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Huan Yi
Member Ascendant

since 2004-10-12

Posts 6688
Waukegan

0 posted 2004-11-30 03:04 PM

Pat Tillman…

Today I hear the Mayor of Chicago’s 29 year old son
is going into the Army and, despite his MBA, as an
enlisted man.  Michael Jordan’s brother who has thirty
years in the Army has asked for a one year extension
of his enlistment so he can go with his unit to Iraq.
With the recent fighting there has been a wave of
announcements in the media of local young men
who have been killed, mostly Marines, all young
from middle class or affluent suburbs, who, as
their friends and relations tell it, consciously
enlisted knowing the potential consequences.

What’s going on?

The Marine Corps especially has never
pushed the job training incentive to induce
enlistments.  Every man is a rifleman.  It
has gone without saying, that in war time
you’re not enlisting to begin or hone your skills
for a career outside.  You come in, you’re
going where you can get killed.  And yet,
still they’re coming.  They don’t have to,
no one is making them, there’s no need
to go to Canada, and yet they’re coming in.

Why do you think they’re doing it?

Alicat
Member Elite

since 1999-05-23

Posts 4094
Coastal Texas

1 posted 2004-11-30 03:12 PM

Easy. They believe in something greater than themselves.

JoshG
Member

since 2004-11-16

Posts 127
TX, USA

2 posted 2004-11-30 03:44 PM

agreed

Not A Poet
Member Elite

since 1999-11-03

Posts 3885
Oklahoma, USA

3 posted 2004-11-30 04:10 PM

Ali understands

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

4 posted 2004-11-30 05:04 PM

First, of the Marines that I have had the pleasure to meet, they all consider that particular part of the Service as a brotherhood of very special men...

As Ali said, They believe in something greater than themselves.

And I will up the ante a bit and suggest that they have a higher sense of self...and would do anything for their country for all of the best reasons.

~DreamChild~
Senior Member

since 2001-04-23

Posts 544
in your dreams

5 posted 2004-11-30 11:27 PM

well i dont know exactly going on in this scenario, but i would agree with the others.

Ringo

Member Elite

since 2003-02-20

Posts 3684
Saluting with misty eyes

6 posted 2005-01-07 03:54 PM

First, I would offer my apologies for not replying to this earlier...
As to my thoughts:

The reason that men.. especially young men... join the service KNOWING that they will eventually be called upon to kill or be killed is because it offers them a challenge to face (Are they man enough to handle it??) and there is always something romantic in a young man's eyes about going to war, and such as that. We grew up listening to our grandparents, and the stories of the "greatest generation" (which I believe they are), and the stories of our fathers and how tough it was. We want to live the ideals and the serice and sacrifice of our grandparents, and prove that we are as tough as our parents.
Although young men join the service "knowing" the risks, the NEVER truly know the risks until they are either hiding behind a barrier praying for it to stop, or they are putting rounds down range praying for it to stop.
As for MJ's brother... he doesn't want to leave his unit... his brothers when the time gets tough. He knows that members of his unit might possibly get killed, and he is hoping to be able to stop that from happening. He has no, in my thoughts and experience, any desire to fight, or prove himself rather he chooses not to leave his brothers in their time of need.
To put a final phrase on it that it much too wodely used, and at this time very much appropriate, "If you had to ask, and were not there, youy simply would never understand."

In the wooden chair
Beside my window
I wear a face born in the falling rain

Huan Yi
Member Ascendant

since 2004-10-12

Posts 6688
Waukegan

7 posted 2005-01-07 07:55 PM

Ringo,

I would readily agree that stories from a generation before had
an impact on the motivations of young men enlisting in the 60’s,
but as to now the Vietnam War curbed if not killed any “romance”
that might have once associated with such a decision. I think
9/11 had more to do with the change.

As to MJ’s brother's “brothers” I again agree.

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