Carrying the Weight of Freedom

It was an unbelievable statement. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) made the comment several weeks ago that "poor white boys from the South" make up the military today. He went on to say that they join the military because they do not have other options.

The military is not a choice of last resort. It is an honorable choice and should be treated on par with any other post secondary option for young men and women.

This is a story of a family from the South. Tom and Nancy Jarrard have 3 sons. Tom was a Viet Nam War Veteran. The boys were told at a young age that they would be responsible for their own college tuition and to love their country.

The twins, Jamie and Joe, joined the National Guard Reserves in high school and were good basketball players and between the Guard and basketball, most of their college expenses were paid.

They went into the Marines after college and by the time they got to the end of their first tour of duty they were already officers and they decided to make a career of it. They loved the life.

Kevin was the youngest and attended The Citadel. He rose to the highest position as an undergraduate and joined the Marines after graduation. He continued as a teacher at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia.

Last year, Jamie's wife died leaving him with two small children. Luckily, Joe and Jamie had both been assigned to Fort Bragg. The bought a big house together and along with Joe's wife are raising a house full of children.

Jamie served in the first Gulf War and was the first to be deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Joe will have been shipped out by the time this is published and Kevin is waiting to be deployed at anytime.

These young men represent what is good about America. On a personal note, Kevin Jarrard left me a message recently that I have saved and listen to every time I call into check my messages. I kept it because it reminds me of what is good about America and who pays the price of freedom for all of us.

Tom and Nancy Jarrard did something right. They raised three great sons to be men who are great Americans. If these are the poor boys, regardless of where they come from, America needs many more of them and Godspeed to all the sons and daughters, husbands and wives in harms way today.

Martha Zoller news analyst and host of The Martha Zoller Show on WDUN Newstalk 550 in Gainesville, Georgia. She appears regularly on local and cable news programs.