There was a vet standing there in a tripod configuration (Two crutches and one leg-the other one was gone at the hip) and he was sounding pretty frantic. I heard him tell the travel clerk that he was stranded and needed money to get home on, and I heard the clerk tell him there was nothing the VA could do.

 I'm a little shaky at times as to what I'm supposed to be doing as an outpost leader, but this Brother looked to be in dire straights and no one else seemed to be picking up the slack. I stopped and introduced myself, told him I was an Outpost Leader for Pointman Ministries over in the Camas/Washougal area, and asked him was there anything I could do for him.

When he turned, I could see the anger in his eyes -- that and the pain. I wear my hat with the Ranger tab, Cross and Pointman pin. He had been a Ranger in the Nam too, and the hat stopped him from telling me to mind my own business.

He told me his name was Tony Benjamin and he had come up to the VA from his place outside Lincoln City on Friday with his wife Beth, and two grandkids who they're raising. It seems the doctors in Lincoln City had found more cancer. He had his leg removed by the VA a couple years ago because of cancer in his thigh bone, but I guess they didn't get it all because it showed back up in his liver and his spine. 

Well, the VA couldn't see him on Friday and made him an appointment to come back a few weeks later and sent him home. Inasmuch as he didn't have an appointment, they didn't give him travel pay to the VA, but just gave him some to get back to Lincoln City. On his way down off Pill Hill, the fuel pump went out on his car. He, his wife and two little grandkids had spent Friday night, Saturday, Saturday night, Sunday, and Sunday night in their car. 

Normally, it's pretty nice out here, but we were having a cold snap just then with temperatures in the teens and twenties, so they about froze. He asked me if I would loan him $20.00 and take him to a U-pull-it so he could get another fuel pump for his car. That Monday was still cold, there was ice on the puddles, and I couldn't see going to a junk yard with this Brother -- who was skinny as a rail, sick, and not dressed that warm anyway -- and help him pull a fuel pump off a junker. Besides, you never know if the junker was there because of the fuel pump in the first place. I told him I'd take him down and get him a new one at a parts store. I didn't know how much it would be but I figured if worse came to worse, I could drive back home and pick up the check book.

On the way down the hill, we did some talking. I asked him what he thought about his chances were with his body. That's when he told me the cancer was in his liver and spine. He said "I'm dying, man. What you think? I got cancer all through me and the VA won't do squat. I got a family and they won't even rate me for Agent Orange. When I die they're out of luck. I got 80% for PTSD and when I'm gone, it is too."
I asked him who his Service rep was. He told me he didn't believe in them. I told him how the DAV had got me my 100% permanent rating and then gave him the name of the rep who had been there for me. He was impressed how the DAV had worked for me and seemed to be glad to get the information. I impressed on him how he needed to get his paperwork started while he was still living so his wife would have a chance. He nodded.

Then I asked him the million dollar question, the one that's all sorts of hard for me to ask. I said "Well, that's it about your body. What's the condition of your soul, Brother?" He didn't say anything for a bit. When he answered, he was pretty quiet. " I don't much believe in that stuff." I nodded. I knew pretty much where he was coming from. As I said, I'm a pretty new Christian and I remember when I was all alone out there myself, whistling in the dark. I shared my testimony with him.

 I told him how locked up in drugs and anger I was when I gave it up to the Lord, and how He was carrying me through it. I explained to him the incredible peace the knowledge of my salvation gave to me, and how I didn't feel lost anymore. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him shaking his head. I said, "Brother, consider this for a moment. Just suppose -- for the sake of argument -- that I'm right and you're wrong. Can you even imagine just how horrible it would be to die and then find out you had a chance and pissed it away? Remember Brother, the Lord is just standing there waiting. All you have to do is ask him to come into your life, and He will come. Let Him know you need His salvation and forgiveness and you got it. Free of charge, no strings attached." He kind of snorted. "What do I need forgiveness for?" I said "Oh, Brother, we all need forgiveness. We all got stuff. Every one of us got a load we been carrying most of our days. I don't know your bogeyman and I don't want to tell you all mine, but I've done some things, Brother, things that were really wrong. Things that I would look back on and it would hurt my heart to see how evil I had been. The Lord saw it all. He was right there when I was doing them and He loved me anyway. There aint nothing he can't forgive. While you're alive Brother -- while you're still drawing breath -- it is never too late to give it up to God." That was about it for the conversation until we got to the parts store.

Now let me lay down a little ground work for you. Sunday night, I had been going through my donation can and looking at the order form trying to figure out what books and pamphlets I wanted to get. There was $63.00 in the can, and I couldn't figure out what it was I needed to get, so when I went to prayer that night, I asked the Lord for a little bit of guidance. The fuel pump was $63.85. It about struck me dumb. Sunday night I had taken the money out of my can and stuck it inside a copy of In God We Trust and stuck the Book inside my backpack. The backpack was in my car. I went out to the car, got the book, reached 85 cents out of my pocket and handed the Book and change to Tony. "Pay the man, Brother."

On our way back to his car, he tried to write me a check and when I wouldn't take that, pay me in food stamps. I told him where the money had come from. He didn't seem to be able to understand. I told him, "This is the way the Lord works. When we were lurping in the Nam, we learned to read sign. Well, this is the Lord's sign. The money was His. Donated to do his work. When I asked for guidance, he led me to you. That's what it's all about, Brother. His Sign." When we got to his car, he introduced me to his wife as a "preacher." I'll tell you, I've been called a lot of things, never been called a preacher before. Kind of took me by surprise. I'd never thought of it that way, not preaching, I thought it was more of helping my brother. He had the fuel pump off his car already and didn't want my help in sticking the new one on so I took his wife and kids up to the VA and got them something to eat. They hadn't eaten but once the day before. I took him down a sandwich and a cup of coffee. We'd only been gone about 30 minutes, but he had the new fuel pump on and was starting the car when we got back. I asked if I could pray for them before they left. He nodded. I prayed them a safe journey home and asked the Lord to Bless and protect them -- and show Tony the reality of His presence.

Every time I think about it I choke up a bit. It's pretty awesome to watch the Lord at work. I would like to ask for prayer for Tony and his wife, Beth as well as their grandkids. If healing is in the works for him, we should ask for it, but I think maybe it's more important we should ask for deliverance for their souls. I would ask that Tony find peace and the Lord's salvation before he goes. Well, I didn't mean to be so windy.

In Christ, George Silver

P.S.    A year or so after Silver met Tony he  ran across another vet from Lincoln City who knew Tony. Tony died, but not before he and his wife started attending a local church. Tony kept the Bible that Silver gave him and talked about "the preacher" who gave it to him and would tell his version of the story above. Tony's widow still attends church and because Tony got his claim started with help from the DAV before he died, she receives his death benefits due her as his  widow. 

Poems by Silver

The Way of the World

Requiem for The Fallen

To the Doc's
 

Read more of Silver's writings at  Draggin' A Dead Horse