What do you say to a graduate going of to Iraq ?

[Twist_U_Up]

My sons high school graduation was today :party: I`m so proud of him !!

As the commencement proceeded , the reading of the names and the direction they where heading in life was read aloud. I was paying close attention and was surprised out of a class of about 200 seniors about 6 or 7 where heading into the military under one branch or the other. The 6 or 7 got a good round of applause, for nobody else got any applause .
Alls I could think was so innocent and so naive.

Then later in the evening my son had some of his Friends over, some of which he graduated with earlier that day. I was chatting with the group asking each boy what they where was going to do with their lives. I got the various answers,but then I got to probably the most innocent looking of all the kids and asked him the very same question, His reply was I`m going to the Marines............

Here was this kid 17 if he didn`t look 12.

I didn`t know what to say...... One part of me wanted to take him to my computer and show him some cold hard facts about what this ruthless administration is about.

The other part of me realized this kid had to go into this positive .

Alls I could do was look him in the eye , shake his hand firmly and told him from my family and myself we thank you,to be safe and use your best judgment.

I feel as if I am letting a kid go into a war without all the information they should have before taking the plunge.

Is this my fault or our current day media for leading this kid down a dead end war

and to top it off all the kids just went to the Drive -In for a movie and the kids mother calls my house and says, " Hi this is Kyle's mom he just called me and asked to spend the night at your house and I was just wondering if everything was alright, will he be safe ? " WTF

[LiberalAndProud]

1. Bless the boy and bless the mother.

Remember them in whatever prayers you utter. And work like hell to bring our troops home safely and soon.

[tx_dem41]

2. "The other part of me realized this kid had to go into this positive ."

Thanks for realizing that...and doing the right thing (IMO).

[Gabi Hayes]

3. find out where he lives and SAVE HIS LIFE....give him the facts

make an ass of yourself if you have to, but wise the poor, misguided kid UP!

you'll regret it when the next time you see him he's covered in a flag, or limping over to your house on a bionic leg

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Has he signed up yet

or is he going to and hasn't yet? Maybe you can try to talk him out of it if he hasn't signed up yet. Do they take seventeen year olds???

[Twist_U_Up]

8. Yes heads out in Nov 2 days after his Birthday n/t

[smurfygirl]

4. I would ask what made him come to this decision

was it for money, or for pride of service.

If it's for pride then not another word about it.
Some people just have a calling for it. Most of the men in our family including my baby bro joined, even when they didn't agree. It's a pride thing, and I would never knock it.

[Gabi Hayes]

7. what good, sensible reason can one give for joining the wehrmact now?

under present circumstances?

if we were under some threat, it would be different, but our troops are just serving as underpaid Hessians, while the neo-Hessians are getting paid, what, a thousand dollars a day for the same duty?


tell the kid to join Blackwater if he wants to serve in Iraq

[bahrbearian]

6. A co workers son came to work one day

he was wounded in Iraq ( disabled) I wanted to tell him thank you for serving our Country, but I just shook his hand and said Hello,I couldn't get the words out, this war has caused damage to us all.