He’s In The Army Now
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My son Matthew didn’t take long to make his decision. Just a few days after burying his brother, Jonathan Rossi, Matt told me that he had joined the Army.
Obviously I had a lot of questions and concerns, but I let him explain to me why he made the decision.
It wasn’t a complete shock. After all, I knew he had talked seriously about joining the Navy after he graduated college. He had always wanted to be a lawyer, but law school is very expensive. He figured that joining the JAG program would allow him to learn new things about himself through service to his country, and obtain the law degree he’d dreamed about for so many years.
But the Army?
When Matt took his ASVAB test he scored in the highest percentiles. This provided him an opportunity to choose his vocation in the service. Matt also has an ear for languages, so he decided to go into signal intelligence. This can lead to a number of different career choices later on, most of them, thank God, behind the scenes.
That doesn’t mean that he won’t be on the front lines however. It just means that there is less chance.
While part of me hurts, thinking he could be putting himself in harm’s way at some point during his army career, I also realize that he could do the same when sailing, which he loves, or partying with his friends. Matt believes that joining the Army will help him become a man, and show him what his capabilities are. He has never backed down from a challenge, and wants to be, just like the commercials, the best that he can be.
Matthew, my son, I salute you.
[tags]Army,ASVAB,Iraq,military[/tags]
One Comment
Tom Farley
September 1st, 2007
at 7:55am
I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine the pain of losing one of my children. My son was born with Cerebral Palsy and almost died at birth, but he was brought back to life after 10 minutes of CPR. But even experiencing that doesn’t put me in your category. Again, I’m sorry.
I also think it’s great that you support your son’s decision and you are proud of him. Dad’s approval means a lot to any young man. You must be worried out of your mind.
Please tell your son that there are many like me that thank him for his desire to serve our country. I never did and often wish I had. I would also like to thank you for allowing your son to serve. It takes a certain kind of bravery for a parent to let their children join any branch of the service.
Your son and your family will be in my prayers.