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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ManyMoose who wrote (88723)	11/30/2004 9:35:20 AM
From: Glenn Petersen	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793689

Mayor Daley's son Patrick, a recent MBA graduate from the University of Chicago, has joined the Army at the age of 29. I have never been a huge fan of the Mayor, though he has been surprisingly supportive of the President over the past couple of years, particularly on foreign policy issues. He has occasionally had me scratching my head in disbelief. He may have been listening to his son. Hats off to Patrick. suntimes.com 'He wants to serve his country' November 30, 2004 BY MICHAEL SNEED SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Mayor Daley's only son, Patrick, has joined the Army during a time of war. He reports to active duty as an enlisted soldier in the Army's regular airborne infantry. His activation date: between Christmas and New Year's. His destination: presumably North Carolina's Ft. Bragg. His final destination? It could lead him to Iraq or Afghanistan within a year. "He wants to serve his country," said a Sneed source. "He's a patriot. It's just that it's a pretty dangerous time to be doing so. His father is very proud but his mother, Maggie, is nervous as any mother would be. It's a pretty honorable thing to sign up in a time of war." Earned MBA In an exclusive interview with the Sun-Times, Patrick Daley -- who recently graduated with honors from the University of Chicago's MBA program and could have pursued lucrative job offers -- told Sneed why he made the decision. "It's been in the back of my mind for some time," said Patrick Daley, one of Mayor Daley's four children, including Nora, Elizabeth and a second son, Kevin, who died. "I left West Point during my freshman year when I was 18 years old and always remembered their motto, 'Duty, Honor and Country.' But I was so young and not really old enough to understand what it really meant. But I know now. "I suppose when you're 18 years old -- as I was at West Point -- you're selfish and I didn't want to devote 10 years to an uncertain future. It took me a while to learn that there's also a virtue in selflessness. And I believe that virtue is to serve your country. And the values of West Point are still with me." So what turned him around? "I suppose you could say that one defining moment was Sept. 11 and the nightmare at the World Trade Center. I had flown into New York the night before because I had worked there for Bear Stearns. But I was frustrated, I didn't know how I could help. I didn't know what I could do, so I gave blood and volunteered at a hospital. Decided in grad school "But it was really last fall when I decided I wanted to serve my country by joining the military. It wasn't that anything special was happening. I was still in graduate school. But it had always been in the back of my mind. And before I knew it, it was in the forefront. I graduated from the University of Chicago in June and could have gone into investment banking or private equity, but it didn't surprise anyone when I told my close friends I wanted to join the military. "I'm 29 and on the old side to go into the military but not too old." Patrick Daley's father and uncles were young men during the Vietnam War. "Although my family has a history of serving in the military reserve, I will be the first person in my family to go active." Patrick Daley decided to enlist rather than enter service through officers training. "In the military, doors go up and out rather than down," he said. "It's a close bet that I may make a career out of the military, and it's better to start at the bottom. But I can tell you one thing: My family wasn't surprised." So did Patrick Daley have the biggest collection of G.I. Joes? Was he a big fan of war movies? Did he play soldier as a kid? "I suppose some of that is true, but I will tell you that I always enjoyed military history," said Patrick Daley, who graduated from Mount Carmel High School before finishing his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois. It's no secret among Patrick Daley's close friends that he was a big supporter of President Bush. "Well, that's true," he said. "I just hope that I can be of service." So is he scared? "Look. I have friends in Iraq and Afghanistan. They tell me it isn't as bad as you read in the press, that much in those countries is working and that we are making progress." Mayor supportive So how do his parents feel? "Dad is very supportive and mom is doing just what mothers are supposed to do, worrying about her son." In the end, Patrick Daley found a way to fulfill his view of public service. "There are many paths of service -- policeman, fireman, political and the military -- but it's an all-volunteer era. I've always wanted to find a way to serve . . . just like my grandfather and my father. Think of it. It's amazing. I get to serve my country." Copyright © The Sun-Times Company

To: ManyMoose who wrote (88723)	11/30/2004 12:16:41 PM
From: haqihana	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793689

DDave, At Texas A&M, ROTC was mandatory in the past. That is not so now. The mandatory system was enforced in the first two grades, and during the sophomore year, each student was tested, and evaluated. If they met the requirements, they entered into a contract, and became the property of the United States Army. Between the junior, and senior, years, they spent the summer in basic training at forts which were of the different branches of the army. At graduation, the seniors became shave tails, and went into active service. The contract specified that they must serve 4 years of active duty. After that, many joined the reserves, or national guard, and some found a home in the army, and made it their career. One interesting note. In WW2 there were more officers in combat from A&M than from all of the other military acadamies combined. The rangers that scaled the cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc, on dday, were led by an Aggie, who later became the president of the university. I had my stint in the combat engineers, but age, marital situation, and young children, kept me out of the combat zone. That was years from 1951 thru 1961 of training that I never got to use in the intended way.