Rev.Blessing &The Nightstalkers

This is a heartwarming piece about Rev.Robert Blessing, the Chaplain who provided comfort to the 1/184th aka The Nightstalkers. It recently appeared in the San Diego Tribune.

Ask the soldiers about Chaplain Blessing and they'll say he always seemed to be where he was needed. He'd pat them on the back or hug them, ask them how they were doing and about their families.

"Just seeing him was a daily comfort," said Sgt. 1st Class Harold Benally, a 45-year-old letter carrier from Vista who led patrols in Iraq. "He risked his life just as much as we did."

"Consistency," is what Lt. Rusten Currie remembers about his year in Iraq with Blessing. "And for some reason, whenever he was around, we watched our mouths," said the 34-year-old Venice resident who was going to graduate school when he was called up.

Others agreed. "We were better persons when he was around," said Sgt. Chris Todd, 32, of Irvine. "He'd give us a blessing and hand out candy.

Read the entire piece here.

Thank you Rev.Blessing, for your service to your country. May your transistion from soldier to priest be peaceful, and may your presence grace your congregation at Good Samaritan for many years.