Sunday, 18 January
 |
| Basquiat: Boxer |
Good Morning
Jack…
During the
last campaign I got to know Amos McClorey, head of the Cabarrus County NAACP. I soon joined up. Saturday morning was the MLK Prayer Breakfast
at Bethel Baptist Church. Amos sat
across from me at a round table that seated six. At one point Amos asked me what I thought of
the event. I’m afraid my mind went
blank. I could think of only stupid
things to say. After some time waiting
for my response he gave up and changed the subject. Amos mentioned that he and I nearly crossed
paths long ago in Vietnam. We discovered
he arrived at Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines
just as I was leaving in January, 1969.
I like to think that we had at least once seen each other there.
Amos was an oh-3-11 – infantry rifleman. Had he been an oh-3-31 – machine guns, or an oh-3-51
– rockets, his talent would have been wasted.
Platoon leadership was drawn from the 0311s. These guys called the shots as squad leaders
and platoon sergeants. A machine gun
squad leader was an onlooker by comparison, useless as a third tit. Amos had to become comfortable making decisions
in his role in Vietnam and this talent has been with him since.
A portion of
a Martin Luther King speech was played at the occasion. He spoke of the fear he felt early in his
career. Shortly after his first child
was born he received a chilling call in the night. If he and his family were not out of the
county within three days they would all be dead. Fear kept him awake nights. He also battled with despair. There was no foreordained course for civil
rights. For Dr. King there was no
running from the setbacks and hardships that resulted from mistakes he may have
made. At critical moments during the
civil rights campaign he struggled with self-doubt and gloom. Martin Luther King prevailed over his doubts because
he had the courage that comes with conviction.
It’s never just about ability.
Character always plays an important role in the decisions we make. If we are to prevail over great challenge it
is because we believe what we do is true.
Gossips focus only on flaws, ignoring the fact that strength of
character is behind every act of making a difference for the better.
Love,
Dad
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