Part 1

With my son, Tony, making final preparations with his Marine Corps Reserve Battalion to go to war in Iraq, my heart is just a bit heavy with a good-sized helping of concern.

On my lapel I wear a little round button. The button shows the gold anchor, globe, and eagle representing the United States Marine Corps. On a black background in gold lettering surrounding the seal are the words, “My son is a Marine”.   I wear this button to show the pride I have in my son for serving during this tragic time of war and terror. Certainly,   I am proud of what he is doing for America.

From time to time someone will casually ask what the status of my Marine is.  So I tell them that he is preparing to join the battle in Iraq.

I get the feeling that most folks are not certain how to react to such news. I sometimes think that when I say my kid is going to Iraq it is the same as saying my kid is terminally ill. People just don’t seem very comfortable replying to the news.

Occasionally someone will ask me if I’m worried about my son. They then go on to talk about the son of someone they know at work, which has been wounded or even killed in Iraq. This is, of course is just exactly what I wanted to hear about. Especially as a prerequisite to voicing my thoughts on the question, “Are you worried?”

I am reminded of the callous news reporter, who shoves a microphone in the face of a distraught man and with cameras running asks, “So, How does it feel to have lost everything, your business, your home, your family and all earthly possessions in the giant tidal wave?”   “Duh” What hell is this reported thinking? Does he think he will get some new and unexpected answer?

“Worried, Who me?”

After spending my entire adult life serving in the Armed Forces and spending many hours studying war, playing war games, debating war, learning about war and even teaching war to Army ROTC cadets, I can easily say that I probably know just a wee too much about war to be free of worries.

Let me put it this way, next time you watch Saving Private Ryan for a night of family entertainment, just slap a picture of your son’s face over one of the actors storming ashore the bloody Normandy beachhead. I suggest the guy that gets his arm blown off, hesitates, bends over, picks up the amputated limb and keeps running up the beach.  Believe me; you will go through a shift in your thinking concerning watching graphic war movies as entertainment.

So, how do you prepare your kid for war? Is it sort of like preparing him for the first day at kindergarten, or his fist solo with the family car or even the first formal dance with a beautiful young woman?

I can help prepare him by buying all the equipment and gear that Congress decided not to provide him. Unfortunately, once I go beyond beef jerky, polypropylene underwear and a leatherman multi-tool, there is not much else I can afford to buy him.  Too bad America could not afford to up-grade hummers sooner, or better yet, purchased explosion resistant, armored urban combat vehicles.

I can, and did throw him one big going away party. I have already begun to plan the welcome home party.

I can convince him to join my fraternity hoping that a “brother” might take him take in tow along their way.

Most of what I could do to prepare him for war actually happened in his first eight years of life. Isn’t it true that in those years most people develop something called character?

In my opinion, more than anything else, character is the most important thing a man carries in to battle. Character flows from personal beliefs (like faith in God) and values (honor, duty, courage) and will do more than anything else to carry a person through the boredom, excitement, suffering, horror and sacrifice of war.

I believe my son is a man of good character.  I’m certain those who know my son will agree that he is honest, compassionate; self disciplined and works hard to accomplish his goals.  I hope his character is strong enough to bring him home unscathed.  I have faith that he is in God’s hands

Part 2

It’s too late and there is not much point to discussing the morality or legality of our deposing Saddam Hussein.          We did it. It is a done thing.  Now we must work to make Iraq into a peaceful nation that will never threaten peace again.              

Destroying the evil regime in Iraq and in Afghanistan has brought upon us, as a nation a great responsibility. We must build new nations to replace those we eliminated.

In the aftermath of WWII America was committed to building new nations from the ashes of its enemies. Our success is apparent in that former members of the Axis powers never again threatened peace.

I can think of very few tasks of such great historic importance as nation building. Generations will be effected by how we accomplish building a new Iraq.  It is truly a great undertaking that only a great people can hope to accomplish.

Remember the words of President Teddy Roosevelt, which went something like this…      We must dare to be great and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage!

We call them “America’s Greatest Generation”, in recognition of the toil, sacrifice and high courage Americans’ used to win the Second World War.   The title “great” isn’t earned by taking things easy.

I have no question of the toil, sacrifice and high courage of our Armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I wonder how hard the American people are really working to support them.  President Bush said we are in a struggle in which “civilization is at stake”. Is anything less at stake today than there was in 1941?

Remember December 7^th, 1941? In the days following Pearl Harbor, America committed to win the war at any cost. 

Unlike the Second World War, after four years of fighting terrorism we still are not able to provide our troops with equipment or manpower needed to keep them safe let alone win the war.  Artillery units are leaving their howitzers behind and being retrained as infantry to patrol Baghdad, Administrative Reserve units are called to service to fill in combat duties, and enlistments are being forced into overtime to keep up troop strength.   Major supply routes are still unsecured from insurgent attacks. We found ourselves short on body armor, and still without an armored vehicle suitable for prolonged urban combat, hence the up-armored hummers. .

My son, the marine has committed himself to fighting this war against terror. He will toil and struggle and show high courage. In the end he will be a great man.   I hope all of America is willing to do the same. Our future as a great people depends upon it.

Next time someone asks about my marine button I might reply with; “Hey, what is your son doing for America?”