“Thump... thump... thump... thump...” We immediately recognized the sound of 82mm mortars firing close by. We all hit the ground, not knowing if our patrol had been discovered or if someone else was being targeted. It didn’t take long before the mortars began to explode just a few meters out from the tree line we were in.
After a short pause, the mortars fired again. Realizing we had been spotted and the Viet Cong soldiers were adjusting their fire, our squad leader shouted, “Move out!” We quickly began moving away. The only problem was that the back half of the patrol went one way and the front half went the other. They call it the “fog of war” for a reason.
Minutes later, we could hear scattered gunfire from the direction that the front of the squad headed. Then silence. There was only one radio, and it was with the forward half of the squad.
We planned for just such an event. Before every patrol departed, we would identify a “rally point” where we would meet up in the event of separation. We (the back half of the squad) proceeded to the rally point, arriving about 45 minutes after the engagement.
There were only five of us, so me moved off of the trail to a place where we could cover the trail in both directions. We waited. We had no communication with our command or the rest of the squad. If we were attacked, we didn’t have any support.
Several hours later, just as the eastern sky began to lighten, we saw movement on the path opposite the direction we had come. All weapons were pointed down the trail. One of the patrol members shouted “Halt!” and everyone froze in place. The challenge was whispered and the password came back. It was the main patrol. It had taken them several hours to circumvent the enemy unit that had fired on us.
Sometimes, we as Christians get caught up in a similar “fog of war.” Circumstances cause us to be separated from our brothers and sisters in Christ and possibly even from our church. We find ourselves alone, separated, vulnerable, and unable to communicate with God. It is at times like this that we are vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. We need to do the same thing our squad did in Vietnam — return to your rally point.
Do you want to know where your rally point is? It’s the last place you clearly heard God speaking to you. Just like we were cut off from the radio that linked us to our headquarters, we as Christians can find ourselves cut off from hearing God’s voice. It is our Heavenly Father who makes our unit assignments (our church). We can’t just opt out unless He makes the reassignment.
If you are out there on your own, return to where you last heard His voice. That is your rally point. Don’t wait until the enemy discovers you alone and without support.
What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!
