I have a piece up in the Examiner on my son’s enlistment. It ends:
I fed him and paid his tuition. He’s taken those materials, and now the man he’s used them to become has set out to navigate that wide, risky world. I watched his back again as he walked down our driveway last night.
From now on, I’ll do my best to see that our leaders are watching his back as well.
AL, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting your son, but it sounds like you should be a darned proud papa. You probably know how few children these days have a sense of responsibility, duty, and a personal drive to give something back. It sounds like you’ve raised a young man who is both worldly and aware of these things–someone who’d building the bridge between the elites and the military you mention. Congratulations!
Couldn’t agree more with the comments that too few young people feel a sense of responsibility to their community or country. I see it every day in my profession where the vast majority of young docs coming out of training feel absolutely NO sense of duty to give anything back to the less fortunate or uninsured.
I have been asked many times if my I would send my son (now 17) off to fight this war (by my liberal friends and family). The answer has always been the same — if that is what he chose to do, I would support him 100%.
Best of luck to your son and your family.
Congratulations to you and your son. May God protect him.
Much of the left-right, blue-red divide in this country stems from the attitudes, anti-military, and anti-religious, that the boomers affected during their anti-Vietnam years.
No elite can disdain the Military and the Clergy as they have and maintain their power over society. Power is only sanctified by sacrifice and piety. Unsanctified it will loose the mandate of heaven, and be gone.
I just got back today from seeing my daughter off at the MEPS (and my son is already in the Army – heading towards a commission and special forces). She will be doing a six year tour in Naval intelligence. So I know just how you – as a parent – feel, AL.
Saddly, our chilren have sworn to follow the orders of an undeserving Commander in Chief and cronnies that do not have their backs. Rather, their own bank accounts, lust for power and attempts at ego satisfying realization of ivory tower think tank notions are blindingly foremost in their planning and actions.
I saw some of America’s best young men and women going through processing this morning. They may not have been to expensive prep schools and Ivy League colleges, but they’ve got the right stuff all the same. When their nation called, our leaders refused to go where our kids volunteer to go.
The silver spoon/fancy school set that formulates policy and leads us in its implementation sees these kids as low class tools.
It doesn’t have to be this way and, indeed, it has not always been so bad. Change in 2008!
AL,
You can be justifiably proud of your son. I just got an email from my daughter, the Marine. She arrived in Iraq today. What they are doing is noble and noteworthy, despite what the “loyal” opposition says. Please know that your son is in our thoughts and prayers.
For the good of the nation, it’s important to do what we can to close the civil-military gap. There are groups situated to close the gap between our elites and the military. They can use all the support they can get. For example, at my alma mater …
U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/usmilvetscu/
Hamilton Society of Columbia University (ROTC cadets and USMC officer candidates):
http://www.advocatesforrotc.org/columbia/hamilton.html
Columbia Alliance for ROTC:
http://www.advocatesforrotc.org/columbia/alliance.html
Thank you Mr. Danzinger for your article. I am a new soldiers mom. My son enlisted in the army having 3 yrs of college. Your article was printed in the day that my son left for bootcamp. I can relate to your article very well. It’s just nice to know that I am not the only parent who feels this way. My husband and I are prior military, Air Force, but it doesn’t make my son enlisting and watching him leave any easier. My husband keeps on saying that our son has left a child and will return a man. God Bless and protect our Military. Thank you again for sharing yourself with us.