GOD’S RAMBO
Bosnia 1992, Yugoslavia collapsed. Large cities were abandoned. Rubble littered the streets and sidewalks. In the distance there can be heard the cries of 100,000 Bosnian, Muslim, and Croatian civilians being murdered in cold blood; among other unspeakable war crimes. 2 million displaced Bosnian civilians need supplies. The United Nations sent trucks full of supplies, but the trucks were either targeted by pirates or the Serbian forces that were more than happy to see the Bosnians starve to death. The UN eventually stopped sending the aid trucks because of the hostility. One man saw all this and knew what needed to be done. He decided to make those harrowing supply runs himself.
Helge Meyer served with his native Danish Jaeger Corps in the Danish special forces and trained with the green berets. Helge sought the help from European militaries, who turned him down. He finally received aid from the US military for his mission. He purchased a doner car from a serviceman and he drove that 1979 Camaro to the Rhine-Main Air Base in Germany. The car was armored with steel and Kevlar plates and the side, and the side and back windows were covered in steel plates. They added thermal imaging and night vision for driving without headlights. They added a debris plough to the bumper. The tires could run while flat and they added a ground to air radio to call for air support. The car was painted with military grade matte black that could absorb radar and the car’s own thermal. The car was tuned from 185 hp to 220hp with a tank of nitrous to 440 hp. So that old Camaro with a 400kg worth of supplies could go from 0-120mph in less than 13 seconds. It was dubbed the ghost car.
The car was not decked out with any sort of weapons, and neither was Helge. He wore a Kevlar jacket and a Kevlar helmet but carried no gun. Combined with his Christian beliefs and years of military service, The only weapon Helge carried on his runs was the sword of the spirit that he kept in front of the shifter. This gave Helge the nickname God’s Rambo. Helge carried out over 100 supply runs in 3 years, risking his life with every supply run. On one occasion a sniper bullet pierced the steel plate of the Ghost car and into Helge’s Kevlar helmet. Helge recounts that, In 1994, he picked up three heat signatures from a derelict building in Vares. He was met by an old man, a young woman, and her newborn baby. Helge gave them soap, food, water, and baby food. They sat together, the old man reading his Koran and Helge reading his Bible.
After the war ended in 1995, Helge retired to Germany. He brought his war horse and painted her orange and still drives the Camaro to this very day. All this to the dismay of his wife, who hates the car.
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Yesterday, if you were to ask me, “Jared, if a Red Dawn scenario happened and America was invaded, what would you do?” I would have responded with something along the lines of, “Find a cabin in the middle of nowhere and stay there. After all, a good Christian man must serve and protect his family at all costs. I’m not going to go out and risk my life because where I’m needed the most is next to my wife; comforting, supporting, and providing for her. We are servants of the living God, not to America.”
The story of Helge Meyer has made me reconsider that stance. He saw an opportunity to go out of his way and selflessly give aid in a conflict in a way that completely glorifies God in the process. He served in a combat scenario, without ever utilizing violence, seeking revenge, or had an attitude of rebellion (as far as I can tell from the research; I cannot tell you his true heart), all the while glorifying God and remaining humble. Helge Meyer did more with a muscle car, donations, will power, and Faith than the entire United Nations could do.
So, the question still remains? If America is invaded tomorrow, what do I do? Do I hunker down in the woods and protect my loved ones? Do I create an opportunity to serve in a way that glorifies God? Maybe instead of permanently holding down, we protect ourselves and also keep our eyes and ears open for opportunities to glorify God and his kingdom instead of just shutting ourselves away. God and God’s people have always been able to thrive even in unfortunate circumstances.
Luckily for us, this completely fictitious Red Dawn scenario has prompted this thinking. I am aware of the dangers of focusing on “what if” instead of just “what.” But I feel that this story and questions that it poses are important things to consider. I am exceedingly grateful that we do not have to worry about a situation like this happening to us and I pray that we never will.