There are probably not many parents who would want their children to go to war. We all want our kids to have happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful lives.
If a child elects to go to war, we have to hope that we have taught them well. If we have, then we can be assured that they will go to war for the right reasons and act honorably.
Volunteering for war is a selfless act. When our children volunteer for combat duty, they do so because they realize that preservation of the United States as a whole is more important than their individual life. This may be hard for us as parents to accept, but it is something that parents have had to deal with since before the American Revolution. Our soldiers fight to preserve our country and to maintain the peace and security of their homes.
Our sons and daughters in America's military also fight to protect innocent people in far off lands under the thumb of brutal dictators and murderous terrorists. They fight for the freedom and safety of people whom most of the world doesn't know exists, people who the world would not care about even if it knew of them. Those poor, those tired, those huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
American soldiers are among the few in the world whom children can come to for candy and rations without fearing for their lives. American soldiers build schools and hospitals instead of concentration camps and murder factories. The American army is unique in taking drastic steps to reduce ENEMY casualties when planning campaigns. American soldiers have been welcomed around the world as they provided relief to millions in the wake of earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruptions, and other disasters.
I pray that my son will never have to fight in a war. I would gladly pick up a rifle and fight if I thought that it would mean peace for him. If he ever makes the choice to become an American soldier though, you can bet that I'll be damned proud of him.
Happy Memorial Day to all of our Veterans and their families.
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