War Drums

              There’s a whole lot of noise being raised over the possibilities of war with ISIS and other Islamic terrorist groups these days. The proverbial “war drums” have been beating louder and louder.

The evening news is parsing the word WAR in an effort to determine whether or not the United States is now at war with ISIS as a result of the President’s recent speech. He was outlining the administration’s plan to “push back” following the brutal beheadings of two American journalists – James Foley, who worked for the GlobalPost in Boston; and Steven Sotloff, who was a freelance writer for Time magazine, and Foreign Policy, a specialized publication. It’s hard to say whether war is in the mind of the president and his administration because there is a very murky message coming from these leaders. Contradiction seems to rule the day.

In all fairness, declaring war or not declaring war is irrelevant. The United States has historically been quite shy about making formal declarations of war. Isaura and I have been watching the Ken Burns series on “The Roosevelt’s” (Teddy, Franklin and Eleanor) each evening this past week (I highly recommend it). In this series we see how President Woodrow Wilson was doing everything in his power to avoid sending American boys to fight in Europe during World War One. Former President Teddy Roosevelt publicly takes Wilson to task for not having the courage to aid our European countrymen during their struggle against a juggernaut German army which was having its way throughout Europe. Even FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) saw the handwriting on the wall concerning a reconstituted Germany under Hitler, and an empowered Japan under Emperor Hirohito. FDR knew America would eventually be drawn into World War Two. He had no answer for avoiding it.

So even when the U.S. has been faced with the certainty of war, we have avoided declaring the conflict a “war.” “A declaration of war is a formal declaration issued by a national government indicating that a state of war exists between that nation and another.” In the 238 year history of our nation, only five times has the U.S. officially made a “declaration of war.” They are: 1) The War of 1812 (1812-14), 2) the Mexican-American War (1846-48), 3) the Spanish-American War (1898), 4) World War I (1917-18), and 5) World War II (1941-45).

Based upon this history of war declarations, I wouldn’t hold out hope for any such declaration coming from this administration (nor should there be) regarding ISIS or any other self-proclaimed group of militants who, technically, can’t even legitimately claim national borders of their own.

But let’s not mistake the lack of an official Congressional declaration of war to imply that we are not dealing with some very serious players on the stage of world dominance. ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) is only the current player of all the numerous terrorist groups that have danced onto the world stage in an effort to cause fear and intimidation throughout the entire world, but particularly in Western nations. Why do they want to bring this fear and intimidation to us in the West? Because they believe we are evil, and because historically we have not taken such groups and their threats seriously. This, despite the fact that our third president, Thomas Jefferson, had to confront the Barbary Pirates (read: Muslims) in the Mediterranean Sea who were attacking U.S. ships of commerce, as well as towns along the coastline of Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and even as far north as Great Britain). “The main purpose of their attacks was to capture Christian slaves for the Ottoman slave trade as well as the general Muslim market in North Africa and the Middle East.”

Make no mistake! These Muslim jihadists are not fooling around. ISIS, ISIL, or just IS as they now call themselves (Islamic State), is, according to their belief, the reintroduction of the 12^th Caliphate which is supposed to rule the whole world under Sharia Law. I have written about Sharia Law in previous articles. You had better understand what these guys intend for us!

The President made a comment in a speech a few months ago that ISIS (he used ISIL) is, by comparison, “the JV team” on the world stage of terrorist groups. One undeniable truth that must never be forgotten is this: “Never underestimate your enemy.”

So, we may not have officially declared war on ISIS, or al-Qaida, or Hamas, or any of the other Muslim terrorist groups breathing hatred and fire at the West. But they have certainly declared war on us.

A Father's Heart

             Several months ago I was contacted by the father of Tyrone Woods, the former Navy SEAL who was killed in Benghazi along with former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty. I had a most delightful conversation with Charles Woods, a retired judge.

Mr. Woods called me to discuss the article, “Courageous,” I had written immediately following the Benghazi travesty which was published October 3, 2012. A friend, who is a family member of one of the four Americans killed that day by Islamic thugs, had provided me with the initial information which I then wove into the article, highlighting the bravery of Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

Like many of you, I had seen Mr. Woods on FOX News being interviewed quite a number of times. From the FOX interviews it was clear to me that this man was a man who had his faith placed solidly in Jesus. During my first phone conversation with him back in the spring his strong faith in the Lord was abundantly evident. “You see,” he said, “Ty was not just a number – he was a real person.”

On the subject of forgiveness, Sean Hannity of FOX News asked Tyrone’s three teenaged half-sisters, Joy, Faith, and Hope, this question, “Can you forgive?” referring to forgiving the Islamists who killed their brother. One sister responded, “As a Christian we should act how Jesus would want us to act.” The question of forgiveness came up in my talk with Mr. Woods as well. He said to me, “I have forgiven those in (Benghazi) Libya, and in Washington D.C.” That’s quite a statement in light of the serious questions that remain as to the possible mishandling of the Benghazi affair from a host of players within our government.

Last weekend, Bret Baier from FOX News interviewed three of the surviving members from Benghazi, security team members, Kris (“Tanto”) Paronto (former Army Ranger), Mark (“Oz”) Geist, and John (“Tig”) Tiegen (both former Marines). They partnered with author Mitchell Zuckoff, producing a book that was released September 9, entitled, “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi.” These men were ordered to “stand down” from aiding Ambassador Chris Stevens and the other three who all died in the ensuing battle. The order apparently was given by the top CIA officer in Benghazi.

I waited a couple of days after this news special, and then I called Mr. Woods to basically see how he was taking this information. I’m pleased to report that I came away from the conversation uplifted and blessed by him!

The following story is one which Mr. Woods shared with me during the phone conversation we had the other night. Because of what happened to his son, Tyrone, you might expect Mr. Woods to hate Muslims. This should give you a good idea of this man’s character and faith. Little wonder that his son became the man he did. In 1985 Mr. Woods felt he should go on a mission trip which found him in Northern Uganda, Africa. He and others from their team were hiking into some remote areas when they were accosted by a band of Muslims. Fear and intimidation are the tactics used by these guys, except that it didn’t seem to bother Mr. Woods. One of the Muslims, noticing the calm demeanor exhibited by Mr. Woods despite the threats, said to one of the other team members, “This one doesn’t seem to be afraid.” When Mr. Woods was then questioned by this Muslim man as to why he was not afraid, he replied, “If I were to kill you, I know you would not go to heaven. But if you killed me, I know I would go to heaven.”

Concerning the loss of his son, he said, “This is just a brief interruption before I see him again.” It is this strength of faith in Jesus that enables Mr. Woods to carry on. He demonstrates a father’s love and heart, just as God out Heavenly Father demonstrates toward us, offering us eternal life through his Son, Jesus.

Tyrone is buried in a national cemetery in the San Diego area. But in Hawaii, on the Big Island, Mr. Woods told me that a Milo Tree was planted in Ty’s honor and memory in the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery. I asked him why this tree. He said that it is commonly believed that this tree lives forever.

Benghazi Update

             This Thursday, September 11, will be two years since the attack on our embassy personnel in Benghazi, Libya.

During this time I have written two articles about this travesty. Initially I wrote about the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty because a friend of mine was related to one of the SEALs and shared information he had obtained from a military officer who spoke at one of the funeral services for the fallen. I was fascinated with the strange twist the whole affair had taken with the tragic results, results that brought then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, upon being questioned about this obvious screw-up during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing of January 23, 2013, to express with frustration, “What difference at this point does it make?”

Well, Mrs. Clinton, if I may say so, it makes a big difference to the Americans murdered at the hands of Islamic thugs. And it sure matters to their families. It has also cast a pall over our military who have realized that Americans in trouble and who called for help that was readily available were denied that help. That’s the difference it makes.

My first article, written for the October 3, 2012 publication of the Ripon Record, was entitled, “Courageous.” Over the next six to twelve months I received countless phone calls, emails and letters from folks wanting to know how I had obtained my information on Benghazi. I was not at liberty to divulge my sources without compromising folks I knew and trusted. Most folks were supportive of my article, but there were some who were, to put it bluntly, angry with me. One individual called me from the State Department, so they said, angrily calling into question my knowledge of what actually happened, insinuating that as a Navy chaplain what could I possibly know about such things. I replied, “Prove that the facts in my article are wrong.” They hung up.

I also heard from a number of special ops guys, thanking me for writing the article, which prompted my second article, “Benghazi Redux,” May 22, 2013. I received a call from someone claiming to be a flag officer (a general) who was in the Special Forces. It has made life exciting for a while, I can assure you!

This past weekend, Bret Baier of FOX News did a special report where he interviewed three men who were part of a security detail directly involved in the battle in Benghazi. They were with Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty throughout the thirteen hours they defended the embassy annex compound where the fight raged. It is based upon a book, “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened In Benghazi,” written by Mitchell Zuckoff along with the Benghazi American Embassy Annex Security Team.

These men, two former Marines and one former Army Ranger, stated unequivocally in the interview with Bret Baier that when they were first alerted to the attack on the annex compound in Benghazi where Ambassador Stevens was in mortal danger, they grabbed their gear and were heading for their vehicles to attempt a rescue when they were ordered to wait, and then to “stand down.” They were confused by this order to stand down, but assumed they would be released shortly once info came in from two drones circling over the city. After 30 minutes had passed, and three refusals to allow them to initiate the rescue, they jumped in their vehicles anyway and drove the few minutes to the embassy compound. They described in detail the slugfest they found themselves in with Islamic terrorists which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.

Toward the end of the hour-long TV special Bret Baier asked each of the men if they firmly believed that if they had been allowed to go to the rescue immediately, instead of enduring the frustrating thirty minute stand down order, if the Ambassador and the others would be alive. They said without hesitation, “Yes. Definitely.”

There is presently a Congressional Investigation into the Benghazi affair being chaired by U.S. House of Representatives Trey Gowdy. I believe Mr. Gowdy to be an upright man and a straight shooter. What he and his investigative committee will be able to conclude from the Benghazi mess only God knows.

But here’s what you need to know: The administration, specifically the White House and the State Department, continues to deny that any stand down order was ever given, and that available assistance was never refused. The three special agents who battled the Islamic terrorists in Benghazi say otherwise.

For my money, I trust the agents.

Next week I’ll share from a phone conversation I had with Charles Woods, a retired judge and the father of former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods.

Knowing Your Roots

             Home again! To quote Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home!” To which Isaura and I would say, Amen!

Despite the obvious reasons for wanting to be home (your own bed, familiarity with your own stuff, grandchildren, friends, etc.) one of the primary reasons I was anxious to get home was to get to work on my family tree. This all began innocently enough last fall . . .

I was invited to speak to the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) in Turlock which turned out to be a delightful experience. The ladies were anxious for me to have my granddaughters join the DAR so they might be eligible for scholarships to college. However, in order to be eligible for these scholarships you have to prove that one of your relatives had served in the American Revolution. I admitted to the ladies that I did not know of any family members having served that far back. The Civil War? Yes! But I had no knowledge of any family serving in the Revolutionary War.

I shared this information with my daughters, Laura and Jenny, which was immediately seized upon by Laura. She jumped in with both feet, as it were, signing up on Ancestry.com. Before we knew it, Laura’s research had borne much fruit. She managed to trace as far back as 1693 to a Major Philip Rootes (born in Virginia) who served in the English militia in America. He died in 1756. And yes, the spelling of the last name is different than mine. Major Philip Rootes had a son, Captain John Reade Rootes (1735-1798), who, interestingly, was assigned as the personal attorney for General George Washington throughout the Revolutionary War! Who’d a thunk it?

So the question of having a family member serve during the American Revolution has been satisfied. But wait! There’s more!

Captain John Rootes had a son, Lieutenant Philip Reade Roots. Did you catch that? The last name was changed! Why? We don’t know. However, it was not uncommon for these new Americans to change the spelling of their names even though they defeated the vaunted British Redcoats. You will remember that the British came back again to try and even the score in the War of 1812. Making some separation from British connections was considered by some as a prudent move at the time. That’s pure speculation, as I have not been able to substantiate this through my research.

Now here’s one of those Twilight Zone moments. I mentioned above that our family member who served in the American Revolution was Captain John Reade Rootes. He held the rank of captain in the colonial army. He was also a lawyer by vocation. He was also assigned as the personal attorney for General Washington. I know that’s really cool, but here’s what’s so fun about this. My brother, John Christopher Roots, is a retired Marine colonel. He is also a lawyer (retired) by vocation. And he also served in the White House during the Reagan and George H.W. Bush Administrations. Whoa! That’s just a little bit weird.

There’s so much more that I’ve discovered! For instance, Major Philip Rootes married Mildred Reade. She is the granddaughter of George Reade who was born in Hampshire, England in 1608. George became the acting governor of Virginia in 1640. But check out this next paragraph, taken straight from documents I researched.

“In 1641 George Reade married Elizabeth Martiau, daughter of Nicholas Martiau, one of Virginia’s early settlers and a skilled engineer of French origin, who had first come to Virginia in 1620 as a representative of Henry, the fifth Earl of Huntington. Their daughter, Mildred Reade married Augustine Warner of Warner Hall, and the daughter of this marriage, Mildred Warner, married Lawrence Washington, the grandfather of George Washington.”

Nicholas Martiau was a captain in the French Army, having been born in France in 1591. He was also a Huguenot. After arriving in Virginia in 1620, he became responsible for developing the area called Yorktown, earning him the moniker, “The Father of Yorktown.”

So, as you no doubt have discerned, I am presently engrossed in researching my Roots. And now that I’m retired, I plan to spend a lot more time digging into my ancestral past.

Stunning!

             Our coast-to-coast journey and back is nearly over. What a trip it has been! We left about a month ago and are we ever ready to get home and sleep in our own bed again.

The goals we had for this trip were all attained and then some. What took us back east originally was the family reunion in Williamsburg, Virginia. Along the way we were able to stop and visit with friends and family, although not nearly as many as we would have liked.

The research into my family genealogy produced far more than I could have fathomed. And along the way, I was assisted by a number of folks who gave of their time and energy, along with their expertise in history and genealogy, making my efforts to connect the family dots, so to speak, much easier.

One place I had intended to stop was Des Arc, Arkansas. Isaura and I left Tennessee, drove diagonally through Arkansas from northeast to southwest. We encountered a lot of traffic which meant that we would not get to Des Arc before the museum there closed. The Texas unit my great grandfather served with sailed from Des Arc to Memphis, then by train to Corinth, Mississippi. I phoned the lady (Monica Smith) at the historical museum (Lower White River Museum State Park) in Des Arc and explained my dilemma. She went ahead and researched my great grandfather’s unit anyway and sent me invaluable information. She uncovered the names of the paddle-wheel boats operating out of Des Arc to Memphis in April of 1862. I can assure you that I was blessed and excited to have her support. She is going to continue to look into other files which may provide further specifics as to movements and locations.

We stopped in a La Quinta Inn & Suites in Sulphur Springs. Texas. Our first day we drove to Marshall, Texas where I was able to show Isaura the old Roots home where my father was born. It was built in 1887, and my grandparents moved in as newlyweds in 1903. Though the home is now owned by others, there is a sign out in front that says, Roots–Starr Home (I have no idea who the Starr folks are). I haven’t been to Marshall since 1971 when my grandmother Roots passed away, and my brother and I moved our dad to Dallas. I parked on the street and walked up to the front door. A middle-aged lady answered pleasantly, so I explained who I was and that this had been my grandparent’s home. The three of us stood on the porch and chatted for some time. I discovered that her mother was related to my dad’s cousin (Ruth), and that a half-sister of Ruth (Rosa) was still living (94), currently being cared for in a nursing home a few miles outside of Marshall. That means Rosa is the daughter of my Grandmother Roots’ brother, Albert who used to take me fishing on Caddo Lake (Can you say crocodiles?). Isaura and I spent about an hour with this dear lady, who remembered me as a little boy visiting Marshall from Connecticut in the early 1950s. She said, “I remember you. And you had a brother.” I was floored! She then looked at my wife and said, “His father was a very handsome man!” This was true. My parents moved from Marshall to New York City in 1934. My dad looked just like Clark Gable. He even had the mustache before Gable began to sport one. My parents would often eat out only to have maître-d’s mistake him for Gable. He would assure them that he was not, but they didn’t believe him! Quite a few meals were comp’d, I’m told.

After an hour with Rosa, Isaura and I had a time of prayer with her and said goodbye. I leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, whispering, “God bless you, dear one.” She looked at me, and in true Texas drawl, said, “Thank you, Sugah!” What a joy to meet this lady after 60 years.

On Sunday, August 17, we drove to Sulphur Bluff, Texas to attend the United Methodist church where my great grandfather spent his final decade of life. After the service we walked out behind the sanctuary and began looking for his grave stone. We found it easily enough; took the obligatory pictures; and then headed for Lone Oak, Texas where my mother was born. It has been a number of years since I was there so I was not able to find the home she was born in. It was a town of 500 when she was born in 1915. Today it boasts a population of 598. We drove up and down every street but could not locate the home. I’m thinking it must have been leveled.

So, we finally drove toward the western horizon, passing through Amarillo, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and stopping in Cortez, Colorado for the night. The next day we drove up Highway 191 toward Provo, Utah to visit family. But what a surprise awaited us on that highway! The Manti-La Sal National Forest is stunning! The proper superlatives escape me. The rock formations are breath-taking. I wanted to stop and simply soak in the beauty of these awesome earth and stone upheavals, but we were expected in Provo, so I begrudgingly pressed on. If you haven’t seen this part of the country you simply must make the effort. Lord willing, I’ll be back again someday to really take it all in.

We’ve been relaxing and visiting Isaura’s brother Tony and family here in Delta, Utah where Tony has built up a sizeable dairy operation. It has been good to see everyone.

I’ve been asked to preach at their church here in Delta this Sunday, after which Isaura and I will begin our final leg of the trip home, arriving Monday night. Can’t wait!

Noodling and Slugburgers

              This morning I am sitting at my computer in my hotel room in Sulphur Springs, Texas. Isaura and I drove from Counce, Tennessee yesterday after having spent several days with our nephew’s in-laws. It was a restful time which we both needed.

The return leg of our driving trip back east for the Coppage-Coppedge 66^th Family Reunion began Sunday, August 10^th. We said goodbye after breakfast and headed for Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia. We took the walking tour with a guide and I found myself being impressed once again by this man who was our third president. Besides the fact that he was the author of our Declaration of Independence, he had an insatiable appetite for learning – always learning. He taught himself seven languages, he was a tireless builder/architect, and he was an inveterate inventor. For example, in his home in Monticello, he designed the home himself so as to take advantage of maximum sunlight. The placement of all the windows was done so that regardless of the time of day, sunlight would come into the home. To enhance this, he created certain wall paints to embellish the lightened effect. He even built a skylight! What intrigued me most was the hidden pulley system he made for a set of doors for the interior of the home. If you pulled on one door, the under-floor pulleys would automatically pull the other door closed (or open) at the same moment. The home was filled with all sorts of gadgetry like that. Overall, the entire place was designed for a farmer, which he was. He would get up each morning when he could read the hands on the clock. Then he would sit at his writing desk and spend the next two-and-a-half hours writing. Every day!

We spent that night in a hotel in Bristol, Virginia which is on the state line of Tennessee. I received a phone call from a friend who drives truck informing me that we were in his neck of the woods. Bob Paris had been driving some long haul stuff out to California and stopped in our church one Sunday, and we’ve been friends ever since. Just so happened that he lived right near Bristol, so we met for lunch and got caught up. Great to spend time with this Christian brother.

We rolled into Jackson, Tennessee that evening where we were warmly greeted by Robert & Susan Reeves in true Southern Hospitality. We met them three years ago when I officiated at Josh & Amy’s wedding in Great Falls, Virginia (Amy is their daughter). When they heard we were going to be driving across country they insisted we come and spend some time at their home. They are such gracious folks, we couldn’t say no. They even hooked me up with a friend of theirs named Harbert (not a misspelling) Alexander, who is an historian, particularly on the Civil War, and specifically on battles and engagements of Tennessee units. Since my great grandfather, Rev. Daniel Thatcher Lake, was from Carrol County, Tennessee, Harbert was very interested in helping me find information and records on the family. This will be on-going so I’ll update you as we move along. Harbert has written several books, and is the caretaker of the local library in Jackson. He took us in to see a Civil War display that he and others have assembled in the library which will be part of a permanent display.

The Reeves took us to their cabin for a few days by the Tennessee River near Shiloh. What a beautiful setting! The river is spectacular in its own quiet way. We went “noodling,” which is a type of fishing new to me. Catfish is the big catch in this part of the country, so there are various ways to catch these fish. Noodling is where you take a length of cylindrical Styrofoam, such as is used in swimming pools, cut a length from about a foot to two feet in length, then you run a line about twenty-five feet through it with a hook and weight at the end and plop that guy right in your favorite spot. The Styrofoam floats, plus it’s colorful, so you can see it from a distance. If there’s a fish on the line, you’ll know it because it has moved away from the string of noodles you’ve put out. The other day, Robert and I put out 24. We only caught one catfish, but released him back to the river.

Speaking of catfish . . . if you’ve never been in the south and feasted on catfish and hushpuppies, you have more living to do! Seems like everything in the south is fried, and this classic meal is no exception. So, one evening we went to a local catfish restaurant and gorged ourselves. The hoity-toity of the world would look down their noses at such blue-collar faire, but let me tell you – if you haven’t had it, you must try it. Put it on your “bucket list.”

We bid our friends farewell yesterday morning, and drove to Corinth, Mississippi where my great grandfather fought with the 9^th Texas in the Civil War. He was wounded nearby, ambushed crossing the Hatchie River, possibly at Estanaula Landing. The battles of Shiloh, Tennessee, and Corinth and Iuka, Mississippi were pivotal for the south. In losing these battles, Grant and his army were able to gain direct access to the Mississippi River and thus sail down to Vicksburg, Mississippi where the siege began, and the south was unable to ever gain control again. The south was effectively boxed in and the squeeze began.

Corinth was critical because of the railroad crossing. Losing this crippled the south in moving men and supplies. So Isaura and I stopped to see this small town with its classic old homes, and quaint downtown area. We were told we absolutely must stop and have a Slugburger and milkshake at Borroum’s Drug Store. We were intrigued, if not repulsed, by the term Slugburger. Mr. Borroum was a surgeon in the Civil War. At the end of the War in 1865 he opened this pharmacy which his family still runs today. Somewhere in the early nineteen hundreds, meat was a bit scarce, so some enterprising fellows by the name of Weeks added soybeans to some meat and created what became known as the Weeksburger. Because it was only a nickel for the burger back then, it became known as a Slugburger. The slang term for a nickel was a “slug.” Aren’t you glad it isn’t what you thought it was! We each had one (with mustard, pickles and raw onion – standard) and a chocolate shake. The interior of Borroum’s is classic Americana – a step back in time.  

So today and tomorrow, we are visiting Sulphur Bluff, Texas (a few miles north of Sulphur Springs) where my great grandfather is buried; Marshall, Texas where my father was born; and Lone Oak, Texas where my mother was born.