Van Antwerp, "lost nearly all his staff when the Pentagon was attacked Sept. 11. His executive officer LTC Brian Birdwell was badly burned and in the hospital when President Bush visited him. Our President spent time and prayed with Brian. As he was getting ready to leave, he went to the foot of Brian's bed and saluted. He held his salute until Brian was able to raise his burned and bandaged arm, ever so slowly, in return. The Commander-in-Chief never initiates a salute, except in the case of a Congressional Medal of Honor winner. The injured soldier did not have to return the salute. But he did, out of respect to his President - a Soldier's President."
However, Birdwell, in Refined by Fire, states there were only two deaths in the office,
"Fortunately, not all my coworkers were in the office that day. Major General Robert L. Van Antwerp and my boss, Jan Menig---a member of the Senior Executive Services (SES) the civilian equivalent to a general---had been in the office earlier but left around 7:45 for a garrison commanders conference across the street at the Doubletree Hotel. Another coworker, Clara Toland, Ms. Menig's secretary, usually arrived around ten o'clock. However, that day she was on leave because she was caring for her ill aunt. Colonel Williams was in the office for a period of time, then stepped out to run errands.It can't be a coincidence that so many of the dead and wounded at the Pentagon that day came from the leadership ranks of organizations like OCF and CCMM.
The only other coworkers in were TW Williams, my counterpart, who was General Van Antwerp's military aide, Cheryle Sincock, General Van Antwerp's secretary, and Sandi Taylor, Staff Actions Control Officer for ACSIM."
Van Antwerp, "who has also lent his uniform to the Christian cause, both in a Trinity Broadcasting Network tribute to Christian soldiers called Red, White, and Blue Spectacular and at a 2003 Billy Graham rally—televised around the world on the Armed Forces Network—at which he declared the baptisms of 700 soldiers under his command evidence of the Lord’s plan to “raise up a godly army.”
I think the game has been given away at an entirely deeper level. It is truly awesome in its awfulness what these men of spirit enslaved to religion have done. It still boggles the mind, but I think the average person is going to be able to get it now. Ultimately, this is manageable.
Better start up that atonement and confession thing General Van. And don't think of resisting---your center will not hold.
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