On July 4th, 1973, myself and several of my military buddies had the day off for the holiday and decided to go down to the lake and beach area that is located on Ft. Hood. We were celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks, beer, and having a generally good time. We decided to swim out to the floating platform that was about 100 yards from shore. I am not a very good swimmer and told my friends of all the weeds that were in the water. Not wanting to be thought bad of, I jumped in and started out with them.
After a short period, I tired and yelled to them that I was going back. I started swimming and alternately floated on my back heading back to shore. Unknowingly, I swam into the weed field. When I felt the presence of the weeds, I panicked. When I tried to fight my way through the weeds, it felt as though they were tightening their grip around my legs and arms. I remember going under and every time I came up, I screamed for help. After the second time going under and then coming up again, I saw my friend’s face and he was only about 20 feet away. I screamed to him to help me.
When I went down for the third time, I felt this peaceful consciousness coming over me. As I looked up from under the water, I cried out to God to save me. It was then that a very bright light appeared in front of me. I could see what appeared to be a long tunnel with the light at the end of the tunnel. As I floated into this tunnel and towards the bright light, there appeared an individual whom I could not make out. It was standing at the end and pointed towards the opposite end of the tunnel from where I entered. I had this feeling from him that it wasn’t my time yet and I was to go back. Right after this encounter, I could see myself from several hundred feet above the ground. My friends were carrying my body and lying me face down on this picnic table. It was at the moment when they stepped back that I felt myself entering my body and throwing up.
My friends were surprised that I was alive because they were about to call the base police and an ambulance for me.
I never went to the hospital and I have only told a very few of what happened. This is my fifth recounting of what happened to me. Personally, I think the person was Jesus or maybe even an Archangel. I don’t know, but I thank God for giving my life back.