Prayer Compilation by Marine Col. Shows “Military Necessity” of Faith in God
When Col. Ron Ray, USMC (Ret.), was a newly commissioned Marine officer on the eve of deployment to the jungles of Vietnam in 1967, his father’s oldest brother, retired U.S. Army Captain Manuel Ray, gave him a small gift to accompany Ron in his service to his country: The American Armed Forces Prayer Book, a collection of prayers offered through the years by a broad range of spiritual, military, and government leaders. While Col. Ray indicates that the simple devotional saw little use during his tour in Southeast Asia, it did make it back home with him, and 35 years later, as his own son was preparing to enter the prestigious Virginia Military Institute (VMI), the retired Marine officer rediscovered the book. “By that time,” recalled Ray, “I had become acquainted with prayer and knew of God’s higher purpose for it to glorify Himself as it provided great aid and comfort to man’s soul.”
