Memorial Day

May 30, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m so grateful for the men and women who have put themselves on the front lines to keep us the land of the free and the home of the brave! One day a year is far too short a time to honor our fallen heroes, so let’s make sure we start today, and remember them all year long.

Thank you soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines! Because of you, we enjoy our freedom today. May God bless you!

This is a poem by my friend Barney Fritcher entitled “They Stand”—

They stand at attention saluting our flag,
or they place a hand over their heart.
They’ve stood together on foreign lands,
each one has done their part.
They’ve defended this nation and some have died
to ensure that you’ve kept your rights.
They’ve watched as their buddies fell to the ground,
and they’ve slept in the jungle some nights.
They’ve crawled in the mud while covered with blood,
our children, our daughters, and sons,
and never, not once did they go on strike,
saying they did not get enough funds.
Many days they have gone without sleep
as they fought for this country we love.
Thousands of them have lost their lives
and went with our God up above.
To us, they are heroes, but to them it’s their job,
they do what needs to be done,
defending this country that we so love,
even down to the last one.
We give them a day to memorialize them,
to honor them for all that they do,
but a year would not be honor enough
for the service they give that is true.
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines,
men and woman that are so grand.
They serve this nation of America,
and forever, together they stand.
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Never Surrender (book review)

May 9, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

In my estimation Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin is a true American hero, and Never Surrender is a great motto for us all to adopt.

Never Surrender is an autobiographical account of how General Boykin served our country in some of the deadliest and harshest places on the planet. But woven throughout his life story is this unmistakable message: Know what you believe in, and never surrender to the adversaries who try to get you to back down.

General Boykin has had such a movie-like military career: getting selected to be in the first Delta Force unit ever created, hunting down terrorists and drug lords, rescuing hostages, and even battling the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., and the talking heads of the mainstream media. It’s sad to read that a patriot as committed to the protection of America and democracy-loving people around the world would come under such much fire from fellow Americans because he was so vocal about his faith in Christ. It’s almost appalling to realize that this patriot’s most vocal critics were right here in the USA!

Despite the smear campaigns and half-truths, despite the garbage the media spewed out about Gen. Boykin, he never backed down and he never surrendered. In the end, he was completely exonerated. Oh yeah, along the way, Gen. Boykin and his Delta Force operatives kept us a whole lot safer. And for that we’re all indebted to this proud soldier.

This book reads like a military novel—it’s a real page-turner! I highly recommend it.

I am a Faith Words book reviewer.

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Lee: A Life Of Virtue (book review)

January 18, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I’m thoroughly enjoying The Generals series from Thomas Nelson Publishers! The latest installment that kept me turning page after page is Lee: A Life Of Virtue by John Perry. (By the way, my review of the first book in this series is here.)

You probably think you know quite a bit about General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Army during the Civil War. After all, in our American History classes, we heard all about how Lee went to war to protect slavery, right? At least, that’s what I thought. But did you know that Lee signed the papers to free the slaves his family had inherited? And that Lee was working with other leaders to find the best way to free all of the slaves in the South?

This biography portrayed a side of Lee I had never heard before. John Perry does a remarkable job of showing us a man who quietly and resolutely relied on his faith in God for so many crucial decisions; a man who lovingly cared for his invalid mother; a man who continued to court his wife all throughout their marriage; a man who dearly loved his children; and a man who made his battlefield decisions based on what was best for his men.

The title is so apt: Lee was a man of virtue throughout his life. Always exercising self-control, always considerate of others, never cutting corners nor compromising.

If for no other reason, I recommend that you read Lee just to get a complete picture of a man who was so much more than an outstanding general; he was an outstanding man.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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Remember And Respond

December 7, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. For my parents’ and grandparents’ generations, this was their “9/11.” I’m still saddened when I think of the unprovoked, cowardly attacks on both December 7 and September 11. But I am grateful that we have only had two such attacks within our borders.

Today is a great day to remember, to mourn, and to thank our military personnel who responded so courageously in the aftermath. These, I believe, are appropriate responses.

But every day is our day to respond appropriately.

Let’s show our gratitude for the safety we have in this country every day.

Let’s find ways to live out our thankfulness every day.

Let’s show our thanks to our servicemen and women and our law enforcement officers every day.

Remember … and then respond appropriately every day. God bless America!

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Patton: The Pursuit Of Destiny (book review)

August 17, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Disclaimer: I am a huge admirer of General George Smith Patton, Jr. So it should come as no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed Agostino Von Hassell and Ed Breslin’s biography Patton: The Pursuit Of Destiny.

It’s also no surprise that I relished reading about Patton’s military genius and his relentless preparation to be a man of destiny. What did surprise me was the candor with which the authors dealt with the shortcomings of Patton. For all of his military genius, there were areas of his life that always seemed to get the best of this general. On the battlefield, he had few equals, but away from the heat of battle, his insecurities could get the best of him. I appreciated how the authors showed Patton playing to his strengths while still struggling with his weaknesses. While many biographies show great men and women overcoming their struggles, Patton shows the general living with his struggles and still achieving greatness in spite of them.

I also learned more about Patton’s family lineage in this book that helped me understand what drove this military hero. I read about a man who was a voracious learner, highly competitive, and a man who set extraordinarily high standards for himself. His biggest weakness: he couldn’t abide those who didn’t share these same lofty goals for their own lives or profession.

If you enjoy military history, a study of a larger-than-life leadership persona, or a biography with an unflinching look at a great man’s angels and demons, you will enjoy reading Patton: The Pursuit Of Destiny.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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Lead Like Ike (book review)

July 27, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

There is so much to like about Lead Like Ike by Geoff Loftus!

If you like military history, you will love the narrative of the strategies and implementation that Dwight D. Eisenhower (or “Ike”) oversaw. It is an amazing retelling of how Ike had to balance so many pressures from not only the Germans but within his own ranks as well, to lead the Allies to victory in Europe during World War II.

If you like business strategies, you will enjoy the way Loftus renames the military build-up in Europe during WWII “D-Day Inc.,” and assigns titles like Board of Directors, CEO, C-level staff, and competitors to the battles in Operation Torch, Operation Overlord, the Battle of the Bulge and others. You will see how Ike functioned as an effective CEO to lead D-Day Inc. in their head-to-head challenges with their German competition.

And if you like biographies about strong leaders, you will see the incredible leadership principles that Ike employed in his personal life and in his military career. You will see a man firmly fixed on his goal, but also a man who felt deeply about the individual soldier, sailor, and airman under his command.

Sprinkled throughout the book (and summed up nicely at the end of each chapter) are strategies for success, implementation plans, and tips for personnel management.

The only thing that disappointed me about this book was that it came to an end! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I believe you will too. I give it five-out-of-five stars.

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

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Some Pain For Greater Gain

March 1, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

My US Marine Corps buddy always tells me to suck it up when I complain about something hurting. He says, “Pain is just weakness leaving your body.” Hoo-Rah!

Great.

But for the most part, I don’t like pain. What about you? Most of us non-Marine-types do our best to avoid pain. And if any pain does make it through, we can take care of that really fast with some Motrin or Tylenol, or Icy Hot or a massage session.

However, there are times that some pain is good for greater gain.

What about the temporary pain from an immunization injection? Short-term pain for the long-term gain of being free of disease.

What about a low-grade fever (below 101 degrees)? Taking Tylenol too soon can preempt the natural way your body is raising the heat to kill off an infection. The short-term pain of a fever for the long-term gain of dead germs.

What about the soreness from exercising? Again, the pain is short-term; the benefits of healthy exercise are long-term.

How about saying “no” to temptation? Shouldn’t you trade the short-term pain of temptation for the long-term gain of holiness?

Or God’s discipline? He sometimes puts us in positions that are painful because He is trying to bring the best out of us. Here my Marine buddy is correct: this pain is weakness leaving our (spiritual) body.

Before you are too quick to mask the pain, stop for a moment to find out why the pain is there. An immunization or low-grade fever or exercise or discipline may be just the short-term pain you need for far greater gain.

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Joker One (book review)

December 1, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

At first glance, Donovan Campbell’s narrative of his time in Ramadi, Iraq, might seem like a typical war story. But, as the old cliché says, you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Joker One is the name of a United States Marine Corps platoon. But Joker One the book is really more about leadership. Lieutenant Campbell leads us through his day-by-day struggles to lead his men to success. Along the way he has to do the full 360-leadership cycle: leading up with his commanding officers; leading sideways with other commissioned officers; and lead leading down with his squad leaders. Along the way he discovers something remarkable: his Marines are great leaders themselves.

Lt. Campbell sees his men grow in their own leadership skills under his mentorship. He finds his strength in them. He carries a heavy leadership load until his men have to carry him. It reminded me so much of the leadership principles that others have postulated for the board room, but the Marines of Joker One make them happen on the battlefield.

This is a gripping story. Some of the battle scenes are gritty, and some of the language is a little rough (this is probably a PG-13 book). The love and respect that develops between this officer and his men is an amazing study in leadership. It’s also a book about decision-making under fire, the consequences of those decisions, pain, redemption, faith.

I cried and I cheered while reading this book. I hold the members of our military in very high esteem. This book raised my level of respect for our airmen, sailors, soldiers, and Marines even higher. You will be challenged and stirred by the exploits of Joker One.

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American Heroes

November 7, 2008 — Craig T. Owens

Okay, I’ll admit it, I am unabashedly, wholeheartedly, and unapologetically patriotic. When I see our soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen in uniform I want to hug them all. When I see our veteran’s still proudly wearing their uniforms, I smile from ear to ear. When I hear the national anthem playing, I have to fight back the tears. I am so proud — and so grateful — to be living in the greatest nation on earth. And I know that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to those men and women who have put themselves in harm’s way and have spilt their blood so that we can enjoy our freedom.

In honor of Veteran’s Day coming up next week, I thought this video was very apropos. Don’t forget to hug a vet on November 11.

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