He was born in Philadelphia, and was attending Virginia Union University with three and a half years under his belt.

Left School to Serve his Country

In 1961, a young African-American man, after hearing President John F.Kennedy’s challenge to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” gave up his student deferment, left college and voluntarily joined the Marines.

In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. Navy corpsmen provided medical assistance to both marine and navy personnel.

The man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy’s premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the commander in chief’s medical team. In 1966 he helped care for President Lyndon B. Johnson after his surgery.

For excelling in his service on the team, the White House awarded him three letters of commendation in 1967.

Other Political Giants Deferred

In remarkable dedication and patriotism he entered the newly integrated branch of the Marines and Navy, and while he was serving a six year stent, Vice President Dick Cheney, who was born the same year as our mystery soldier, received five deferments. He received four for being an undergraduate and graduate student and one for being a prospective father. Then two other well-known Americans, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush both five years younger than the African-American youth, used student deferments to avoid going into the military.

How do we Measure a Patriot?

Who is the real patriot? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country or our three political leaders who beat the system? After his years in the military, he transferred to Howard University completing his undergraduate studies and receiving his first Master’s Degree. He then went on and received a second Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His Doctorate was received under the Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor from the United Theological Seminary. Not only has he received four earned degrees, he has been the recipient of eight honorary doctorates.

Live a Sermon Not Just Preach it!

In the many sermons I have been privileged to hear one statement that impressed me most profoundly was that we should live a sermon, not just preach it. So would it not be wise to take another look at this man? It seems that many are getting caught up in semantics.

Our Mystery Soldier Becomes a Minister

After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his final year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became pastor of a large church in one of America’s biggest cities. When he took over the ministry in March of 1972, this church had 87 members. The motto of the church then and still is “Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian” though coined by his predecessor, the Reverend Dr. Rueben Sheares, and was officially adopted by the congregation shortly after he became the minister. Under his leadership the membership exceeded 6,000 and was continually growing.

Who is he?

This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ and Obama’s former spiritual adviser. Is the criticism just? I am not throwing the first stone, or any.