I know that the US military has not been meeting its recruiting goals (small wonder, there), but a story on NBC last night left me appalled at how desperate they have become for warm bodies.It's a story full of emotion and dedication and love. Which is exactly why it is so upsetting. It's also about the US Army taking advantage of someone who is grieving. Melissa Garvin and her husband Eddy were childhood sweethearts in a tough neighborhood in Boston. Eddy joined the Marines for “a better life.” They married last spring when Eddy was 20 and Melissa 19. You know what's coming. In October 2006 Eddy was killed in Anbar province while on combat operations.
Since then, Melissa has done a lot of things to honor her late husband's memory, such as setting up a scholarship in his memory and running fundraisers for the local Boy Scouts, which Eddy belonged to as a boy. An understandable and admirable way to deal with her grief.
Here's the stunner: Melissa, who's husband died just nine months ago, enlisted in the Army. And they took her right away. Her mother called the Army and pleaded with them not to accept her. They didn't listen.
Make no mistake, I admire Melissa's dedication to and love for her late husband — as well her courage to do this. And I believe that her decision to enlist was heartfelt and deep. In her own words: “I did it for many reasons,” she says. “One is because what helps me is knowing my husband did not suffer after talking to the medic that actually worked on him. I wanted to be able to do the same thing for other people. If I could go over there, which is my goal to go to Iraq, and I could help one family member not feel the pain I feel every day it will be worth it.”
All I'm saying is: she's 20 years old and her husband of 6 months was killed in Iraq just 9 months ago. Couldn't the Army have said, “Why don't you come back in 12 months?”
Is this what it's come to for America? Where are the Bush twins while this young widow goes marching off to war?
2 comments:
I actually disagree with you for once :O I think her choice was honorable and makes perfect sense. With nothing left to lose she wanted to become closer to her husband by being a part of who he was. She wants to help other people just like him make it home to their wives. She should be around people who understand and respect what she's doing. Making her wait another year won't make a difference. I don't see her decision to join as something sad. She's honoring her husband and every other member of the armed forces. It's a really hard thing to explain, but once you're part of the military you want to stay in it, either in person of by association. If they had kids, I would say she was being rash, but they didn't have that chance.
This is a dificult issue, and I won't pretend to know how she feels. I do know she must be an incredibly brave and strong woman to be doing this, though.
I just think it's been too soon since she lost her husband for the Army to be signing her up. But I can also see where she would find some comfort at a difficult time by staying in the military family.
I don't pretend to know it all!
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