Soldier recounts his mission at war -... -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 6/2/2003
Last Visited: 6/2/2003
Gordon Ritchie speaks to members of College Wesleyan Church, 4001 S. Shelby St., about his experiences serving as a Navy chaplain during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Gordon Ritchie, describes a story when she found a piece of hanger wire on the road while exercising.After finding it, she used it as a symbol for her faith in God.
When Lt.Cmdr.Gordon Ritchie, a chaplain with the Navy arrived in Kuwait on Feb. 12 he was not sure that he could go a whole month without a shower.
After serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom as a regiment chaplain for the Marines, Ritchie shared some first-hand accounts of the war with his former congregation at College Wesleyan Church, 4001 S. Selby St.
"I am usually a three shower guy.I didn't realize how dirty you could get," he said.
Although he threaded humor into many of the accounts of the war, Ritchie said that his role during the war was to minister to the soldiers of all faith groups.
In fact, Ritchie was on duty March 28 when the Marines recovered bodies of seven soldiers who died during intense fighting around Nasiriya in southern Iraq.He then led soldiers in a brief religious service.CNN also had broadcast footage of the service and interviewed Ritchie.
"There's not an atheist in a fox hole," Ritchie said."There are opportunities for ministry all over."
Ritchie used to live in Marion and served as an assistant pastor at the local church for four years.He now resides at Camp Lejeune, N.C., with his wife and four children.
Although Ritchie's primary responsibility during combat was to oversee about six other chaplains that traveled with individual battalions, he also moved with the troops and entered Iraq via Kuwait on the day that war started.
"I was never fearful.I was worried, but I knew God was there," he said.
The primary job of the second regiment, for which he was chaplain, was to secure the bridges that lead to Baghdad.He noted that he never entered Baghdad but was about 30 miles away at one point during the war.
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Ritchie spoke of ministering to several soldiers during the war including Mike Monday, also a member of the local church.
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In addition to sharing personal accounts in the war, Ritchie also answered questions from the congregation.
"You slept anytime that you could for as long as you could," Ritchie said to a question about the soldiers sleeping patterns.
The regiment that Ritchie served with during the war is still at sea on their way back to the United States.He flew home on emergency leave because both of his parents are ill.
Despite his personal trials Ritchie said he enjoys serving his God and his country.