"...and stay away from the military. I mean it."

[lastliberalintexas]

Apparently a young man in Iraq told his son this in his last letter home before his death in Fallujah. It's a pretty damning indictment of our military, to think that one who supported it enough at one point to enlist voluntarily would warn his own son away from that career choice.

I found this entire article very sad, but the words of that young father haunted me. I just hope his son listens.


-snip-
Marine Staff Sgt. Russell Slay wrote a letter to his family shortly before he was killed in Al Anbar on Nov. 9, the second day of the Fallujah assault. In it the 28-year-old Humble resident, anticipating death, said his goodbyes to his young children.

He told his 9-year-old daughter Kinlee that he'll miss her, but that she'll always be his little girl and he'll always watch out for her. To 5-year-old Walker, he offered advice that he hoped would put the boy on a less risky career path.

"Be studious, stay in school and stay away from the military," he wrote. "I mean it."


http://www.southeasttexaslive.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13441105&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=512588&rfi=8

[LynzM]

1. God, I can't even imagine

Having to write a letter to your family, 'anticipating your death'.... :cry: :puke: :cry:

[Solly Mack]

2. My experince has shown me that officers don't encourage their children

away from the military but enlisted do.

I don't know everyone in the military, naturally...but within my experience, it's common for enlisted to admonish their children to avoid the military at all costs. Even the enlisted with college degrees...and YES! contrary to popular myth, quite a few enlisted have 4 year degrees....they just don't opt to be officers.

This story is sad...on many levels.

[JHB]

3. Bet that didn't make it onto HBO n/t

[frankly_fedup2]

4. How sad for these soldiers who anticipated their own deaths . . .

and still were thinking of their families first. The comments you posted say it all. Obviously, Russel Slay has seen and/or done things that he would never want his son to have to go through. I hope the boy listens to his father's last words to him. That is, if by the time the boy is 18 there is not a draft.

This is a never-ending war. Anyone who thinks it can be won is a fool and/or a Republican.

Bush put us right in the middle of a conflict that has been going on in that region of the world since the beginning of man. There has never been peace there and never will.

I worry everyday about my 18-month-old grandson. I worry about my nephews of which 2 just turned 18 but both are in college (which will not keep them out of the military when the draft comes back), and then I have a 14-year-old nephew as well. I told my husband that if the draft does comes back, and please, I mean no offense to anyone who is gay; that there will be more homosexuals coming out of the closet then ever, especially if they are NOT homosexuals. The don't ask, don't tell option should and would be broken.

If this war was really about protecting us from terrorism, those of age in my family would be proud to do their duty . . . male or female. My father is a WWII veteran and two of his brothers are Vietnam vets. My dad's father was a WWI veteran.

My father went to Japan after the atomic bombs were dropped for cleanup and to take weapons. He said it was like in Iraq. You didn't know who would kill you and who wouldn't. They could be cooperating and smiling and as soon as you looked away, they would have a woman or child kill you if they couldn't. My dad said they would go house to house, much like our troops are doing now, to get weapons. He said after about six months, things settled down over there, and then they began to help with cleanup and rebuilding. He has a box of pictures that he has never organized. They are unbelievable. They are pictures that he took while in Japan. He even helped to guard Emperor Tojo (sp) and has a picture of where they were holding him. My father will be 76 this upcoming February. He lied about his age to get into the military. He was all of 16 years old when he was in Japan. They thought he was 18. Can you imagine 16 year olds today being that responsible? I can't.

Sorry so long. I get carried away.