When Duty Calls

I believe it’s time to remind us all, once again, how much of a political issue the conflict in Iraq has become. Clearly, any war is a political issue, but it’s also intensely personal for a great many people and when their mission and accomplishments are derided for political purposes that degrades the heroic sacrifices of our brave men an women in arms. Now, I personally believe we are doing the right thing, and certainly the best we can, in our current armed conflict. Whether or not you agree with me, however, I still call on you to honor and support our people in uniform for doing the job they were trained to do as the instruments of this great nation. They put there lives on the line every day on my behalf, for which I am grateful. Don’t agree with the war? That is certainly your prerogative because we live in a free country. Let me remind you however that, in Afghanistan and Iraq (and many other nations), before the Americans came, voicing such an opinion would be considered grounds for torture and death. The fact is that we are not really at war with a country, but an ideology. The people who are currently killing Americans in Iraq are not Iraqi patriots. Many of them are from other countries, and they are often funded, staffed and supported by the same terrorist movements who not only funded and supported the 9-11 attacks, but who continue to openly threaten additional attacks on our home soil. We are talking about suicide bombers and kidnapers who cut peoples heads off on video to make their point. They murder civilians indiscriminately. These are terrorists and our soldiers in Iraq are on the front lines of the war on terrorism. Make no mistake about it. All these issues aside, though, we still have our people there and more are on the way. My cousin shipped over in August and another young man, who is extremely close to both of my children, will be leaving sometime next month. Needless to say, it’s a little personal to me. Yet, it’s still friends and second cousins for me so I can only imagine how much more difficult it must be for those who are sending their mothers and fathers and their own children into harm’s way. They are doing their duty, however, and those whom I have had contact with feel like they’re doing a job that must be done, and certainly the job they were trained for. Today’s poem is one I wrote last year for the family of one of my dearest friends, who was called up to active duty by the Marines and served in Iraq for the first six months of our initial conflict there. I went through the whole roller coaster of emotions with their family and, in my humble opinion, spouses and children are heros as well. Therefore, I have some firsthand knowledge of the sacrifices our brave men and women make to get the job done. They are deserving of our praise, our support, and most importantly our prayers. Ramble all you want about the war, the WMD’s, the UN, whatever your issues are, and I’d be happy to engage you thereon, but let us never forget that our folks are on the ground and in harm’s way and they deserve the same allegiance from us that they have so stalwartly demonstrated on our behalf. Duty called, and they responded. There is hardly anything more American than that ... and I, for one, am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude.

When Duty Calls
On the eve of departure, the brink of war
As I kiss my children goodbye
I reflect upon all the ones I love
And tears of sadness fill my eyes
But I am a soldier, I have been trained
To defend the freedoms of all
So when the order is given to deploy
I respond to duty’s call
Wherever they send me, I shall go
Whatever the task may be
I am the instrument of America
For the cause of liberty
Far from my home, and my family
Even half a world away
There shall I go, when duty calls
Any hour of any day
Because I believe in the principles
Of our beloved democracy
In the name of peace, I go to war
Both proudly and willingly
By Frank Carpenter ©