More of the other...

Letter to my son

Dear Son

I wanted you to know how I felt about the military, my service in it, and my feelings about you serving if you ever choose to.

I feel the military to be an honorable means of service to your country and others around the globe. I also feel the profession of combat arms to be a noble one, but one that should be taken with the utmost seriousness, for with it comes a responsibility that is greater than almost any other. If you ever pursue this make sure that you also achieve an education outside of it, and be sure to read the millennia of experience that are very much applicable even to this day and beyond, as the world does change but the human experience within it does not.

Be ever vigilant and always stand against the unlawful, unethical, and immoral. This takes great courage at times.


...If you do choose to serve you will become part of a family lineage. Your paternal grandfather served two tours in Vietnam, your uncle in Desert Storm and Haiti. But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that your grandfather and uncle both left active service after having served in armed conflicts. My story has yet to be written.

also this survey