Yesterday’s Echoes: The soldier’s commitment – honoring their word to their country and each other

This column was originally written in January of 2006. In view of Memorial Day and in honor of our Veterans, it seems particularly appropriate to repeat this now. Because of the passage of time. I have provided an update to the Dedication at the end of the column, courtesy of “Sheep Dog Impact Assistance,” a Veterans’ service organization designed “To Engage, Assist and Empower our nation’s heroes... and help them live their best lives.”

When the framers of our nation’s Declaration of Independence made their commitment to its principles, they said, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Yet even as they signed their names, it was the commitment of Soldiers at places like Lexington, Concord, Ticonderoga and Bunker Hill that breathed the very meaning into its words and provided the hope of realizing its promise.

From Valley Forge to Yorktown, it was the commitment of its Soldiers that won America its freedom, and from Yorktown to Iraq, it has been the commitment of Her Soldiers that has preserved that freedom. Without that commitment, the Declaration of Independence would have been just another piece of paper, America would not have come into existence, long endured, or have had any hope for a peaceful and successful future.

Every day, our Soldiers pay the price of war and do their duty. And what a price it is, a price not only in lives lost but bodies, lives and families maimed forever, both physically and mentally. How can they do it day after day, particularly when, at times, it seems that the nation they are fighting for is divided on its commitment to the very war they are fighting?

Why would they risk their very lives and be willing to pay the “price” in the face of not only such indecisiveness but actions that plain make their job more dangerous? An Ole Seagull would suggest that it is because of their “commitment,” being true to their word, to an oath taken, their fellow Soldiers, and honor, the Soldier’s Commitment.

The Soldier’s Commitment begins with the oath that each takes the day they enlist. In taking that oath, each Soldier makes the commitment that they “will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” that they “will bear true faith and allegiance to the same” and “obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over them.”

From the outset, the Soldier’s Commitment is to obey the orders of the President and the officers appointed over them. They don’t get to vote on whether or not the President is right or wrong, to pick where or when they fight, or which orders are obeyed or not obeyed. It makes no difference whether the war is popular with the public; the soldiers’ commitment is to fulfill their oath and do their duty, no matter the personal cost or sacrifice.

Although in most cases the Soldier’s Commitment to their fellow Soldiers is unspoken, it is there. It is an inherent part of military camaraderie. It provides the motivation that empowers Soldiers to do their duty in the face of fear, loneliness and the constant horrors of war.

Throughout the great history of this nation, it has been the Soldiers’ Commitment and its spirit, at places like Valley Forge, the Alamo, Gettysburg, Belleau Wood, Pearl Harbor, the Beaches of Normandy, the Chosin Reservoir, Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq and countless other places, that have inspired a nation and changed the course of history. It is, at once, both a perfect illustration of what it means to be true to your word and of the fact that true commitment comes at a price. What a blessed nation America is that her Soldiers have always been willing to pay that price.

This column is respectfully dedicated to Scotty West, a 2003 Branson High School graduate, and his family. On Dec. 16, 2005, while serving with the United States Army in Iraq, Scotty was seriously injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The injuries sustained required that both of his legs be amputated below the knee, and have placed Scotty in a virtual constant battle for his life, requiring numerous surgeries, the most recent of which was on Jan. 18, 2006.

[05-25-26 UPDATE: He had “also sustained a severely crushed femur, collapsed lungs, and lost 45% of his blood mass. He was transported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and had 38 surgeries in 30 days. Despite his severe injuries, SPC West was walking without assistance within three months. In February 2007, West medically retired and left WRAMC.

“But that was just the beginning of his recovery. Once back home, West became addicted to drugs, and after six years, he was divorced and had no contact with his young son. He decided to get help and checked into a rehab program, but relapsed a few months later and landed himself in jail. He went to rehab again, this time completing the program. While in rehab, he reconnected with a soldier who helped save his life and who introduced him to Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA). West credits SDIA with saving his life, helping him get back into society, and enabling him to realize his true potential.

“West is now an Outdoor Adventure Coordinator for SDIA, and can’t thank them enough for giving him a chance. Every day he is doing what they did for him - giving Veterans and First Responders a chance to get up off that couch. He is married to Bridgette, and has two sons, Kipton and Jackson.”]