The Soul of the American Warrior

[unhappycamper]

The Soul of the American Warrior
Joseph Kinney | November 06, 2007

There I was in a large room filled with men, boys really, who were taking an oath of allegiance to this great nation. After we finished our pledge, we were asked to take a step forward signifying our entry into the United States armed services.

I had very few items in my possession. The Marine Corps had reimbursed me $1.50 for my room at the Chicago YMCA the night before. I may have had a change of clothes at best. But I also had a red covered New Testament than someone at the induction center had given me.

To build us up, they tore us down. Within a few hours my head had been shaved to the nub. All my civilian possessions had been stripped from me, packed in a box, and sent home to my parents. What I would have is what the Marine Corps would give me.

I was terrified those early days in boot camp. Patterson, McCollum, and Ferris. They were my drill instructors. Demanding, often mean, but totally determined to mold recruit platoon 3040 into U.S. Marines. The Vietnam War was raging and they would never let us forget that some of us would die in jungles 13,000 miles from home. They were right. At least five of the members of my recruit platoon died in combat.

The fear of death had two distinct effects on me. The first was that I wanted to reach out to my fellow recruits to help them be the best they could be. Often I would spend hours each night holding a flashlight teaching those who struggled with the basics such as the chain of command, first aid, and Marine Corps history. I also began to see how much I needed a God that would sustain me in difficult times.

The only respite we recruits had from the sting of boot comp was on Sunday mornings when we were marched off to chapel. There, the idea that we could do all things in the name of God was forever implanted into our gray matter. This gave others and me the faith that we would be all right, whatever came our way.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,155646,00.html?wh=wh



uhc comment: About Joseph Kinney



A native of Kansas, Joseph Kinney joined the Marines after completing high school where he became a infantryman serving in Vietnam. Badly wounded, he was discharged, graduated from college, and became a senior aide in the United States Senate. He is writing a book on the role of church and family in the making of America's warriors. He lives in Pinehurst, NC.