May 2008 be a year of growing in your faith in your God, who sustains you in your joys and sorrows. For me, my God sustains me with His Son, Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit, and His Holy Word recorded in the Bible.
My hope and prayer for all of you is that God will bless you with meaningful spiritual growth, with a deeper joy of knowing you will spend eternity with God and all of your family and friends who died knowing Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and with the courage to face each day as the limitations on health, hearing, vision, memory, mobility, and stamina grow larger.
All of us need the fellowship of other Special Forces people in our association to keeps our spirits alive as we experience the deep satisfaction of being with our Brother Warriors. When we gather with each other, we are strengthening of the bond that binds us together - "We've been there."
My bond with Special Forces began in 1966 with assignment with 3rd SF GP and Training GP and completion of the Special Forces Unconventional Warfare Course for Officers. Unfortunately, a senior 'leg' chaplain assigned me to the 25th Infantry Division for my Vietnam tour in 1967. My tour with Special Forces fulfilled my desire to serve with the US Army's most elite people - Special Forces.
I was an enlisted soldier from 1954-57, and would've gone to OCS, Airborne, Ranger, and Counter Intelligence Corps if I had re-enlisted. God had other plans for me which required my silent, obedient, and trust-filled response to His call for me to enter full time service as an ordained pastor.
My desire continues to be enriched by serving all of you as your Special Forces Chaplain. It is an honor to be your chaplain. Reverend Doctor John A. Szilvasy, Chaplain (USA, LTC) Retired, Qualified SF as Chaplain – 1966
