389 --> 00:36:04.829 room like a crucified man on his back, guts hanging 00:36:04.829 --> 00:36:07.750 out. I had overwhelming love for this man whom 00:36:07.750 --> 00:36:11.050 I had just met. I was exhausted from the war 00:36:11.050 --> 00:36:13.369 and battled, depressed, belittled, and frustrated. 00:36:14.750 --> 00:36:19.469 And in this darky moment, I have a sense of light. 00:36:20.780 --> 00:36:23.400 I can play Taps for you, one of the songs that 00:36:23.400 --> 00:36:26.219 I sang at some of the services when I was out 00:36:26.219 --> 00:36:30.079 there. And I do it even when I'm returning. And 00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:32.659 if you listen to the words, it's really powerful, 00:36:32.860 --> 00:36:35.800 if you don't mind. I'm going to ask you to just 00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:37.500 hold off on that for a second. We're going to 00:36:37.500 --> 00:36:41.559 go out on that. And I want to thank Father Ron 00:36:41.559 --> 00:36:44.500 Moses -Carmada for being on Veterans Radio today. 00:36:44.940 --> 00:36:46.940 And we'll have him back again because he's so 00:36:46.940 --> 00:36:48.920 inspirational and such a great opportunity to 00:36:48.920 --> 00:36:51.369 talk. with somebody who's been there. So I want 00:36:51.369 --> 00:36:53.030 to thank you very much, and then I'm going to 00:36:53.030 --> 00:36:55.989 let you go with taps and we'll finish up the 00:36:55.989 --> 00:36:57.650 interview on that. Thank you very much for being 00:36:57.650 --> 00:37:00.630 on Veterans Radio. Thank you so much, Dale. We'll 00:37:00.630 --> 00:37:02.889 be talking to you soon. God bless you. Okay. 00:37:03.650 --> 00:37:06.230 And I'll sing it first, then I'll play it. Okay. 00:37:08.469 --> 00:37:16.150 Thanks and praise for our days. Neath the stars, 00:37:16.329 --> 00:38:57.539 neath the sun, neath the sky. November in Fallujah. 00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:04.079 The battle for Fallujah. Muslim tears. 2 November 00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:11.000 2004. Feast of all souls. A Baptist man was referred 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:13.679 to me. His wife, the mother of his children, 00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:17.800 had been unfaithful. He was wounded and bleeding 00:39:17.800 --> 00:39:22.800 profusely in his heart and soul. I have often 00:39:22.800 --> 00:39:26.300 received this kind of moral casualty. There is 00:39:26.300 --> 00:39:31.179 no morphine to dull or numb the pain. No anesthesia 00:39:31.179 --> 00:39:34.780 exists for the spiritual surgery I must perform. 00:39:35.739 --> 00:39:38.500 The man's only chance for a life is the opposite 00:39:38.500 --> 00:39:43.260 of what feels right or justified. He must forgive 00:39:43.260 --> 00:39:47.739 his wife. Yes. He must then allow himself to 00:39:47.739 --> 00:39:52.179 be forgiven. This is not easy. In fact, it seems 00:39:52.179 --> 00:39:55.929 nearly impossible. Maybe this is why God came 00:39:55.929 --> 00:40:00.829 to the earth, suffered and died. God loves us 00:40:00.829 --> 00:40:05.690 so much and God understands our fears. God came 00:40:05.690 --> 00:40:11.090 to show us the way. God knows, God cares, God 00:40:11.090 --> 00:40:16.130 loves. Only Yahweh, Jesus, the Son of God, was 00:40:16.130 --> 00:40:19.789 the sole divine being who lived among us, suffered 00:40:19.789 --> 00:40:24.280 and died for us. God did this not to make us 00:40:24.280 --> 00:40:28.659 feel guilty and blindly worship Him. God calls 00:40:28.659 --> 00:40:35.199 us to be friends and not slaves. We are beloved 00:40:35.199 --> 00:40:39.880 of God. Let us love one another as God loves 00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:45.119 us. In the chronicles of the book, we hear, Oh, 00:40:45.179 --> 00:40:48.179 give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for 00:40:48.179 --> 00:40:56.650 His mercy endures forever. Still hanging on. 00:40:57.170 --> 00:41:02.329 5 November 2004. Four army troops came into Bravo 00:41:02.329 --> 00:41:05.710 Surgical on Friday afternoon. One clung to life 00:41:05.710 --> 00:41:09.070 as the others dealt with their injuries. I wrote 00:41:09.070 --> 00:41:12.369 the following notes in my green journal. Camacho, 00:41:12.469 --> 00:41:15.429 Rivera, Carlos, Catholic. He died after leaving 00:41:15.429 --> 00:41:18.849 Bravo Surgical. I did the anointing, the apostolic 00:41:18.849 --> 00:41:22.050 blessing, forgiveness. Still hanging on. God 00:41:22.050 --> 00:41:26.409 help us. intercession of St. Charles Borromeo, 00:41:26.989 --> 00:41:30.550 Kelly Greene, Roderick Robinson, and Richard 00:41:30.550 --> 00:41:34.949 Lopez. The exact events are hard to remember. 00:41:35.469 --> 00:41:39.289 It was around 1400 or 2 p .m. on a beautiful 00:41:39.289 --> 00:41:43.530 day. I anointed Carlos Camacho Rivera and gave 00:41:43.530 --> 00:41:46.710 him the apostolic blessing, which pardons all 00:41:46.710 --> 00:41:50.130 sins. It is an occasion similar to when Jesus 00:41:50.130 --> 00:41:53.489 hung on the cross between two thieves. One of 00:41:53.489 --> 00:41:56.130 the thieves cried out to Jesus after admonishing 00:41:56.130 --> 00:42:00.170 his brother thief. Jesus, remember me when you 00:42:00.170 --> 00:42:04.230 come into your kingdom. Even as Jesus suffered 00:42:04.230 --> 00:42:07.650 tremendously, he turned to the thief and said, 00:42:08.090 --> 00:42:11.929 today you will be with me in paradise. Now, if 00:42:11.929 --> 00:42:15.789 God promises, it's a done deal. In my weakness, 00:42:16.230 --> 00:42:19.960 however, I wanted Carlos to live. I desperately 00:42:19.960 --> 00:42:22.539 wanted people to witness miraculous healings 00:42:22.539 --> 00:42:25.480 from my priesthood. Of course, I didn't want 00:42:25.480 --> 00:42:29.440 anyone to know this dark side of me. I had forgiven 00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:33.320 Carlos of all his sins. He was pure and ready 00:42:33.320 --> 00:42:36.719 to go to heaven. He had been in the battle with 00:42:36.719 --> 00:42:39.719 his brother Marines, probably cursing or not 00:42:39.719 --> 00:42:43.300 fully living up to his baptismal promises. None 00:42:43.300 --> 00:42:46.880 of us do. We are all just pilgrims passing through 00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:51.139 the world. I believe God wired us to be lonely. 00:42:51.900 --> 00:42:54.320 Carlos' purpose in life was to be called to our 00:42:54.320 --> 00:42:57.940 Creator, but I, Ron, didn't want that. I was 00:42:57.940 --> 00:43:02.079 struggling big time. I had experienced approximately 00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:06.280 20 deaths. I was very restless, but this was 00:43:06.280 --> 00:43:09.800 different. I wanted more than anything for this 00:43:09.800 --> 00:43:13.619 young man to live. My heart was about to explode. 00:43:14.260 --> 00:43:17.769 I wanted to run away. But there was nowhere to 00:43:17.769 --> 00:43:21.530 go, so still waiting for a miracle. I walked 00:43:21.530 --> 00:43:24.590 outside to the front of the hospital. I prayed 00:43:24.590 --> 00:43:26.889 for the intercession of St. Charles Borromeo, 00:43:27.010 --> 00:43:30.389 the saint of the day. Then I started praying, 00:43:30.849 --> 00:43:36.349 the rosary. My heart felt heavy. I must have 00:43:36.349 --> 00:43:39.650 looked at least a hundred years old. Is this 00:43:39.650 --> 00:43:42.010 what it would feel like to experience the death 00:43:42.010 --> 00:43:45.980 of one's own flesh and blood? I just couldn't 00:43:45.980 --> 00:43:49.579 finish the rosary. I was sitting on the steps 00:43:49.579 --> 00:43:52.599 to a platform used to drag out dead bodies from 00:43:52.599 --> 00:43:58.380 the tanks. I was numb and stunned. A young Marine 00:43:58.380 --> 00:44:02.659 Sergeant asked if he could help me. With heavy 00:44:02.659 --> 00:44:07.420 eyes, I nodded my head with the rosary wilted 00:44:07.420 --> 00:44:14.530 in my hands. The Marine was Catholic. that he 00:44:14.530 --> 00:44:16.889 had been struggling to return to the sacraments 00:44:16.889 --> 00:44:19.889 and the life of the church. We had talked on 00:44:19.889 --> 00:44:22.809 another occasion in which I had been the strong 00:44:22.809 --> 00:44:28.030 one, the fatherly figure. Today, he was also 00:44:28.030 --> 00:44:31.530 like a son to me, just like Carlos, who was in 00:44:31.530 --> 00:44:35.769 the process of dying in the hospital. Mark sat 00:44:35.769 --> 00:44:39.289 beside me on the steps, and we prayed the rosary 00:44:39.289 --> 00:44:43.119 together. The end of each Hail Mary felt like 00:44:43.119 --> 00:44:47.579 a dagger to my heart and an assurance to me. 00:44:48.480 --> 00:44:53.000 Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners 00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:58.800 now and at the hour of our death. We watched 00:44:58.800 --> 00:45:03.000 the helicopter evacuate Carlos. I knew he would 00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:06.639 die. Not only was Carlos holding on to his life 00:45:06.639 --> 00:45:11.820 on earth, but I was holding on too. Every injury 00:45:11.820 --> 00:45:17.219 was partly my injury. Every death was part of 00:45:17.219 --> 00:55:47.659 my death. How much could I take? We hope you 00:55:47.659 --> 00:55:50.960 enjoyed today's program and I would be remiss 00:55:50.960 --> 00:55:53.739 if I didn't thank our sponsors and you for supporting 00:55:53.739 --> 00:55:55.659 Veterans Radio. 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If you'd like to support Veterans 00:56:36.679 --> 00:56:39.940 Radio, please go to our website veteransradio 00:56:39.940 --> 00:56:42.880 .org and click on the donate button. Thank you 00:56:42.880 --> 00:56:44.920 very much for your support over the years and 00:56:44.920 --> 00:56:47.079 until next week this is Dale Thromery for all 00:56:47.079 --> 00:56:49.940 of us here at Veterans Radio. You are dismissed.