Quicksand
September 10th, 2009, 20:34
from my journal... Please pray for his family, as well as for me.. Feeling a little overwhelmed right now..
My Friend
While we fight our pain over losing Jim, the Angels in Heaven are rejoicing this day because God has another good soul on his side. With the spirit Jim brings to God's Kingdom, I know that things in Heaven are running a little smoother through his presense. I only had the privilege to know Jim for a few years, but during that time, I came to feel a bond that one experiences very rarely in life. His kindness,good will, and true love of life deeply affected all those who knew him, and the confidence he exuded to others set him apart, and made him a truly special man. To truly know how special, and what a real American hero he was, you must look back on his life. Jim was deeply devoted to his family and their well-being. He put others' needs before his own, and took upon himself to always do the right thing, even when it was not the easiest thing to do. Jim was also a true Patriot. He served our country in Vietnam at a time in our history when military service was frowned upon by most as a disgrace and a waste of time. The history of his service further enlightens us as to the fabric that this man was cut from. Not only did he serve, he volunteered for the toughest, most dangerous job that he could possibly do. When I once asked him why he did this, his reply was, "Somebody was going to have to do it. Why not me?" The job I speak of is that of a US Army Air Cavalry Scout helicopter crewman. His job was to sit in the back seat of a tiny, unarmored helicopter as it slowly skimmed over the jungle, and search the shadows below for signs of an elusive enemy. When he did see the enemy, which was frequently eye-to-eye, he was to drop a colored smoke grenade to mark their position, and lay down suppressive fire with a light machine gun in order to allow his helicopter to escape enemy return fire. His helicopter was shot down on more than one occasion. When I asked him what they, the crewmen, did then, he smiled and said, "We went back and got another one..." Jim was so troubled that the helicopters were almost totally defenseless, that he used almost all of his free time to help design, test, and install a gun and mount in them that would at least allow the Aero Scouts to shoot back. This mount became standard on all the Aero Scout helicopters in Vietnam once it's value was realized. In spite of this improvement, the average life expectancy for the Trooper doing Jim's job in combat was still estimated to be only twenty minutes, meaning that at the end of twenty minutes, the odds were that he would be either killed or wounded. Having full knowledge of the odds against his survival, he continued to volunteer for this job, even volunteering to fly in place of others, until his superiors had to order him to do something else. He brought the same "can do" attitude home with him, and applied it to being a husband and father. He put all of his horrible memories of combat aside. He never boasted of his service, and never felt that he was owed any special treatment for the many sacrifices that we all know he made. We can never repay Jim for what he has done for our country, or for being the wonderfully positive force he has been in our lives. I cannot ease the pain that we are feeling at his passing. I can, however, make these humble observations. By his own example, he has set a high mark for us to match in life. He truly knew the meaning of life, and used this knowledge to brighten the lives of all he touched. As long as we keep the wisdom and love he gave to us close to our hearts, his spirit will never be extinguished. I feel honored and humbled to say he was my friend. :medals::medals::medals::medals::medals::medals:
Jim Burrell
19 September 2008
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My Friend
While we fight our pain over losing Jim, the Angels in Heaven are rejoicing this day because God has another good soul on his side. With the spirit Jim brings to God's Kingdom, I know that things in Heaven are running a little smoother through his presense. I only had the privilege to know Jim for a few years, but during that time, I came to feel a bond that one experiences very rarely in life. His kindness,good will, and true love of life deeply affected all those who knew him, and the confidence he exuded to others set him apart, and made him a truly special man. To truly know how special, and what a real American hero he was, you must look back on his life. Jim was deeply devoted to his family and their well-being. He put others' needs before his own, and took upon himself to always do the right thing, even when it was not the easiest thing to do. Jim was also a true Patriot. He served our country in Vietnam at a time in our history when military service was frowned upon by most as a disgrace and a waste of time. The history of his service further enlightens us as to the fabric that this man was cut from. Not only did he serve, he volunteered for the toughest, most dangerous job that he could possibly do. When I once asked him why he did this, his reply was, "Somebody was going to have to do it. Why not me?" The job I speak of is that of a US Army Air Cavalry Scout helicopter crewman. His job was to sit in the back seat of a tiny, unarmored helicopter as it slowly skimmed over the jungle, and search the shadows below for signs of an elusive enemy. When he did see the enemy, which was frequently eye-to-eye, he was to drop a colored smoke grenade to mark their position, and lay down suppressive fire with a light machine gun in order to allow his helicopter to escape enemy return fire. His helicopter was shot down on more than one occasion. When I asked him what they, the crewmen, did then, he smiled and said, "We went back and got another one..." Jim was so troubled that the helicopters were almost totally defenseless, that he used almost all of his free time to help design, test, and install a gun and mount in them that would at least allow the Aero Scouts to shoot back. This mount became standard on all the Aero Scout helicopters in Vietnam once it's value was realized. In spite of this improvement, the average life expectancy for the Trooper doing Jim's job in combat was still estimated to be only twenty minutes, meaning that at the end of twenty minutes, the odds were that he would be either killed or wounded. Having full knowledge of the odds against his survival, he continued to volunteer for this job, even volunteering to fly in place of others, until his superiors had to order him to do something else. He brought the same "can do" attitude home with him, and applied it to being a husband and father. He put all of his horrible memories of combat aside. He never boasted of his service, and never felt that he was owed any special treatment for the many sacrifices that we all know he made. We can never repay Jim for what he has done for our country, or for being the wonderfully positive force he has been in our lives. I cannot ease the pain that we are feeling at his passing. I can, however, make these humble observations. By his own example, he has set a high mark for us to match in life. He truly knew the meaning of life, and used this knowledge to brighten the lives of all he touched. As long as we keep the wisdom and love he gave to us close to our hearts, his spirit will never be extinguished. I feel honored and humbled to say he was my friend. :medals::medals::medals::medals::medals::medals:
Jim Burrell
19 September 2008
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