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Armed Forces bishop profiled on PBS show
2003-037-2
Thursday, February 20, 2003
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[Episcopal News Service]
A PBS profile of the Rt. Rev. George Packard, the Episcopal Church's bishop suffragan for the armed forces, is now available both as a transcript and streaming video from the website of Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. The profile, which ran on PBS stations on February 14, highlights Packard's experiences as a highly decorated second lieutenant in the US Army during the Vietnam conflict.
Packard was interviewed by the show's correspondent, Phil Jones, who also spoke to members of Packard's platoon.
Following his tour of duty in Vietnam, Packard went to seminary and served in parish ministry for more than 20 years before his appointment as bishop for the armed services. Asked whether he would be serving in that position if he had not been in Vietnam, Packard told Jones, 'I think that was a part of the reason I was chosen.' Packard has also been a chaplain in the Army Reserves for more than 20 years and was called to active duty and assigned to the Pentagon during the Gulf War.
'I don't think you go through these kinds of powerfully traumatic experiences and then just kind of live carefree and disconnected. When I'm in a room with people in the church, I'll look around and say, 'I'm the only person that has ever done this,'' Packard said.
The web site includes further excerpts of Jones' entire interview with Packard, as well as the shorter profile which aired on Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.
Audio of the entire show is also available at: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/. The Packard profile can be accessed at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week624/profile.html, and the interview with Bishop Packard is available at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week624/packard.html.
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