Ten years later, I was fortunate enough to hear him tell some of the lessons he learned from that experience. As a prisoner of war, Charlie was tortured, humiliated, starved and left to languish in squalor. He painted a vivid word picture asking us to try our best to smell the stench in the bucket he called his toilet and taste the salt in the corners of his mouth from the sweat, tears and blood that pooled there. He asked us to feel the jungle heat as the sun bore down on the tin roof of his cell. To face those challenges on a daily basis required unity and strength found in fellow prisoners, love of country, and faith in God.
That day he told us a story he has since included in his memoirs.
That day he told us a story he has since included in his memoirs.
Charlie and his wife were sitting in a restaurant. A man came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"
"How in the world did you know that?"
“I packed your parachute.” The man pumped Charlie’s hand. “I guess it worked.”
"Yes sir, indeed it did! And I've said a lot of prayers of thanks for your nimble fingers, but I never thought I'd have the opportunity to tell you in person.”
Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about the man. He wondered how many times he might have seen the parachute packer, and not even said “Good morning.” He thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands, each time, the fate of someone he didn't know.
Then Charlie Plumb stopped, his gazed roamed around the tightly packed crowd, “Who is packing your parachute? Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.”
Plumb went on to share how he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory: he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and probably most importantly his spiritual parachute given him by grandmothers, Sunday School teachers, pastors and chaplains, and Bible verses he had memorized over the years. He called on all these supports before he was released.
Sometimes in the daily challenges life gives us, we miss what and who is really important. I went home and made some phone calls that day to say hello, or thank you to some of the people God had asked to pack my parachute.
"How in the world did you know that?"
“I packed your parachute.” The man pumped Charlie’s hand. “I guess it worked.”
"Yes sir, indeed it did! And I've said a lot of prayers of thanks for your nimble fingers, but I never thought I'd have the opportunity to tell you in person.”
Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about the man. He wondered how many times he might have seen the parachute packer, and not even said “Good morning.” He thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands, each time, the fate of someone he didn't know.
Then Charlie Plumb stopped, his gazed roamed around the tightly packed crowd, “Who is packing your parachute? Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.”
Plumb went on to share how he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory: he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and probably most importantly his spiritual parachute given him by grandmothers, Sunday School teachers, pastors and chaplains, and Bible verses he had memorized over the years. He called on all these supports before he was released.
Sometimes in the daily challenges life gives us, we miss what and who is really important. I went home and made some phone calls that day to say hello, or thank you to some of the people God had asked to pack my parachute.
I have a friend whose husband is preparing to deploy next week to Afghanistan for the 3rd time in their 6 year marriage. In a recent email she told me "I have had the great privileged to
become involved with the non-profit wear blue: run to remember, founded
by the widow of soldier stationed here at Joint Base Lewis McChord.
"On Memorial Day, Monday May 28th, wear blue: run to remember is
launching a memorial event called wear blue Runs for the Fallen by
partnering our organization with Run for the Fallen, a non-profit, whose
runners run miles for every Service Member killed in the Global War on Terror. Run
for the Fallen supports wear blue: run to remember’s mission to
honor the Service and Sacrifice of the American Military as well as our goals
to act as a support network, create a living memorial, and bridge the gap
between the military and civilian communities.
"While Americans may pause to reflect, for many, Memorial Day represents a long weekend, typically filled with backyard celebrations and sunshine. For members of wear blue: run to remember, it is a day to remember each life sacrificed in a positive and life-affirming way. As such, in Arlington, VA, after the wreath is placed upon the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, wear blue Runs for the Fallen runners will begin their run at the Joint Base Lewis McChord flagship chapter in DuPont, WA (8:00 AM PST).This coming Monday wear blue Runs for the Fallen participants will run 6,400 miles across the nation; each mile representing a member of the United States Military who made the Ultimate Sacrifice.
"While Americans may pause to reflect, for many, Memorial Day represents a long weekend, typically filled with backyard celebrations and sunshine. For members of wear blue: run to remember, it is a day to remember each life sacrificed in a positive and life-affirming way. As such, in Arlington, VA, after the wreath is placed upon the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, wear blue Runs for the Fallen runners will begin their run at the Joint Base Lewis McChord flagship chapter in DuPont, WA (8:00 AM PST).This coming Monday wear blue Runs for the Fallen participants will run 6,400 miles across the nation; each mile representing a member of the United States Military who made the Ultimate Sacrifice.
"Monday our running population will consist
of Gold Star family members who are running in honor of their American Hero, active duty military members who are running for their
friends who never made it home, and military family members and
civilian supporters will be running to honor the Fallen. People from
different corners of the country will unite on the same day for the same
reason: to pound the pavement for as many miles as they choose to contribute
toward the 6,400 end goal. Some people will run 3 miles while others will run
41 - each runner will choose his/her own meaningful mileage number.
"By the end
of Monday May 28th, a mile will have been run for every single member of the
American Military who laid down his or her life for this country. Locally, in
DuPont, for each mile accomplished, an American flag will be placed into the
ground as a visual reminder of a life sacrificed. It will be an appropriate and
profound sight for both runners and spectators once the collective miles have
been run." For more information, visit this website: http://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/
Who is packing your parachutes? Call them. Go by and visit. Send them a card or a note (better by far than an email or message, but even those will work). Pound the pavement. Above all, thank God for your parachute packers who are providing what you need to make it through each day.
