Posted on 11/25/2004 5:03:07 PM PST by M 91 u2 K
Grandpa's headed to Iraq NEWS WIRE SERVICES Thursday, November 25th, 2004
PHILADELPHIA - A 53-year-old Vietnam veteran has been called up for active service with the U.S. military in the Iraq war.
Paul Dunlap, a sergeant in the Army National Guard, will join an armored division next month as a telecommunications specialist in Kuwait and expects to be there for at least a year, reported the Tribune-Review newspaper of Greensburg, Pa.
Dunlap, who has not been in combat since serving as a 19-year-old Marine in Vietnam, could not be reached for comment. He will leave behind his wife, Mary; four children, and three grandchildren.
"I don't think any of them want me to go," Dunlap told the paper. "I'm thinking it's a long time since I've been in war."
Dunlap, from the town of Pleasant Unity, near Greensburg, said he received a call from his sergeant major and was told to report for a soldier readiness program, the newspaper said.
Dunlap's wife was quoted as saying the entire family "prayed that he wouldn't pass his physical."
"It's very, very scary," she said. "He's been a soldier since I met him, but there's a part of me that wonders, at 53: Is he going to be up to doing what he needs to do over there?"
Dunlap will not be the oldest soldier called up for Iraq duty, and several have become casualties.
Sgt. William Chaney, 59, of Schaumburg, Ill., was called up with his Army National Guard unit earlier this year and become the oldest soldier to die in Iraq in May after being evacuated for an emergency operation.
Army National Guard Sgt. Floyd Knighten, 55, of Olla, La., died in Diwaniyah in August 2003 after succumbing to Iraq's brutal heat.
The oldest soldier to die from hostile fire was Army National Guard Sgt. Roger Dale Rowe, 54, of Bon Aqua, Tenn. He was killed by a sniper in July 2003 in Mahmudiyah, Iraq.
The lives of our Troops are worth more than ungrateful Radical Muslims!
I agree. Sometimes I think had this generation been in charge in 1945, there would've been no atom bombs, and WW2 would've dragged on much longer. (and more American and Allied deaths as a result)
Uhh, he is in the Guard...and likely been collecting a military paycheck for many years, and so is or should be "good to go".
Wondering here, if he does not pass the medical exam, who gets fired for keeping this guy in all these years?
He'll pass it, they need his MOS
Stand down! The way I read it is that those brave soldiers were in the reserves. THEY VOLUNTEERED!
You can take your draft and shove it!
Sgt. Floyd Knighten serves of his own volition in the National Guard. I doubt strongly that he will protest being "called up". Wish I could join him! Being much older than he, and acknowledging being woefully out of shape for such endeavors, I will wait until my services are required here at home. At the rate things are going the wait should not be too long! God bless our troops and keep Sgt. Knighton from harms way.
"He's been a soldier since I met him, but there's a part of me that wonders, at 53: Is he going to be up to doing what he needs to do over there?"
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I thought simiar when our friend and neighbor was also called at 53. When he returned, he couldn't have been more proud of what he could contribute!
Paul Dunlap, a sergeant in the Army National Guard,
The newspaper story reads as if he will not be serving in IRAQ.
..."in Kuwait and expects to be there for at least a year, reported the Tribune-Review" .....
.
I'm an old fart and since 9-11 have been unfulfilled cause my country has not seen fit to ask me back.
I still do little things like go to a job and pay taxes.
There's lots of 50-somethings being called up. Just about everybody out there knows one or two. Whether they've already served in a war or not, if they're in the Guard, they signed up for this. Is it hard? Yes! Nobody promised fighting the War on Terror would be easy.
There's lots of 50 something year olds being deployed. He is an active member of the National Guard by choice. All soldiers incur obligations to serve as needed, no matter what their status, including us retired guys, if necessary.
Meanwhile in the private sector, hundreds of senior citizens are voluntarily signing up with Halliburton and other contractors to go to Iraq. Pay is terrific, starting at $80k I understand. People as old as 70 are taking those jobs. They'll probably be put to work in support functions, which someone has to do, after all.
I suppose all National Guard Deployments should have exemptions for things like age, whether it interferes with college or work, etc. After all, it's not like they (we) voluntarily enlisted or anything!
The fact we have to call these soldiers up shows we are in desperate need of people in them military no matter how you try to spin it!
Shove down the facts we are not using enough force in Iraq because of Political Correctness and it is resulting in the death of more Brave American Soldiers!
Ah....my hubby tuned 53 in Iraq, he's a grandpa and a 1sg for an AVN Co(Chinooks).....what's the big deal?
Forgive me if I listen to Tommy Franks instead of you.
I read his story back in 2002, he had just joined the national guard becuase of sept 11th, he had to go back thru basic and ait at fort gordon. He seemed to be an inspiration to alot of the younger soldiers. We have lots of soldiers around his age group that are doing just fine
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