Pentagon Prayer Meeting Led by Army Secretary Hegseth
On Wednesday, Army Secretary Pete Hegseth conducted a prayer meeting at the Pentagon, utilizing a modified version of a fictional Bible verse popularized by Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.”
He indicated that this prayer was recited before Sandy 1’s notable mission to rescue a downed pilot in Iran and encouraged those present to participate.
“This prayer was said by one of the Sandys, Sandy 1, to all Sandys, all A-10 crews, prior to every CSAR mission, especially this particular mission,” Hegseth explained.
“They refer to it as CSAR 25:17, which, I think, draws inspiration from Ezekiel 25:17,” he remarked, recognizing the memorable moment in the film where Samuel L. Jackson’s character recites supposed Bible verses before taking action against traitors.
“So, the prayer goes like this: Please join me: ‘The path of the fallen aviator is surrounded by selfish inequalities and the tyranny of wicked individuals. Blessed is he who, in the name of friendship and duty, navigates the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is indeed the guardian of his brother and the finder of the lost.’
“And I will strike you down with fierce vengeance and great anger upon those who seek to capture and destroy my brother. When I take my revenge, you will know that my call sign is Sandy 1. Amen.”
While the wording differs from the original Pulp Fiction version, it clearly draws from the film and amplifies the authentic Ezekiel 25:17 from the King James Bible for dramatic effect.
The actual biblical text states, “And I will exact great vengeance on them with fierce rebuke; and when I take vengeance on them, they will know that I am the Lord.”
Jackson’s interpretation, by contrast, reads:
“The path of the righteous is beset on every side by selfish inequalities and the tyranny of the wicked. Blessed is he who leads the weak in the valley of darkness in the name of charity and good will, for he is the keeper of true brothers and the finder of lost children.”
The closing lines of Jackson’s version go: “And I will strike you down with fierce vengeance and fierce anger against those who poison and destroy my brethren. And when I take revenge on you, you will know that my name is the Lord.”
Tarantino, known for his cinematic influences, notably quoted the verse from his 1976 film “Bodyguard,” which starred the iconic Japanese actor Sonny Chiba, and later referenced it in his 2003 film “Kill Bill: Volume 1.”
