In response to Will Murry, Art & Life Editor, and his article entitled ‘Military Recruiters are Targeting Poor Minorities’, dated April 19, 2018.
In 1965, during the Vietnam War, I enlisted into the US Army. I selected a school that I wanted to attend and three years later by good luck and the grace of God, I was home. The army taught me discipline and responsibility and gave me friendships that I still maintain today. Upon returning home, I got an entry-level job in my “specialty” and began going to St. Louis Community College using my GI benefits. I transferred to a nearby 4-year university to obtain my bachelor’s degree. It took me seven and a half years of night school in order to get my degree; I was working and married with two children. The discipline and responsibility that I learned in the army contributed to my success.
Mr. Murry, your character of the Armed Forces is a disservice.
While it is true that neither service will take you in their arms and cuddle you while you are developing your mental and physical skills, the environment and training that occur are specifically designed for the safety and well-being of the soldier.
Consider this:
Without haggling over FBI statistics—I don’t know if you can trust them—the following cities had the top four homicides in 2017 per population: St. Louis, 205; Baltimore, 341; New Orleans, 157; Detroit, 267.
How well do you think “poor minorities” will be able to survive in these “bad” streets of America? My guess is that they are a lot safer standing in a military uniform than standing on a street in North St. Louis.
In addition to the money, education benefits, health care, travel and vacation, did you consider, most importantly, the life skills that are acquired? If these life skills are not able to be taught by the father figure of the household, perhaps Uncle Sam can be a substitute.
Frank Longo
