"Serendipitous Moment..." 'Deborah Morel'

Guest-blogger Deborah Morel  is a Human and Judicial rights advocate. One of her favorite quotes close
to heart is, "The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty of the living to do this for them."
Lois McMaster Bujold

Deborah  has another heart warming story that I would call a divine moment... Enjoy!

Serendipitous Moment

 Memorial Day has special meaning for my family, as there are 3 generations of my family having served the US Armed Forces. My grandfather--speaking French as a first language, assisted Jews through a Paris underground, and during Nazi German occupation. The front? A butcher shop. My mother--a U.S. Naval nurse, and my father, Lieutenant Colonel with the US Marine Corps. On Veterans Memorial Day, my family would spend time at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific--honoring our service men and women; this is a tradition.

Last week, I was in a meeting  at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and with a US Marine Corps, Staff Sergeant, who continued his military career upward with the USMC Military Police. There were conversations about work related matters, conversations about the USMC...and conversations about the hardship I found before me as I fought for justice related to our Kaua'i courts in which truth had become a casualty. It is in the company of such fine men and women that I find solace in my efforts--that every minute, of every day, of every year, spent in determination--is worth the sacrifices made.

I had taken the bus to this Joint Base. The Marine Officer provided a ride for me, back to the bus stop. Along the return to the bust stop, the Marine Officer asked questions such as, "When does the bus come by, again? How often does the bus run?" and finally, "How long of a wait will you have?"  This Marine did not want to leave me alone at the bus stop; this Marine did not want to "leave me behind." I reassured this Officer that I would be fine alone at the bus stop; I understood.

When I arrived home, I had opportunity to read Kimo's dakinetalk. I smiled to myself, and tears were brought to my eyes, as I read Richard Spacer's story titled, "A Divine memory on Memorial Day."  In this story, Richard writes to a long-time friend, Gordon, who is a U.S. Veteran--having served our Nation in the U.S. Marine Corps. Richard, also, writes that his father served with the US Marine Corps, as well.  
( For those who did not see Richard's blog it  can be read here.)
http://dakinetalk.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-divine-memory-on-memorial-day-richard.html

The story continues as to how these two missed the last bus on Memorial Day, and, then, began to hitch a ride, and into some dark hours. Richard writes to the story's theme that a Marine is trained in "never leaving people behind the enemy lines, and apparently lots of other places, too." Marines are recognized for possessing exceptional character--an "elite group of men and women who live by a strict code of  integrity and ethics." Semper Fi is the signature of the USMC, and translates to "faithful."

This moment--in which one U.S. Marine Officer did not want to leave me behind at a bus stop--and Richard's appropriate story to USMC Veteran, Gordon--I believe, spoke in a serendipitous way exactly what a U.S. Marine is made of. God bless our soldiers.

Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...