Today's guest is Dr. James Lacey, the professor of strategy at the Marine Corps War College. He also holds the Horner Chair of War Studies at Marine Corps University. Prior to taking this position, he was a widely published senior analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Washington, D.C. His previous works include: Rome: A Strategy for Empire, the New York Times bestselling The First Clash, and several others.
In his new book, The Year God Died: Jesus and the Roman Empire in 33 AD Lacey explains how the events in Rome drove events in Judea--which is directly linked to Jesus' crucifixion. He uncovers a vibrant and rich world, but one still coming to grips with the reality of Roman power.
Reach out to James and welcome him to the book club: [email protected] Authors are inspired when they hear from readers.
The Power of a Smile
As I entered a square filled with Iraqis of all ages almost surrounding a battalion of the famed 101st Airborne Division. After nearly forty-eight hours of running firefights, the soldiers were grimy and exhausted. But their mission today was a happy one; they were being sent to the Mosque of 'Alī --the most holy mosque in the Shia faith--to secure a local Iman, asking for American protection from Saddam Hussien’s troops,
As I entered the square it felt almost festive. Children darted through rubble, men waved, and women peeked from doorways as the paratroopers. Yet the mood pivoted in an instant, as groups of Saddam loyalists shouted that the Americans were there to desecrate the mosque. The crowd suddenly turned hostile and the first rocks flew into the American perimeter.
I watched nearby rifleman flip their weapon selectors from safe to fire. The silent Americans made no threatening gestures, but they were clearly ready to meet an assault with overwhelming violence. The situation was edging toward a massacre.
Lieutenant Colonel Chris Hughes, stepped into the breach. Snatching a loudspeaker from an interpreter, he shouted: "Second Battalion soldiers, take a knee. Weapons pointing down." Instantly, every soldier obeyed as though the order had been drilled for years. In one fluid motion an entire line of infantrymen sank to one knee, rifle barrels pointed down toward the dust. It was then that I heard an order that still amazes me. Colonel Hughes, shouted one more time: "Second Battalion soldiers—smile."
The soldiers beside me looked at one another in disbelief. Yet within seconds cracked lips stretched into crooked, dust-caked grins. The impact on the crowd was almost instantaneous. The chants and shouts stopped as fury gave way to confusion, and confusion to hesitant curiosity. For five minutes the soldiers stayed kneeling and smiling as the crowd’s anger bled. Amazingly, the crowd began to advance, smiling and reaching out to touch the Americans,
Colonel Hughes waited for his moment, and then shouted to his men to, "stand up and keep smiling" When they had done so, he announced, "we are going to turn around and walk out of here smiling."
In war there are tragedies that are too many to count and I knew I’d almost witnessed one that would have resounded throughout the region for decades. But instead, the rage of a crowd about to test itself against American firepower was dissipated by the iron-discipline of soldiers who opted to kneel and smile rather than shoot.
-- James Lacey
Reach out to James and welcome him to the book club: [email protected]
Thanks for reading with me. It's good to read with friends.
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