I have grandchildren from 9 to 36 -
and one who grew up in my home has just gotten off his second deployment in AFghanistan...
He and his small unit and what they have done - have made their place in history...and are making America proud of them and ALL our soldiers.
THe documentary on this little handful of Sky Soldiers has shown across the country, aired 3 times now on National Geographic, won many awards and is now on the short list for an Oscar. The DVD is now in stores across the country.
This is making a great impact on people - but most particularly - on young people.
(SSGT Sal Giunta, the recipient of the Medal of Honor, is one of this little platoon)
Watch the trailer - and a great clip on Sal -
Our older son is a senior, so now we're hearing about where his classmates are applying to college and their plans after high school. Of his cohort of about 15-20 boys who were in his Cub Scout pack together as youngsters, we have three who are joining the Marine Corps. One is following in his dad's footsteps and not a surprise, but the other two were somewhat unexpected. We've also learned recently that a local youngster from our swim club is leaving college after two years to join the army, fulfilling a long-time dream. His very liberal mother is struggling with the decision, but to her credit is supporting him. Times are changing, and I think among our youth, there are some very positive changes afoot. I see a lot of respect for the decisions these boys are making, which is refreshing after having grown up during the Vietnam war.