The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired,
tight-muscled kid who, under
normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy.
Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old
enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and
he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has
never collected unemployment either.
He's
a
recent High
School graduate; he was probably an average student,
pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten
year old jalopy, and has
a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him
when he left, or swears to
be waiting when he returns from half a world away.
He listens to rock and
roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and 155 mm
howitzer. He is 10 or
15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home
because he is working
or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.
He has trouble
spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field
strip a rifle in 30
seconds and reassemble it in
less time in the dark. He can
recite to you the
nomenclature of a machine gun or
grenade launcher and
use either one
effectively if he must. He digs
foxholes and latrines and can
apply first aid like a
professional. He can march
until he is told to stop or
stop until he is told to
march.
He obeys orders
instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without
spirit or individual
dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of
fatigues: he washes one
and wears the other. He
keeps his canteens
full and his feet dry. He
sometimes forgets to brush
his teeth, but
never to clean his rifle.
He can cook his own meals,
mend his own
clothes, and fix his own
hurts. If you're thirsty,
he'll share his water
with you; if you are
hungry, his food. He'll even
split his ammunition
with you in the midst of
battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his
hands like weapons and
weapons like
they were his hands. He
can save your life - or take
it, because that
is his job. He will often
do twice the work of a
civilian, draw half the
pay and still find ironic
humor in it all. He has
seen more suffering
and death then he should
have in his short lifetime.
He has stood atop
mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them.
He has wept in public and
in private, for friends
who have fallen in combat
and is unashamed. He
feels every note of the
National Anthem vibrate
through his body while at
rigid attention, while
tempering the burning
desire to 'square-away'
those around him who haven't
bothered to stand,
remove their hat, or even
stop talking. In an odd
twist, day in and day out,
far from home, he defends
their right to be
disrespectful.
Just as did his Father,
Grandfather, and
Great-grandfather, he is paying
the price for our
freedom. Beardless or not, he is
not a boy. He is the
American Fighting Man
that has kept this country
free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in
return, except our
friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for
he has earned our respect
and admiration
with his blood. And
now we even have woman over there in danger,
doing their part in
this tradition
of going to War
when our
nation calls
us to do so. As you go
to bed tonight, remember
this shot.. A short lull,
a little shade and a
picture of loved ones in
their helmets.......
An Army soldier in Iraq with his tiny "plot" of
grass in front of his tent.
He asked his wife to send him dirt ( U.S. soil), fertilizer, and
some grass seed so that he can smell the
sweet aroma, and feel the grass grow beneath his feet. When the men of
the squadron leave for a mission,
they take turns walking through the grass and the American soil -- to
bring them good luck.
He is even cutting the grass with a pair of a scissors.
Sometimes we are in such a hurry that we don't stop and think about the
little things that we take for granted.
(I won’t complain again having to cut my grass)
Prayer Wheel
"Lord, hold our troops in
your loving hands. Protect
them as they protect us.
Bless them and their
families for the selfless acts
they perform for us in our time of need. Amen."
Prayer : When you read
this, please stop for a
moment and say a prayer
for our ground troops in
Afghanistan, sailors on
ships, and airmen in the air,
and for those in Iraq.
This can be very powerful.
Of all the gifts you
could give a US Soldier,
Sailor, Coast GuardsMan, Marine
or Airman, prayer is the
very best one.
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This page last
updated 06/04/2007.
