From time to time you find yourself sucked into a situation without really thinking about it. This is what happened to me today as I sat at home waiting for the AT&T repairman to show up. I was flipping channels when I came across a rerun of a 2002 episode of the series 7th Heaven.
For those unfamiliar with the program it features (or featured) a Protestant Minister and his large family making their way through life. It is a feel good kind of show along the lines of Touched By An Angel and while it doesn’t push the religious aspect it is there. It’s an enjoyable show and since I had time to kill I decided to watch the program.
This particular episode was entitled “The Known Soldier” and featured the story of Staff Sgt. Dwight J. Morgan. Morgan was a US Marine who died in Afghanistan on January 19, 2002. He was flying in a helicopter to help supply some US troops when it crashed and he died.
Although I do not know the details of how they chose Sgt. Morgan for this episode I assume he was picked to be a representative of all the troops in service. The plot had one of the children in the family becoming a pen pal with Sgt. Morgan and as she shared her stories with the rest of the family Morgan became someone they knew and someone they mourned when he died.
As with most of these kinds of shows the dialogue became somewhat stilted as they voiced their support for the troops, fear for their safety and so on. Its not that I do not think they were sincere but it sometimes seemed like those scenes where two characters discuss past events to help non viewers catch up with things. It just doesn’t seem to work right.
However the last half was what made the show worth watching. They decide to hold a memorial service at the church where Rev Camden (the lead character) is minister. During the service the camera panned to show the audience which included Morgan’s widow (pregnant with their 2nd child) and his 5 year old son. There were also a number of real life Marines from Morgan’s unit and members of his family (including his 18 year old brother, a future Marine).
Camden then called on the audience to not simply mourn Morgan and move on but instead to do something real. As the script put it ‘Do something to make him proud’. It didn’t have to be anything dramatic.
Help a friend
Be kind to your children and spend time with them
Help a stranger
Obviously the list could go on and on.
It has been six years (almost seven) since Sgt. Morgan died and many things have changed. His young son is approaching his teenage years. His daughter is a child of six or seven and has never known her dad. It is likely some of the servicemen in the scene have also lost their lives.
But one thing has not changed.
We all have different opinions on the war, on President Bush, on whether we should be in Iraq or Afghanistan or not.
But we still should do something to make Sgt. Morgan proud.
We still should do something to make ALL of the Sgt. Morgans proud.
Not for a political agenda, not to make ourselves feel good, not to make ourselves look good.
But because it is the right thing to do.
So with great humility I would ask you to heed this call.
And when you do, remember to thank Sgt. Morgan.