Colin Powell: Why We Serve

[Richard]

The former CJCS and SecState's thoughts.

Richard

Colin Powell: Why We Serve
Parade, 6 Nov 2011

I became an army lieutenant when I was 21, and more than five decades later, the people I knew in my early days—from college ROTC and my first assignment—I still know. I think of them as family. In every assignment since, I’ve found a new family, but each time it’s also felt like an old family. And even though I’ve been retired from the military for 18 years, I’ve never left that family.

Over the years, Americans have chosen to serve for many reasons—during the Revolutionary War, to create a nation; in World War II, to save humanity from destruction; at various times, to help pay for college. Still, no matter the motivation, once our men and women joined up, they’ve given their all for our country.

But GIs are driven by another allegiance that is just as fierce: to their buddies. During training, they learn to rely on each other for food, for security, for support. They know that they will live, and possibly die, together as a squad of five or nine. It’s a form of bonding you can’t find anywhere else.

This bond goes beyond the troops. I heard about a young boy, an army brat. His family moved to a new community, and when he showed up at his new school, the teacher introduced him by saying, “It must be hard finding a new home every couple of years.” He answered, “No, ma’am. We always have a home; we’re just looking for a house to put it in.”

I look forward to meeting young GIs on my visits to the Walter Reed hospital. Some of them are horribly wounded—but you know what? Many want to heal as quickly as possible just so they can go back and serve with their unit.

My closest friend during college was Tony Mavroudis. We lived two miles apart in Queens, and he was like a younger brother to me. We were street kids, and we ran around together—we even destroyed each other’s father’s car when we were at City College! We were both in ROTC. I first went to Vietnam in 1962, and Tony followed a year or so later. When I returned to the States, I was moved to Fort Benning in Georgia, and Tony ended up there, too.

One day he suddenly volunteered to go back. I told him, “Tony, you don’t have to do that. You’ll be sent back soon enough.” He said, “Yeah, but that’s where I’m supposed to be.”

So he left. On one of his jungle patrols, he was filmed by a TV crew for a special report on race and the army. He was asked, “What’s the relationship between your soldiers, black and white?” And Tony answered like the New York street kid he was: “Hey man, same mud, same blood.” He was talking about that sense of family.

A few days later, he was killed by a booby trap.

Tony’s name is one of the 58,272 engraved on the Wall, the beautiful granite Vietnam War memorial in Washington, which I’ve visited countless times. There is magic in that wall. At no other battle monument are people so moved, stenciling names and leaving gifts like combat boots, uniforms, sonograms, even a motorcycle.

Establishing memorials is one way that Americans can repay the debt owed to the people who have died serving this country. But we also bear a similar obligation to the survivors of our nation’s conflicts, our veterans.

What can you do? This week on Veterans Day, put out your flags, cheer the marchers at parades, and go to tributes. But when you wake up the next day, Nov. 12, remember that it’s still Veterans Day for our veterans—and it will be every day of their lives. So thank them. Talk to them. Invite them to schools so they can share their experiences and teach our children that we all must take care of each other, on the battlefield and in life.

You can also support one of the many organizations that assist former service members. Three months ago, in Little Rock, Ark., I visited St. Francis House, a shelter for veterans trying to reestablish their lives. Forty-six men are currently staying there while they work and save up for their own apartments. To find programs in your area, contact your local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, or the Disabled American Veterans.

Many people refer to the World War II generation as the greatest one, but we’ve had greatness in every single generation of Americans who have served. I know of none greater than the generation of GIs now fighting for our country in Iraq and Afghanistan and serving around the world. Someday soon, they’ll need us to fight for them.

http://www.parade.com/news/veterans/...-we-serve.html

[Dusty]

Hard for me to take seriously a Republican statesman who picked the Democrat opponent of a fellow soldier because of race.

[f50lrrp]

AMEN, Brother!

MIKE

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Dusty

Hard for me to take seriously a Republican statesman who picked the Democrat opponent of a fellow soldier because of race.

GEN Powell had a stellar military career but has been 'snookered' twice since his retirement - once by the Repugs and once by the Dims - I suggest merely reading this essay...w/o the distorting partisan political spectacles.

I did.

Richard

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Richard

GEN Powell had a stellar military career but has been 'snookered' twice since his retirement - once by the Repugs and once by the Dims - I suggest merely reading this essay...w/o the distorting partisan political spectacles.

I did.

Richard

That would be like reading Mein Kampf and thinking of the author as a paper hanger.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Dusty

That would be like reading Mein Kampf and thinking of the author as a paper hanger.

Now there's a leap in logic worthy of a Glen Beck...

Richard

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Richard

Now there's a leap in logic worthy of a Glen Beck...

Richard

I'm not as insulted by being compared to Glenn Beck as I would be to be considered approving of Powell.

[Sigaba]

FWIW...

The transcript of GEN Powell's appearance on Meet the Press during which he endorsed the Democratic Party's candidate for the presidency is here.

Other prominent Republicans who endorsed the Democratic Party's nominee are discussed here and there.

Could it be that many Republicans figured out a bit sooner than others (including myself) that there was more sizzle than substance to Governor Palin and didn't want to risk having her as the president? Naw...

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

FWIW...

The transcript of GEN Powell's appearance on Meet the Press during which he endorsed the Democratic Party's candidate for the presidency is here.

Other prominent Republicans who endorsed the Democratic Party's nominee are discussed here and there.

Could it be that many Republicans figured out a bit sooner than others (including myself) that there was more sizzle than substance to Governor Palin and didn't want to risk having her as the president? Naw...

Yeah. You Obama supporters really nailed it. We're so much better off, now. Puhleez.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by Dusty

Yeah. You Obama supporters really nailed it. We're so much better off, now. Puhleez.

QP Dusty--

As I've indicated elsewhere, although not recently to avoid giving myself an aneurism, I did not vote for the current president. My personal hatred for him exceeds my loathing for any other American who has ever walked this Earth.

That being said, I can acknowledge and accept that intelligent, patriotic Americans believed in the man and supported his candidacy for reasons that made sense to them.

Moreover, I believe that America has suffered through worse political leadership and, in the long run, we'll be all right after the incumbent leaves office and takes his collection of sycophantic asshats with him.

My $0.02.

[afchic]

I thought it was a wonderful read. Thanks Richard!

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by afchic

I thought it was a wonderful read. Thanks Richard!

I enjoyed it as well, and found it quite fitting for this upcoming Veterans' Day.

Sigaba - I enjoyed this phrase in your response: "collection of sycophantic asshats"

However you could have made the phrase worthy of Spiro Agnew had you said "coterie of sycophantic asshats"!

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

QP Dusty--

As I've indicated elsewhere, although not recently to avoid giving myself an aneurism, I did not vote for the current president. My personal hatred for him exceeds my loathing for any other American who has ever walked this Earth.

My $0.02.

Sig, this quote of yours: "Could it be that many Republicans figured out a bit sooner than others (including myself) that there was more sizzle than substance to Governor Palin and didn't want to risk having her as the president?" understandably indicates that you didn't vote for the Palin ticket.

I assume you voted for neither, then.

Powell voted for Obama because Obama is black. Period.

That's racist, and I abhor racism.

[alright4u]

Originally Posted by Richard

The former CJCS and SecState's thoughts.

Richard

Colin Powell: Why We Serve
Parade, 6 Nov 2011

I became an army lieutenant when I was 21, and more than five decades later, the people I knew in my early days—from college ROTC and my first assignment—I still know. I think of them as family. In every assignment since, I’ve found a new family, but each time it’s also felt like an old family. And even though I’ve been retired from the military for 18 years, I’ve never left that family.

Over the years, Americans have chosen to serve for many reasons—during the Revolutionary War, to create a nation; in World War II, to save humanity from destruction; at various times, to help pay for college. Still, no matter the motivation, once our men and women joined up, they’ve given their all for our country.

But GIs are driven by another allegiance that is just as fierce: to their buddies. During training, they learn to rely on each other for food, for security, for support. They know that they will live, and possibly die, together as a squad of five or nine. It’s a form of bonding you can’t find anywhere else.

This bond goes beyond the troops. I heard about a young boy, an army brat. His family moved to a new community, and when he showed up at his new school, the teacher introduced him by saying, “It must be hard finding a new home every couple of years.” He answered, “No, ma’am. We always have a home; we’re just looking for a house to put it in.”

I look forward to meeting young GIs on my visits to the Walter Reed hospital. Some of them are horribly wounded—but you know what? Many want to heal as quickly as possible just so they can go back and serve with their unit.

My closest friend during college was Tony Mavroudis. We lived two miles apart in Queens, and he was like a younger brother to me. We were street kids, and we ran around together—we even destroyed each other’s father’s car when we were at City College! We were both in ROTC. I first went to Vietnam in 1962, and Tony followed a year or so later. When I returned to the States, I was moved to Fort Benning in Georgia, and Tony ended up there, too.

One day he suddenly volunteered to go back. I told him, “Tony, you don’t have to do that. You’ll be sent back soon enough.” He said, “Yeah, but that’s where I’m supposed to be.”

So he left. On one of his jungle patrols, he was filmed by a TV crew for a special report on race and the army. He was asked, “What’s the relationship between your soldiers, black and white?” And Tony answered like the New York street kid he was: “Hey man, same mud, same blood.” He was talking about that sense of family.

A few days later, he was killed by a booby trap.

Tony’s name is one of the 58,272 engraved on the Wall, the beautiful granite Vietnam War memorial in Washington, which I’ve visited countless times. There is magic in that wall. At no other battle monument are people so moved, stenciling names and leaving gifts like combat boots, uniforms, sonograms, even a motorcycle.

Establishing memorials is one way that Americans can repay the debt owed to the people who have died serving this country. But we also bear a similar obligation to the survivors of our nation’s conflicts, our veterans.

What can you do? This week on Veterans Day, put out your flags, cheer the marchers at parades, and go to tributes. But when you wake up the next day, Nov. 12, remember that it’s still Veterans Day for our veterans—and it will be every day of their lives. So thank them. Talk to them. Invite them to schools so they can share their experiences and teach our children that we all must take care of each other, on the battlefield and in life.

You can also support one of the many organizations that assist former service members. Three months ago, in Little Rock, Ark., I visited St. Francis House, a shelter for veterans trying to reestablish their lives. Forty-six men are currently staying there while they work and save up for their own apartments. To find programs in your area, contact your local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, or the Disabled American Veterans.

Many people refer to the World War II generation as the greatest one, but we’ve had greatness in every single generation of Americans who have served. I know of none greater than the generation of GIs now fighting for our country in Iraq and Afghanistan and serving around the world. Someday soon, they’ll need us to fight for them.

http://www.parade.com/news/veterans/...-we-serve.html

The man was an LTC BN CO in peace time Korea in 73. He refused to deal with his own racial uprising. An SF SGM in that sad ass leg unit did his dirty work. Art Stang, a real SF man, did his own dirty work. Sorry, Powell was no man I wanted near me.

[alright4u]

Originally Posted by afchic

I thought it was a wonderful read. Thanks Richard!

Ask SGM Moore if he is still alive. He was White star.