Chaplain

The Back Pew – Fall/Winter 2023

Submitted: Ernie Isbell, VLOA Chaplin

Best wishes to all who read this part of the VLOA newsletter. I am devoting this issue to an  extraordinary person in my life. That is to say that my wife of 64 years passed away on Christmas Day 2023. She was battling a stroke and gave up the effort at 2:30 in the afternoon Christmas Day 2023.

Linda Minyard Isbell and I were married in Lubbock, Texas on September 5th, 1959.We were classmates at Crawford High School in San Diego,California. She asked me for a date as she was on the annual staff and sat behind me in English class. I am from a family of all boys and she was an only child. I had never dated a girl before.

After graduation, Linda went to college, and I came back to Texas to work as a carpenter’s apprentice with my father. Linda and I stayed in touch and on September 5th, 1959, we were married by a Justice of the Peace in Lubbock.

As usual, construction work ran out in Lubbock and we decided to go back to San Diego. The draft was big in 1959 and knowing that I would probably get drafted I volunteered for the Army. As it happened I was a JROTC leader at Crawford High School and the Army Master Sergeant at that time knew that if you had a high school diploma, were 18 or older you could volunteer for Officer Candidate School. Since I was an Honor graduate in basic training the company commander encouraged me to go to OCS. Consequently, in July 1960 I reported to Infantry OCS and six months later I was a 2LT of Infantry.

Linda joined me at Fort Benning and her experience as a Navy brat turned out to be the main key to our success as an Army officer and family. We have two children. Our son is an attorney and part-time teacher among other things. Our daughter Cheryl is a very successful accountant and is currently  recovering from a stroke as I reported in my last Chaplin’s Corner.

Linda became an Army civil servant and rose from a GS 5 clerk to the grade of GS 12 as she accompanied me all around the Army. After Viet Nam I was appointed chief of officer procurement in MILPERCEN and held that position for four years.

We retired from the Army on September 1, 1990 and moved to Flower Mound, TX where Linda became an employee of Edward Jones Financial and I took up the same line of work. We built a large office building and maintained a successful business.

Then one day Al Iller contacted us to join in a meeting of Vinh Long Outlaws to discuss having a meeting and send out invitations to all former members that we could locate. The effort was a big success and continues today. I was appointed to be secretary and of course that meant having Linda doing all the paperwork. She handled her tasks in her usual manner– outstanding.

All of this is intended to champion the many people who have worked hard to make the Vinh Long Outlaws, Mavericks, crewmen, electronics, leaders, family members and leaders proud of our organization. It certainly provides a bit of information about my wife, best friend, hard worker, and recognizes all those who support the VLOA.

May God bless Linda Lee Isbell, Born 15 January 1941. 

What can the Chaplain do for me?

My primary job as Chaplain of the V. L. O. A. is to conduct the Sunday morning worship service at our reunions. In addition, should you have the need to talk with someone who has “been there, done that,” I am available to listen.

 

Outlaws Devotional – February 2021

Pain Is Not Forever

2 Timothy 2:3

Accept your share of suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:18

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

About 11 years ago, I began having pain in my shoulders that grew progressively worse as the months past.  Along with the shoulder pain, pain began building in my hips and soon matched the level of shoulder pain.  Surely this was just the process of aging, and would soon subside and go away.  Over the counter medication helped marginally, but wasn’t enough to divert my mental concentration on the pain. Finally, the pain progressed to the point that it limited my ability to function well, especially in getting dressed and caring for myself. 

It became clear the pain was not going away by itself.  Over the next four months, I was evaluated by two general practioners, a neurologist, and an orthopedic surgeon, none of which could identify the source of the pain even after an MRI, two CT scans, two sonograms, and numerous blood tests, but all had their own solution to mollifying the pain.  Finally, my wife said that both of us had had enough of the pain, and found a rheumatologist who gave me an emergency appointment.  He reviewed all the medical information, and diagnosed the problem as polymyalgia rheumatica.  Prescribed medication relieved the cause of the pain in less than a month, but weaning me off the medication took another 11 months. 

One night during the midst of my pain, I realized that my pain was insignificant compared to the pain and suffering Jesus Christ experienced during the 24 hours leading up to dying on the cross. We should never forget the earthly, physical pain Jesus felt in giving his life in atonement for our sins.

 

Submitted by Frank Estes

 

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American G.I.  One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

      Source Unknown

 

Standing Prayer Request:

While most Prayer Requests will remain on the page for 30 days, here is a request that will remain as long as we have uniformed men and women stationed abroad. Please repeat this short prayer often and ask you friends and family to include it in their daily prayers:

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless
acts they perform for us in our time of need.
I ask this in the name of Jesus,
our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

 

Prayer Requests: (as of 05/31/2024)

Michael Raymond Brady

OCTOBER 3, 1946 – MAY 16, 2024


 

 

On the morning of May 16, 2024, our loving Dad and devoted Husband, Michael Raymond Brady, passed away at his home in Pensacola, Florida at the age of 77 years old. Michael was born in Aurora, Illinois to James Oliver Brady Sr. and Jeanne Barbara Muench Brady. Growing up in a military family, he lived in various countries before settling in Pensacola.

Michael graduated from Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio and attended Pensacola Junior College. He worked as a lifeguard at Pensacola Beach, Florida where he met his wife of 56 years, Ramona McManaman Brady. Michael went on to serve his country as a member of the United States Army where he attained the rank of Captain. He was a proud Vietnam Veteran and a helicopter pilot for the Outlaws 175th Assault Helicopter Company. Michael was also a flight instructor for the U.S. Army, OCS, U.S. Army Flight School. After completing his service in the Army, he worked as helicopter pilot for Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI) until he retired from PHI after 32.5 years with the company. Michael had over 5,000 hours of accident and violation free flight hours during that time. Michael was an excellent cook, and enjoyed hunting, fishing, music, and coaching little league baseball. He was very creative and an engineer at heart. In his later years, he enjoyed growing and tending plumerias and blood orange trees. He was also an avid bird watcher and loved watching blue birds in his backyard.

Michael was a believer and Christ follower, and we have comfort in knowing he is spending eternity in Heaven and we will see him again. 

Michael was preceded in death by his parents: James Oliver Brady Sr. and Jeanne Barbara Muench Brady. Sister: Ellen Brady Deck (Sterling). Survivors include his spouse of 56 years, Ramona McManaman Brady; brother, James Oliver Brady Jr. and sister, Margaret Brady Gunter (Steve). Michael had five children: John Brady (Amy), Jennifer Belanger (Joe), Robert Brady (Theresa), Daniel Brady (Aimee) and Katherine Brady (Rodney). He also had thirteen grandchildren: Austin (Laura), Justin, Hope, Katie Joy, Joshua, Mariah, Madison, Collin, Lance, Sean, Brady, Jaykob, Aurora. One great-grandchild: Declan James (Austin/John). He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

The celebration of his life will be held on June 27th, 2024 at Oak Lawn Funeral Home, with visitation services from 11:00am to 1:00pm and internment at Barrancas National Cemetery immediately following. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Big Oak Ranch or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

 

Lanny McCormack Deceased May 2, 2024