Brock Gorge

John Brock – Cmdr. Brock came into the ministry at 90 miles an hour.  When we were in the building phase of Camp Lone Eagle,  he took ‘the bull by the horns’ and went to work.  He got a dozer onto the three main roads, Lambert Lane, Cherokee Trail, and Choctaw Loop.  From somewhere in his professional connections – we were never sure; trucks came and graveled the roads.   

Somehow, he got a backhoe on site and dug out for the foundation, then poured concrete.  A ditch was dumping rainwater on our work and he dug out containment ditches.  He helped with the various phases of the building, as well as clearing out campsites.  He was very instrumental in getting what we have called ‘Brock Gorge’ (the great valley between camp and the repelling tower) smoothed out and seeded.  When we were ready to set the Rice Repelling Tower, he was the guy getting it up the hill and anchored.

Not only was he an active Ranger Commander and the Birmingham Sectional Commander, but he also headed up the Junior Leadership Training Camp (JLTC) that has been annually conducted at Camp Lone Eagle for decades.  

We were on him constantly – “John – you are not to do the work of 10 men; put 10 men to work!”  He only accelerated.  In the end he felt we were giving him too much credit and he elected to step back rather than be illuminated.  Cmdr. Brock was a tremendous achiever.