In our personal journeys through this life, we are are fortunate if we meet a person or people who — through the way that they speak, act and project themselves — they leave a positive and permanent mark upon us. That perfectly describes the impressions that R.W. “Bob” Bedingfield, US Navy (retired), would have upon nearly anyone.

A native of New York City, he and his lovely wife Nancy have shared a lasting impression of unselfish service and humbleness that will be proudly possessed for all of my days.

They have lived nearly everywhere, including in Argyll, Scotland, where he admitted that they drove to Oban for weekend dinners.

They now reside at Scotia Village in Laurinburg.

In 1968, the 33 year-old Capt. Bedingfield sent an unusual priority message to the chief of chaplains in Washington that simply stated he had volunteered to go to Vietnam, and if it were not proper for him to go in, then he should consider his message as his resignation.

The response: “You asked for it, you got it!”

The next request was to be assigned to the least served battalion. As it turned out, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Marines — or the 3/3 — who had previously been served by a chaplain who did not relate well. Bedingfield chose to accompany the Marines into the bush or in the field, which is where the Marines spend most of their time — living on the provisions they personally carried.

A typical “Tour of Duty” in Vietnam was 13 months, and as Chaplain Bedingfield shared: the least dependable Marines in the field were the ones who had recently arrived and those at the end of their tour. The former lacked experience and the latter play it safe for their final days. To better handle the latter, they were sent in when they had 3 weeks remaining on their “Tour.”

Yet his description of his comrades was of highest praise: “The level of leadership that we saw, from lance corporals and corporals and sergeants and … staff sergeants and gunnies and first sergeants and officers, was something that was exceptional.”

As a chaplain, he did not carry a weapon, but he recalled on rescue by helicopter where, faced with an “either him or me” situation, he grabbed a weapon and eliminated an enemy.

Early in his Vietnam service, he recalled the second day that the battalion was on a hill. It was a hot and a quiet day, and most had hunkered down for a nap. It was interrupted by a rocket hitting the top of a nearby tree where four NCO’s playing cards and two others watching nearby were killed instantly. He rushed forward to administer last rites to the six Marines before realizing that his hands, arms and legs were covered in his own blood from the shrapnel.

There is little doubt that such a moment was one of many trials of his faith, but truly God never answered the “Why” question for Job.

As Chaplain Bedingfield shared, his service in Vietnam challenged, changed and matured his faith.

In the 3/3 Marines where he served, everyone carried a pack of up to 80 pounds with their personal provisions into their field positions. They were the peacemakers for the untrusting South Vietnamese who had long suffered under French colonial rule. In one Village they encountered the Vietnamese and the Montagnards. The Montagnards were a shunned minority in Vietnam that was forced to live in the mountains with little water. Relying upon the skills of some Marines from Iowa, the Marines built a windmill to pump water to the fields of the Montagnards’ higher elevation.

In another instance Vietnamese “Father Ho,” a Jack-of-all-Trades, arrived with 3,000 refugees. Captan Bedingfield was able to secure, from the US Army a refrigerator and a generator to keep their necessary medicines cold. This resulted him in being handed a “shopping list” from Father Ho that included securing them a Jeep – also secured at the expense of the US Army.

Two events involving Chaplain Bedingfield that have forever stuck in my mind were the eight days of monsoon rain where he and the commanding officers went without food that was also in short supply, yet they assured that the other Marines were fed with any and all available food. On the eighth day Chaplain Bedingfield was having a prayer with the men and asked for food. At the “Amen” a shot rang out as a soldier had spotted and shot a wild hog.

The blessing was answered.

Chaplain Bedingfield recalled in the minds of the men in 3/3 at that point was that he could do no wrong!

Chaplain Bedingfield believed in short worship services – about 20 minutes – which made him the best “show” in town. The religious message was conveyed and the attention of the Marines were focused without prolonged theoretics.

Christian communion was offered in the field on a regular basis and a chalice containing wine was used, but on one planned communion there was no wine. Borrowing some Scotch whisky from a senior officer who accompanied them, he placed some with water in a chalice and began passing it. The first Marine who took a sip, looked up, and then took a big gulp before the chalice had to be taken away!

Returning to the USA in 1969 at the end of his tour, Chaplain Bedingfield had a layover at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. Sitting in his uniform and waiting on his connection to Raleigh-Durham a person passing by spit on him. The unpopular and undeclared war in Vietnam was becoming increasingly unpopular in America.

The personal experiences of Captain Beddingfield and other Marines from the ranks of Colonels to PFC’s were shared in the first person account in the book: “No Shinning Armor, the Marines at War in Vietnam – an Oral History” by Otto J. Lehrack.

Chaplain Bedingfield and his wife attend Old Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church on McFarland Road, where I have been fortunate to hear one of his sermons. The historical Kirk is vastly different from Vietnam, but the message that he delivers in his messages today is just as moving as it was over 50 years ago in the Vietnamese countryside.

Laurinburg and Scotland County are blessed to have him and Nancy amongst us.

Beacham McDougald is a Laurinburg resident and regular contributor.

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Beacham McDougald

Special to The Exchange