Sunday, June 22, 2014

CECIL CURREY

Vo Nguyen Giap, the tenacious North Vietnam leader who would not die— finally hits the road at 102. Vo Nguyen Giap and the victory at Dien Bien Phu essentially drove France out of Vietnam and, of course, in our stupidity, we replaced the French. Giap did not drive us out, rather waited us out.

The definitive book about Giap was written by my good friend, Cecil Currey. When I read of Giap’s death, I immediately thought of Cecil. He had sent me his biography of Giap called, “Victory at Any Cost.” I am not very interested in Giap, but in my good friend Cecil.

Cecil passed March 12, 2013. The last time I talked with him, he was on the way to Vietnam to visit Giap as they had developed a close relationship. Cecil was a hero in Vietnam. And, I will have to say that Cecil was one of my heroes.

We beat around the Army together as Chaplains for a long time. Without a doubt, he should have made general, but he refused to be politically correct if it sacrificed the truth. Cecil is a perfect example in our modern volunteer military, the best leaders rarely get to the top. In my own faith, I take comfort that Giap and my good friend are somewhere philosophizing. .