05/03/05

A friend has come to me and asked me to speak to his son about joining the military. I have known this kid since he was small. He is just as I was at that age. Bright, but bored and feeling as if he'll be damned if he will spend one more day seated in a classroom listening to another lecture, studying for a quiz, writing a paper, or reading a book that he couldn't care less about. He wants action! Adventure! To see what he is capable of and what his limits are. The mechanics of death don't scare him, they attract him. Ares' bile tastes sweet to his lips. I know these things from experience. So, what the hell do I tell him? That he may have to kill? That he may be captured, injured, or killed? That he could end up having experiences and memories that will haunt and depress him the whole rest of his life? He doesn't believe this is possible in his heart and never will until he discovers for himself what the reality of war is. However, then it will be too late...

http://www.strike-the-root.com/51/massoud/massoud9.html

from Strike the Root, by Ali Hassan Massoud


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp