High school in wartime sets soldiers' kids apart

Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News online ^ | May 23, 2008 | KRISTIN M. HALL, AP

[Albion Wilde]

It’s gotten better. It used to be, “If the Military wanted you to have a family, they would’ve issued you one!” to, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy!” In the mid-1980’s ‘The Powers That Be’ sat down and looked at re-enlistment numbers, saw that they were WAY down and figured it out...all by themselves. ;)

That is amazing. My (ex) husband was drafted in 1968 and sent to an encampment while training to go to Vietnam. One of the sergeants was so prejudiced against the married men that he gave them punitive duty and bad attitude. It was the strangest attitude, that being a married man was somehow "weak" -- and the "real" men didn't have or need women except as playthings on weekends.

After one particularly stupid assignment just before dinnertime in which the married men were kept late from going home to cut down a tree and make a flagpole, the lieutenant finally came to their defense with sarcasm, saying, "And now Sergeant, what will you have the married men do — knit a flag?"

[Albion Wilde]

I left Fort Hood in March for my current 15 month tour here in Iraq. So far I’ve already missed one daughter’s wedding and her and her husband leaving for basic training. Next month I’ll be missing another daughter’s graduation. Not to mention Christmas and Thanksgiving among many other days. Still serving proudly!

You are awesome! I know it must be very hard. Thank you profoundly for your service and God bless you and your family!

[Albion Wilde]

Thanks for your pings and posts, folks!
Have a blessed Memorial Day...

[oneamericanvoice]

I remember the “if the military wanted you to have a family....” days. They said that about spouses too. Thankfully the brass realized that they were fighting a losing battle, and that there was merit in the presence of spouses and kids.