Van of Valor

Special Commentary by Dr. Kevin Wallace (Van of Valor)

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. – In a powerful commentary from the “Van of Valor,” host Dr. Kevin Wallace revisits the harrowing and heroic story of Sgt. Ocie Gay, a soldier whose defining moment on a Baghdad checkpoint led to a lifetime of service as a chaplain.

The segment, filmed at Sweetie’s Barbecue and Blues House in Gay’s hometown of Natchitoches, Louisiana, recounts the fateful day of Feb. 29, 2004. 

As the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of a vehicle checkpoint, Gay was leading his platoon, “The Wild Bunch,” when a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives.

“The OC Gay we met is… a Protestant man of the cloth,” Wallace said in the video. “But the OC Gay on the battlefield… he’s laying there on the ground, knocked unconscious, and he hears in his head, ‘Soldier, get up. Soldier, get up!’ And he gets up and he takes control of the scene.”

This moment of clarity, which Gay has since adopted as his personal motto, “Get up, warrior,” was the first step on a long road of recovery. 

As detailed in a feature article, the attack left Gay with a Purple Heart, a traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, from those ashes, he found a new calling.

Now a retired infantryman and chaplain in Summerville, S.C., Gay dedicates his life to helping fellow veterans carry their own burdens. 

He is open about his own ongoing mental health care and preaches a message of resilience, faith, and service.

“He heard a calling to leave the army behind and move into religion, and he has his own flock,” Wallace concluded. “And that man is a hero.”

Gay’s story is a testament to the enduring spirit of service, proving that a warrior’s greatest battle can sometimes lead to their most profound mission.

Read the full article on Ocie Gay here: https://helpvov.com/2025/09/08/from-the-ashes-summerville-chaplain-finds-calling-after-surviving-baghdad-bombing/