Posted by
Marine Mom on Sunday, October 29, 2006 7:06:10 PM
I got a phone call this evening from my son, a Marine corporal stationed at Camp Pendleton. I asked him if he'd heard anything about Senator Kerry's recent comments essentially categorizing all those who serve in Iraq as either slackers or dropouts.
He sighed heavily. "Yes," he said. He sounded hurt. I can't blame him. I was hurt, too. You see, my twenty-two year old son just returned from a six month tour of duty in Ramadi, Iraq. Two-and-a-half of those months were spent at Government Center. No showers. No hot meals. No flush toilets. I'd like to see how long the silver-tongued senator could last there. But I digress...
He was nearly killed in a humvee crash. He had an RPG fired at his head. He volunteered to be the gunner for his team when his unit was ordered into a near-certain ambush. Because we serve an awesome God--and everyone we knew and everyone they knew were praying to that God regularly on behalf of my boy--he came home without a scratch. But not without sacrifices on his part and on the part of the family and fiancee (now wife) who love him.
Mr. Kerry needs to meet my son. I think he'd be impressed by this sharp young man. Most people are. He has an IQ well up into the gifted range. He scored 99 on his ASVAB. He could have been and done anything he wanted to do. He chose to become a Marine, because after what he witnessed on September 11, 2001, as an impressionable 17-year-old, he figured that was the best thing he could do to protect his Mom and Dad and three brothers and little sister. He volunteered to be the gunner for his signal intel team knowing full well that a large percentage of Marine Corps fatalities in Iraq have been gunners. He also knew that he was the only one on his team who was ready to face eternity.
My son outshines Mr. Kerry on every level: Character, intelligence--and just plain good looks! The senator should be embarrassed for saying such a foolish thing and heartsick over the aspersion he has cast on this nation's best and brightest. But I'm sure pigs are more likely to sore on wings of eagles.
And that's the view from the rabbit hole.