Most of the letters responding to William Kristol’s New York Times column are sent directly to the Times, but occasionally correspondence ends up at THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Here’s a letter about Monday’s column “Someone Else’s Alex” that we thought would be of interest to our readers.
When I first saw that MoveOn.org ad, I felt a little manipulated, then frustrated, then sad. It made me sad because in 1986, someone’s baby, we will call him “baby John,” joined the Navy. Did John’s Mommy want him to join the Navy? Not particularly. But, John had made up his mind and he was joining the Navy–period, end of discussion. Fast forward twenty years to June of 2006, at a wonderful retirement ceremony with all of the flags flying, salutes, piping (that’s a Naval tradition), and tears. John’s Mommy and John’s sons and family and friends were all present to acknowledge his twenty years of service to his country. Tears were shed in joy for the appreciation and gratitude to have had the opportunity to devote half of his life defending freedom and democracy around the world. Yes, you guessed it, I am that John. That day in June 2006 and those tears were the culmination of a life defending a nation that afforded me the opportunity to go to sea and see the world, get a wonderful education, meet some wonderful people, make some lifelong friendships, and do it all in uniform while upholding some of the highest honors and traditions known to all of mankind. This was not a punishment, this was the ultimate privilege. You see, I am proud of the Flag of the United States of America, and I am proud of the men and women who serve our country. Thank God that that flag always waved over my head, day in and day out. It was always there and it always reminded me of who I am, what I’ve done. Sometimes, solemnly, it reminds me of those who have gone before me that are not with us today–but their memories, their contribution to society will always be remembered by their loved ones, friends, and fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. You see, service to your country isn’t something that fits into every heart very easily because it involves sacrifice, and unfortunately, to so many people today, sacrifice is just a word, but to the men and women in uniform, it means honor, courage, and commitment. Those are words that can’t just be thrown around because to live up to them requires genuine integrity and honesty, and all of these things I just mentioned are the values associated with wearing the uniform of any branch of service and they are not something taken lightly. When you commit to the uniform, you commit to the country. So, please, forgive me if I sound a little proud of my service to our country. Just as I am proud of my son, my baby Alex if you will, who in January entered the service of his own free will. So, like so many others that have gone before him, his journey has begun, and as a mature young man, I feel the decision he has made is that of a patriot–to serve, to love, to defend. He is in very good hands now. I see the same values and appreciation and gratitude in the faces of the men and women who journey to our nation’s capital everyday to witness the monuments that have been erected in honor of their service–I’ve seen them cry, sob tears of joy, relief, and sorrow as they recount days gone by, memories of a time they spent proudly serving America. Their mothers, wives, girlfriends, and family didn’t want them to go either, but America called and they responded, because that is what Americans do. I’m sorry Alex’s Mommy won’t let him join the military. He may have been the one young Lieutenant who could have saved the lives of his platoon. Or he could have been the commanding officer of a U.S. Navy ship that was the only source of humanitarian relief in a country half way around the world–a country where his actions would be what people would remember of America. Or, he might have served as an Air Force pilot and earned a seat as space shuttle mission commander someday–but, I guess we will never know because Alex’s Mommy won’t let him join the military. You see, it’s easy to discount the service of the men and women in uniform who provide safety and freedom to our country everyday. It’s easy to diminish the importance of their contributions, because while they are busy defending freedom and democracy, we have the luxury to mock and criticize their service as being unworthy of baby Alex’s time. You see, it really doesn’t bother me if MoveoOn.org doesn’t want baby Alex to join the military. I’m sure Alex will most certainly find another alternative to fulfilling is his service/commitment to his country. But don’t worry because little Johnny, Tommy, Amy, Sally, and Timmy will always take his place. That is what we do: Men and women from across the country proudly serve their nation with the full faith and support of their families and friends. So if baby Alex will not join the military someday, then someone else will protect his Mommy for him. God Bless America always! –John E. Boyce
