"IT WAS DURING THE VIETNAM TIME OF CONFLICT, A BUNCH OF
SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN ON A LONG HIKE THEY ARRIVED IN A TOWN CALLED SAIGON
AND THE NEXT DAY BEING SUNDAY, SEVERAL OF THE BOYS WENT TO CHURCH . AFTER THE CHAPLAIN READ THE PRAYER, THE TEXT WAS TAKEN UP. THOSE OF THE BOYS WHO HAD PRAYER BOOKS TOOK THEM OUT. BUT ONE BOY HAD ONLY A DECK OF CARDS SO HE SPREAD THEM OUT. THE SERGEANT IN CHARGE OF THE BOYS SAW THE CARDS AND SAID, 'SOLDIER, PUT AWAY THOSE CARDS !'
AND AFTER THE SERVICE WAS OVER, THE SOLDIER WAS TAKEN PRISONER AND BROUGHT BEFORE THE PROVOST MARSHAL
THE MARSHAL SAID, 'SERGEANT, WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT THIS MAN HERE?'
'FOR PLAYING CARDS IN CHURCH, SIR.'
'AND WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, SON?'
'MUCH, SIR', THE SOLDIER REPLIED
THE MARSHAL SAID 'I HOPE SO. FOR IF NOT I SHALL PUNISH YOU SEVERELY'
'YOU SEE SIR, I HAVE BEEN ON THE MARCH FOR SIX DAYS. AND I HAD NEITHER A BIBLE NOR A PRAYER BOOK. BUT I HOPE TO SATISFY YOU, SIR, WITH THE PURITY OF MY INTENTIONS
YOU SEE SIR, WHEN I LOOK AT THE ACE, IT REMINDS ME THERE'S BUT ONE GOD
AND WHEN I SEE THE DEUCE, IT REMINDS ME THAT THE BIBLE IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS, THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENTS
AND WHEN I SEE THE TREY, I THINK OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST
AND WHEN I SEE THE FOUR, I THINK OF THE FOUR EVANGELISTS WHO PREACHED THE GOSPEL;THEY WERE MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, AND JOHN
AND WHEN I SEE THE FIVE, IT REMINDS ME OF THE FIVE WISE VIRGINS WHO TRIMMED THEIR LAMPS. THERE WERE TEN OF THEM. FIVE WERE WISE AND WERE SAVED, FIVE OF THEM WERE FOOLISH AND WERE SHUT OUT
AND WHEN I SEE THE SIX, IT REMINDS ME THAT IN SIX DAYS, GOD MADE THIS GREAT HEAVEN AND EARTH
AND WHEN I SEE THE SEVEN , IT REMINDS ME THAT ON THE SEVENTH DAY, GOD RESTED
AND WHEN I SEE THE EIGHT, I THINK OF IT THE EIGHT RIGHTEOUS PERSONS GOD SAVED WHEN HE DESTROYED THE EARTH; THERE WAS NOAH, HIS WIFE, THEIR SONS AND THEIR WIVES
AND WHEN I SEE THE NINE, I THINK OF THE LEPERS OUR SAVIOR CLEANSED, AND NINE OUT OF THE TEN DIDN'T EVEN THANK HIM
AND WHEN I SEE THE KING, IT REMINDS ME ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS BUT ONE KING OF HEAVEN, GOD ALMIGHTY
AND WHEN I SEE THE QUEEN, I THINK OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, WHO IS QUEEN OF HEAVEN
AND THE JACK IN THE NAME IS THE DEVIL
AND WHEN I COUNT THE NUMBER OF SPOTS ON A DECK OF CARDS, I FIND 365, THE NUMBER OF DAYS IN A YEAR. THERE ARE 52 CARDS, THE NUMBER OF WEEKS IN A YEAR. THERE ARE THIRTEEN TRICKS, THE NUMBER OF WEEKS IN A QUARTER. THERE ARE FOUR SUITS, THE NUMBER OF WEEKS IN A MONTH. THERE IS TWELVE PICTURE CARDS, THE NUMBER OF MONTHS IN A YEAR
SO YOU SEE SIR, MY DECK OF CARDS SERVED ME AS A BIBLE, ALMANAC, AND PRAYER BOOK.'
'AND FRIENDS THIS STORY IS TRUE BECAUSE MY SON WAS THAT SOLDIER.'"