Heroes With Faith

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Scripture

“Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

~John 15:13

Quote

A hero is an ordinary person facing extraordinary circumstances with courage, nobility and self-sacrifice.

~Image Quotes

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Major Rudolph Anderson, Jr.

You’ve probably never heard of Major Rudolph Anderson, Jr. Major Anderson is a native of Greenville, SC and a graduate of Clemson University. I might also add that he was an Eagle Scout and a firm believer in Jesus Christ. He literally sacrificed his life to save millions during the Cuban Missile Crisis. His spy plane, a U-2 was shot down by the Russian over Cuban air space. He was the only casualty of the conflict. Major Anderson did not have to fly this mission, he volunteered. He knew how dangerous the mission was but he believed God was in control and he had a peace about the mission that no one else understood. After the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, Anderson’s body was returned to the United States and interred in Greenville, S.C. on November 6, 1962 at Woodlawn Memorial Park. A memorial to Anderson was erected in 1963 at Cleveland Park in Greenville. No surplus U-2 aircraft were available at the time, so an F-86 Sabre like the ones he flew in Korea was used instead.The memorial was redesigned, and it was rededicated on October 27, 2012, the 50th anniversary of Anderson’s death. A memorial service is held in his honor each October.

I was in Greenville some years ago, probably ten or more. I went with the Central Baptist Church building team. We erected a building at North Greenville Baptist College. There are a lot of things in Greenville, like Bob Jones University and Furman University which at the time was the second largest Baptist University in the country behind Baylor but I did not know about Major Anderson’s memorial. If I am ever in Greenville again, I am going to the memorial, Lord willing. We are free today because of men like Major Rudolph Anderson who departed this world at the youthful age of 35, leaving behind a wife and three small children. I was 13 years old during the Cuban Missile Crisis and I remember the tension. We were all elated when the Russians backed down.

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  • Dian and Shohn got the trivia question: the fourth Beetle was George Harrison, Bill’s third cousin on the British side, just kidding. I could not recall the answer, I had to come home and google it. I can’t believe Sheila didn’t get it, she is the queen of trivia.
  • Today’s trivia question is: what is the number one all time Christmas Song? I will give you one hit, it is not Mariah Carey. Let me give you one that’s a little harder: there were five members of “the Irish mafia? …John Kennedy, David Francis Powers, Dick Donahue, Kenneth O’Donnell and one other: who was the fifth? {I actually made it easy for you} One more for the really keen of mind: there are three famous Greek play writers who wrote tragedies: Sophocles, Euripides and one more. Clue: name begins with an A but it was not Aristotle.
  • No Deacons meeting Sunday: pretty full schedule otherwise:
    • Breakfast @ 9:00
    • LIFE CHANGING BIBLE STUDY @ 9:15
    • CELEBRATE JESUS in Worship @ 10:15
    • CELEBRATE JESUS in Baptism @11:15
    • Business Meeting @ 11:30
    • Children’s Christmas Program @ 5:30
    • Christmas Fellowship following program.

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