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He Is an Infantryman
By Chad Gomez
Chad Gomez, an Army Airborne Ranger, wrote the following and sent it to his parents shortly before leaving for Iraq.
The average age of the infantryman is 19 years old. He is a short-haired, tightly muscled kid who under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man and half a boy. He's not yet dry behind the ears, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either. He is a recent high school graduate, probably an "average" student, pursued some form of sports activities, drives a ten-year old jalopy, and has a "steady" girlfriend who either broke up with him when he left or swears she'll be waiting for him when he returns from half a world away.
He listens to rock and roll, or jazz, or swing, or country or rap, and the sound of an M60 machine gun spitting lead at night. He is 10 to 15 pounds lighter now than he was when he left home, because he's working or fighting from before dawn until after dusk. He has trouble spelling, so writing letters is a pain for him, but he can field-strip an M4 Carbine or a M249 SAW in 30 seconds and reassemble it in even less. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or a grenade launcher and use either effectively if he must.
He digs fighting positions and latrines, and he can apply first aid and camouflage like a professional. He can march until told to stop, and stop until told to march. He never has to be told to sleep or eat, but he is always ready. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but is not without spirit and dignity.
He is self-sufficient; he has two sets of BDU's—he washers one and wears the other. He keeps his canteen cup full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothing, and fix his own hurts. If you are thirsty, he'll share his water; if you are hungry, his food; and he'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of the battle if you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and his weapon like a hand. He can save your life or take it, because that is his job. He will often do the work of two civilians, draw half the pay, and find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should in his short lifetime. He has stood atop the mountains of dead bodies, and helped create them. He has wept in private and in public for his friends who have fallen in combat, and is unashamed. Just as his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom.
Beardless or not, he is no boy. He is the American Fighting Man who has kept this country free for over 200 years. He asks nothing in return except our friendship and understanding. He is willing, perfectly willing, to give his life for his fellow countrymen.
Remember him always, for he has earned your respect with his blood. He is an infantryman.
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