During World War II, Venerable Fulton Sheen compiled a prayer book for soldiers titled “The Armor of God.” In it he wrote that the vocation of a soldier is next in dignity to the priesthood, not only because it commissioned him to defend justice on the field of battle and order on the field of peace, but also because it called him to the spirit and intention of sacrifice. And in the Gospel of Saint John we read, “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

When I read that verse the other day I immediately thought of a Medal of Honor recipient who laid down his life to save his brothers in arms on Easter Sunday in 1967 during the Vietnam War. His name was Douglas Dickey, a United States Marine who had the rare quality of being pure of heart. His story is especially compelling since he seemed to have premonitions of the violent way he would die, even when he was a child. He didn’t show the slightest hesitation when called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice, which is why I think it’s fitting to reflect on his act of valor during Holy Week when Our Lord sacrificed His life so that we could have eternal life. I’m using an article written by a friend of mine, Mr. Norman Fulkerson, that’s based on the book, “A Final Valiant Act,” by Lt. Col. John Lang.

Sources:

Lt. Col. John B. Lang, “A Final Valiant Act: The Story of Doug Dickey” (Havertown, Penn: Casemate Publishers, 2020).
https://www.amazon.com/Final-Valiant-Act-Story-Dickey/dp/1612007570

Norman Fulkerson, “Doug Dickey: A Pure and Combative Warrior” (TFP.org).
https://www.tfp.org/doug-dickey-a-pure-and-combative-warrior/

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