Orey and the Red Cross

Book excerpt: Army Air Corps World War II veteran finishes seminary, is ordained, serves two churches, and enters the Navy Chaplaincy. This leads to field service in the Red Cross at military installations in Far East, U.S., Greenland, Europe, Vietnam; then Hawaii, Alaska and South Carolina. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard activities, all were part of his experience in service. With ideals of Henri Dunant, founder of international Red Cross in 1859, as guidelines and inspiration, Orey grows for 25 years in his humanitarian service adventures. Divorced and alone, he searches for a wife. Through lucky coincidences he finds the Japanese woman who became the love of his life. Against odds she reaches him on Okinawa from her college in Oregon, and they are married in an Air Force chapel, by a Navy Chaplain, bride on arm of senior Enlisted Aide to Ryukus High Commissioner, with Hawaiian Japanese Nisei matron of honor, New Caledonian bridesmaid, Japanese dentist best man, and University of Ryukus graduate Okinawan groomsman. From the top of the two-mile thick Greenland ice pack to the ravaged landscape of Vietnam's hot war; from Cold War Germany, and ancient capitals of Europe to womb tombs and lush coutryside and beaches of Okinawa; from the catacombs of the Via Appia near Rome to glaciers of Alaska his work took him to exciting places and interesting adventures.