The Patriot Post® · Bound by Fear

I don’t remember when I felt such fatigue. It was during my first tour of Vietnam. The monsoon rains had passed; now came the unbearable heat. We conducted patrols outside the perimeter of the small forward airfield at Phu Bai. During the time we weren’t on patrols or ambushes, we dug trenches, filled sandbags, and built bunkers to keep us safe from incoming enemy fire.

Most nights, when not on patrol, we were assigned to perimeter security. The hardest part of this was staying awake after working or patrolling all day. That’s why there were always two men to a position … until there weren’t. We had casualties from combat operations, plus those who had suffered from immersion foot or malaria. Our duty roster was very short-handed.

One night I was given a four-hour shift at a “listening post,” basically a foxhole at the farthest point from the main line of defenses. My job was to watch for any sign of an enemy attack, fire warning shots, and retreat back to the main perimeter. Except on this night I was alone. I did pretty good for the first two hours. Then the fatigue set in. I was struggling to stay awake, but the harder I tried, the sleepier I became.

As I sat in the foxhole trying to figure out how to keep awake, I heard a sound a few yards from my position. My mind flashed to one training exercise in which they showed how the communist guerillas could crawl through the barbwire and get into your position. My body went on high alert! Adrenaline kicked in, and every part of my body was tense. My heart was beating so loud I thought it would lead the enemy right to me. Sweat rolled down my face as I strained to see in the pitch-black night the enemy soldier trying to sneak up to kill me.

I placed my K-bar (combat knife) on the side of the foxhole. I quietly clicked the safety on my M-14 rifle off. I strained and strained, sweat running down my face. Suddenly, a huge lizard jumped over a bush in front of my position. It scared the daylights out of me. My heart was beating 100 miles an hour.

Here’s the question. Did I “feel” I was in danger? Absolutely! Every part of my body told me I was in danger. In reality, as there are no poisonous lizards in Vietnam, the danger was not real. But it felt real to me. You see, our emotions can lie to us.

I believe that is what’s happening to millions of Americans all across the country right now. The media, Big Tech, Hollywood, and the Marxists in our government have convinced us that democracy is in danger and our country will crash if we don’t allow them to take control of every part of government and society. They want us to just roll over.

Many Americans are living in fear of what’s happening around them. Our freedoms and moral values are being trampled on. The nation’s moral compass is broken. Sexual perversions are being forced upon us and our children. We’re losing our country.

But Joshua 1:9 says: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Don’t give up! Something to pray about!