Monday November 16th, 1970
…exactly 50 years ago this evening.
We were told to pack our gear—that we were leaving Eglin AFB for our new undisclosed location the next day.
We didn’t have a chaplain in our group, but we did have Master Sgt Galen “Pappy” Kittleson. Pappy announced that he would be holding a prayer service in the barracks.
Pappy was respected by all the raiders and officers from the Bull down the chain of command.
In World War II, Pappy had been an Alamo Scout (precursor to the Green Berets), just like Bull Simons. They both were on the raid that freed 500 POWs (survivors of the Bataan Death March) from the Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. There’s a 2005 major motion picture about it called The Great Raid. Pappy was pretty famous in the Army, particularly in Special Forces.
When I walked into the barracks where Pappy was holding the prayer service, it really struck me, how many of these seasoned soldiers were there to pray on their knees to our Father in heaven.
Read the Raiders’ stories, in their own words, in Who Will Go.
Click Here: The book.