No Atheists in Foxholes: Reflections and Prayers from the Front

By Patrick McLaughlin

Experience gripping wartime stories and honest prayers by this Camp David chaplain now serving in Iraq.

When words mean less and less, but money talks more and more; when blasphemy is a best seller, and eternal war has replaced hopeful diplomacy; in times like these is prayer even possible? Patrick J. McLaughlin thinks so. McLaughlin is an active duty Navy Chaplain who has ministered to heads of state and to soldiers living and dying in the heat of Iraq.

No Atheists in Foxholes assembles Chaplain McLaughlin's experiences and prayers from e-mails, private notes, and personal conversations that take us real-time into realms of duty and spirit: from the quiet darkness of his infant son's New England bedroom on September 11, 2001, to the bomshelled medical tents and blistered Army Humvees of Anbar Province. Chaplain McLaughlin believes that prayer is not only possible, but critical. "We must all learn to pray for peace," he says, "and then become an answer to that prayer."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781418574703

Book preview

Praise for

NO ATHEISTS IN FOXHOLES

I take great pleasure in heartily endorsing No Atheists in Foxholes by Chaplain Patrick McLaughlin. It is timely, heartfelt, and the perfect book for these troublesome times. From the calm and rustic Presidential retreat of Camp David to the hot, gritty sandscape of war-battered Iraq, Chaplain McLaughlin has been in a unique position to observe some of the greatest events of the past decade. With this book, juxtaposing prayer with commentary, Chaplain McLaughlin has created a handbook and a guide for not only our troops in harm’s way but for all of us who seek to understand the world in which we live. If you really want to understand the core of America’s greatness which is solidly based on faith, you must read this book.

—Homer Hickam, bestselling author of

We Are Not Afraid, The Keeper’s Son, and Rocket Boys

Patrick McLaughlin’s magnificent little volume, No Atheists in Foxholes, is full of reflections and prayers that are both insightful and profound. As he shares his journey from Camp David to Iraq, he presents us with a fascinating dialectic between his lived experiences and the reflective prayers that flow from them. The insights that emerge come from his looking at what is happening to him and those around him through the eyes of Faith. His insights almost inadvertently challenge and expand the minds and hearts of those who read them. McLaughlin has a way of connecting us together and reminding us that none of us are alone on our individual journeys. We are always a family who journey together and who are fathered and guided by God himself.

—Most Rev. Joseph W. Estabrook, D.D.

RC Bishop, Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Pat McLaughlin’s prayers and observations are as singular as the man himself. Nowhere else will you find what this book offers—a spiritual journey from the Bush Presidential retreat to the war in Iraq. Nowhere else will you find such astonishing insight, prayers, and sermons. Pat McLaughlin and this book embody all that is noble, pure and profound about America.

—Lynne Bundesen, Author of One Prayer at a Time and

Adj. Professor of Spiritual Writing at Boston Theological Institute

Chaps McLaughlin is the quintessential Navy Chaplain. When we served together in USS Princeton (CG 59) in the mid-nineties I came to know and value his extraordinary gifts for bringing our crew closer to God and vice versa. He kept morale high, and that translated directly to high combat readiness. His keen wit, amiable personality, and his deep and abiding faith made those long days at sea more bearable for all of us. We all looked forward to the evening prayer—even the sailors who were not much inclined to pray found themselves drawn into Padre Pat’s nightly connection with the Almighty. It was always so . . . relevant. No Atheists in Foxholes is Chaps McLaughlin’s gift to all will read it. For those who have served in uniform, No Atheists will remind of the truth that we all pray when scared. For those not privileged to have served in uniform, No Atheists will bring a clearer understanding of the great compassion and commitment of our men and women who sacrifice so much to keep our great nation and others free—Padre Pat McLaughlin among them. And perhaps it will bring us all just a bit closer to the Lord as we pray with Chaps while reading his words.

—Gerard M. Farrell, Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

former Commanding Officer, USS Princeton (CG 59)

I have known, served with, and admired Chaplain Pat McLaughlin since we sailed together on his first Navy deployment back in the early 1990’s. He is a truly spiritual man who nevertheless knows how to have a good laugh, to take pleasure in the wonder of daily living life among America’s warriors. Serving in USS PRINCETON (CG-59), he was called Chaps by the crew who learned from, frequently leaned on, and genuinely loved him.

No Atheists in Foxholes is eloquent in its honesty and clarity. It reflects Chaps McLaughlin’s ability see beyond the chaos of life centered on and in combat to the spiritual heart of the American warrior ethos. He captures this essence untainted by dogma or doctrine, to let it shine through truthfully, sorrowfully, joyously, humanly.

This book is a must-experience for anyone interested in looking beyond mere reporting of combat to glimpse the souls of the human experience that is combat.

—E. J. Quinn, CAPTAIN, USN

NO

ATHEISTS

IN FOXHOLES

2

© 2008 by Patrick J. McLaughlin

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [e-mail].

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked HCSB are from the HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE. © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Broadman and Holman Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Page Design by Casey Hooper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McLaughlin, Patrick J.

No atheists in foxholes : reflections and prayers from the front / Patrick J. McLaughlin.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-8499-1998-5 (hardcover)

1. Iraq War, 2003—Religious aspects—Christianity--Meditations. 2. Meditations. 3. Iraq War, 2003—Prayers and devotions. 4. Prayers. I. Title.

BV4897.W2M35 2007

277.3'083--dc22

2007046671

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 QW 6 5 4 3 2 1

With respect and admiration for those who wear the military uniforms of the United States and their families.

They serve and sacrifice every day of the year so that we all might enjoy freedom. To those who’ve given their lives in war, may you rest at the feet of God in heaven.

PATRICK J. MCLAUGHLIN, MDiv, STM, currently serves as an active-duty United States Navy chaplain. He has been stationed with all five branches of the armed services and has made deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2007 to February 2008 and August 2005 to March 2006. From June 2002 to June 2005, he served as the chaplain at the presidential retreat Camp David. He was ordained by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1989 and commissioned into the Navy in 1992. He currently lives in Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, with his wife, Leigh, and their children, Mariah, Jane, Megan, William, and Erin. You can find Pat online at www.pjmcbooks.com.

The ideas, thoughts, and views expressed in this book belong to the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of the Navy. The text has been cleared for open publication by the Department of Defense Office of Security and Review.

CONTENTS

Introduction

A TIME OF WAR

Reflection Welcome to Camp David

Prayer Prayer in Times of War

Reflection The Beginning of a War

Prayer Prayer for Peace

Reflection Welcome to Iraq

Prayer Prayer for a Fallen Iraqi Soldier

Reflection The Rest of the Story

Prayer Prayer for the World Community

Reflection A Lesson in Faith from a Muslim Father

THOSE WHO SACRIFICE

Prayer Prayer for the Willing

Reflection That’s My Policy

Prayer Prayer for Military Children

Reflection The Military Life

Reflection A Self-Centered Prayer

Prayer Prayer for Military Wives

Reflection Letter to My Wife

Prayer Evening Prayer for My Family

Reflection Courage and Commitment

Prayer Prayer for Military Husbands

Prayer Prayer for Parents

Reflection Waiting for a Loved One: The War Mother’s Flag

Prayer Prayer for Brothers and Sisters

Prayer Prayer for Those Missing the Birth of a Child

Reflection The Best AMCROSS Message

FELLOW WARRIORS

Prayer Prayer for Veterans

Reflection Drive It Like You Stole It!

Prayer Prayer for Those Who Serve Beside Us

Prayer Prayer for Prisoners of War

Prayer Prayer for Those Missing in Action

PAYING THE ULTIMATE PRICE

Reflection Dog Tags

Prayer Prayer for Those Waiting on a Loved One

Prayer Prayer for Those Paying the Greatest Price

Reflection A Marine Angel

Prayer Prayer for Those Who Grieve

Prayer A Prayer When Words Fail

Reflection A Side of the Story You Won’t See

Prayer Prayer for God’s Constant Presence

THE ARMED FORCES FAMILY

Prayer Prayer of Indebtedness

Reflection A Tradition of Service

Prayer Prayer for Those Called to Serve

Reflection Freedom of the Will

Prayer Prayer for a Marine

Reflection Red Bull, Gatorade, and Marlboros

Reflection The Look of a Convoy

Prayer Blessing for a Convoy

Prayer Prayer for a Sailor

Reflection Navy Tradition

Prayer Prayer for a Soldier

Reflection Praying with an Injured Soldier

Prayer Prayer for an Airman

Prayer Prayer for a Coastguardsman

Reflection Coasties

Prayer Prayer for the National Guard and Reserves

Reflection They’re Not Weekend Warriors

Prayer Prayer for a Fallen Marine

Reflection Where Angels Tread

Prayer A Warrior’s Prayer for Peace

Reflection The Current and Future Results of the Arms Race

Prayer Prayer for Quiet Heroes

Reflection The Walking Blood Bank

Prayer Prayer for a Good Pair of Boots

Reflection Walking and Talking to God

Prayer Prayer at an Enlistment/Reenlistment

Reflection There Is No Finer Sight

STRENGTH AND COURAGE

Reflection Shaking Off the Dust

Prayer Prayer to Overcome Obstacles

Reflection Adapt and Overcome

Prayer Prayer in Challenging Times

Reflection Turning It Over to God

Prayer Prayer for Strength

Reflection It’s All Relative in Iraq

Prayer Prayer for Courage

Reflection No Atheists in Foxholes

Prayer Prayer in Times of Fear

Reflection Come-to-Jesus Meetings

Prayer Prayer for Our Country

Reflection The 6th CAG

OUR ROOTS AT HOME

Prayer Prayer for Patriots

Reflection We Are Proud of Who We Are

Prayer Prayer for the Flag

Prayer Prayer for the Free

Reflection The Warrior and Peacemaker

Prayer Prayer Seeking to Do the Right Thing

Reflection A Simple and Solitary Path

LIFE IN THE DESERT

Prayer Prayer for Justice

Prayer Prayer for Mercy

Reflection Precious Day

Prayer Prayer for Forgiveness

Reflection War as a Noncombatant

Reflection HESCO Beach: The Lighter Side of War

CHILDREN DURING WAR

Prayer Prayer for Innocence

Reflection Ismael

Prayer Prayer for the Children of Iraq

Reflection Children Are Not Collateral Damage

Prayer Prayer for Anxious Times

Reflection Anxious Times

THE WORK OF PRAYER

Prayer Prayer for Human Conflict

Reflection A Bullet Has No Conscience

Prayer Prayer for My Enemies

Reflection Pray for Your Enemies

Prayer Prayer for Healing Divisions

Reflection Our Country—Praying Together

Prayer Another Prayer for Peace

Reflection These Are the Things of War

Prayer Prayer for Serenity

Reflection A Recipe for Peace

Prayer A Direct Prayer

Reflection 334 Service Members

Prayer Powerful Prayer

Reflection Powerful Praying

Prayer Positive Prayer

Reflection Under the Shadow of the Almighty

Prayer Prayer for Unity

Prayer Prayer in Victory

Prayer Prayer of Confession

PRAYING FOR THOSE BACK HOME

Prayer Prayer for the President

Prayer Prayer for Congress

Reflection National Prayer Breakfast

Prayer Prayer for Hectic Times

Reflection I am the Martha Stewart of the Fleet

Prayer Remembering Pearl Harbor

Prayer Prayer on the Anniversary of September 11, 2001

Reflection Bound by Love and Compassion

Prayer Morning Prayer

Prayer Evening Prayer

ECHOING THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS

Reflection Remember the Sabbath to Keep It Holy

Prayer The Lord’s Prayer

Reflection Praying in Times of Conflict: A Constant Need

Prayer Prayer Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

Psalm Psalm 23

Reflection A Timely Witness

Psalm The 23rd Psalm for Sailors

Psalm Psalm 46

Reflection Can We Live with Peace?

Psalm Psalm 91

Reflection The 91st Psalm

Afterword

Acknowledgments

Notes

INTRODUCTION

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD,

He is my refuge and my fortress:

my God; in him will I trust.

—PSALM 91:1–2

As a pastor, I am called on to deliver words of hope, reassurance, and consolation. During times of war, that need is even greater as many of our nation’s troops, families, and citizens take refuge in God’s Word and in prayer. Psalm 91 is one of the best examples of God speaking directly to us during such difficult times.

People who serve our country come from every conceivable part of our nation, every ethnic background, and every socioeconomic status. The diversity of faith backgrounds represented in the armed forces is also staggering. In times of need, though, the collective wealth and depth of American spirituality, in combination with the Scriptures, provides our greatest resource for healing wounded souls. During times of conflict, all of us can rely on God and draw from this deep well of spiritual water.

Since January 1993 I have served as an active-duty Navy chaplain with every branch of the military. I have been shipboard with sailors, in the air with marines, on the rivers of the Midwest with the Coast Guard, with all the branches of the military at the presidential retreat Camp David, and then with marines again, this time in Iraq. I have been an ordained Lutheran pastor since May 1989, and I served churches in Virginia and North Carolina prior to entering the Navy.

I have drawn from the well of spiritual water throughout my life, but probably no more so than during the period beginning in January 2003 as the United States began serious discussions leading up to the war in Iraq. I was six months into a three-year tour as the chaplain at Camp David. It was then that I began to compose many of the prayers in this book. Less than two months after finishing my assignment at the presidential retreat, I was on the ground in Iraq with the Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon of Combat Logistics Regiment 25, part of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. After a seven-month deployment to Iraq, I came back to North Carolina for ten months. That respite was followed by another deployment, this time for thirteen months. In the desert locations of Al Asad and Al Taqaddum, I wrote many of the reflection pieces that accompany these prayers. Over time the collection grew. At the urging of family and friends, who received these prayers and forwarded them to others via e-mail, I have put them together in the present form. I hope they give you who read these pages a glimpse into the spiritual life of those serving our country during wartime. I have met many incredible service members during my time on active duty. I have also met many of their equally dedicated families. During times of war and peace alike, many join me by drawing from the well for spiritual strength. I am humbled that God has used my experiences to uplift the spirits of our men and women in the armed forces as well as their families.

These prayers and reflections are designed to empower you to draw from the well and be a caretaker of the souls of those serving our nation, especially those whom you hold in your heart.

A TIME OF WAR

WELCOME TO CAMP DAVID

I am often asked, "How did you get to