1LT John Renehan never knew he had what it takes to be a Soldier in the US Army. In fact, he seriously doubted that he did — after all, he was “a lawyer with no military experience, knew virtually no one from my own background — comfortable childhood, good education, white-collar career — who had ever been in the service.”
But in the wake of 9/11, this New Yorker and Berkeley graduate was compelled to join.
I’m extremely grateful that he did. He writes about it here at the Washington Post:
Such experiences over a young lifetime coalesce into prejudice: People like us — the privileged, frankly — don’t join the military. We wonder about the military world occasionally, and a few of us may actually grow curious enough to investigate serving in a halting sort of way — lurking in our parents’ studies at Christmastime, perhaps — but that’s about as far as it generally goes, or ought to go, we think. The armed forces are for another sort of American. Right?
[snip]
Along this road I discovered something about myself, and about the military.
About myself, I discovered that there were within me — within everyone — latent abilities, tendencies, temperaments that only an environment such as this will bring out. And yes, I’m speaking to you bookish types now. However well you may think you know your own pacific constitution, be assured that there is someone more physical and forceful within you — someone you will meet, given the right circumstances.
About the Army, I learned that it can be a hard — and hardening — environment, but by and large the people in it are just people. They are not uniquely tough by nature, though they become so through training and preparation and habit. And their toughness is leavened with a deep sense of common humanity — a basic unquestioning take-them-as-they-are compassion rarely found in the “softer” cosmopolitan world of ambition and sophistication from which I hail.
[snip]
Am I simply recruiting among the elite, then? No. But I would regret knowing that some who might have served did not do so because of the same lazy prejudice that I once held — the barely conscious assumption that some Americans are at once too good, and not good enough, for the military.
Make sure and read the entire column. And then thank your god for men like 1Lt John Renehan.
(h/t to Grim at BlackFive)
I read it last night, and had saved it to link here.
His story is similar to many I’ve heard since 11 Sep 01, and I am thankful for men who are willing to stand up, to challenge themselves, for something much greater than themselves.
Left by no2liberals on March 18th, 2008 at 10:03 am