None of us Americans will ever forget that fateful September day when the world as we knew it changed. Since 9/11, the "War on Terror" has come at great cost to our nation and the world. This morning, I took out my dog Maddy at 0630 for her morning walk. I picked up my newspaper and noticed the face of Osama bin Laden. I nearly wept as I read the story of how he was brought to justice. It made me feel proud of my service in Afghanistan. Many of us did not believe Osama bin Laden would ever be found. And, now he is dead!
As I reflected upon this remarkable story today, I could not help but think back about my own American story. Bear with me here! I grew up in Lakewood, Ohio which is a middle class suburb of Cleveland. There was a deep sense of patriotism and duty instilled in me by my family, my teachers, and my friends. I remember vividly reciting the "Pledge of Allegiance" every day at Grant Elementary School. We held our hands over our hearts and stated, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America." We were taught to love our country. And, my love for America grew each year. Going through high school, I remember feeling a call to serve our nation. Military service seemed like the obvious choice. However, it would not be until my mid- twenties when this would come to fruition. After all, nothing comes easy for me!
It actually took me 5 tries to join the military. Simply walking into a recruiting office, and walking out in the service was just not in the cards for me. I applied for a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship for college. The U.S. Air Force offered me a scholarship, but it was only good for a state school. I wanted to go further away from home, so I enrolled at Marquette University. Before starting college, an Army recruiter approached me about the Army Reserves. I considered this option strongly. I even went through a full physical at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in downtown Cleveland only to abandon the whole thing when the Army offered me a position as a truck driver.
Several years later, I applied to a number of medical schools during my senior year at Marquette. Medical school is expensive, so I also explored the option of a military scholarship. The Navy actually offered me a scholarship at the time. But, I was not admitted to any medical schools. My day in the military would have to wait. After college graduation, I was a lost soul. It was painful. Once again, I turned to the military for a possible career. I decided that military intelligence would be pretty cool. The Navy had positions and yet again I applied. This was my first experience with the "hurry up and wait" process of the military. Months went by and I was working as a pizza delivery man biding my time. Eventually I could not wait any longer and took a job as a salesmen. One week later the Navy called with a position in officer candidate school (OCS). It was too late.
Fast forward to 2000. I had been accepted and enrolled in medical school in 1999. The U.S. Air Force began recruiting me for a scholarship. However, six weeks into my first semester I went on an extended leave of absence due to some personal issues. Despite this, the recruiter kept calling me. I was really surprised by this, and was honest with him about my situation. He asked me to apply for the scholarship anyway. At that point, I was not even sure I would go back to medical school. But, I forged ahead with the application. In April of 2000, I was put on the wait list for a U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship (HPSP). Several weeks later, I received the good news that my name had moved up the wait list and now I was offered a scholarship. I took it. On May 16, 2000 I raised my right hand and swore to "defend the consitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic"...
Why do I tell this long story of how I entered the Air Force? What does this have to do with Osama bin Laden? Well, it took me 8 years and 5 tries to finally get a commission as an officer in the Air Force. It took our country almost 10 years to find and kill Osama bin Laden. I knew in my heart that serving our country was right for me. The world knew that bringing Osama bin Laden to justice was the right thing to do. The hardest things in life take time and perseverance. We have to be vigilant and tenacious in our quest for what is right. It is never easy. But, when you know that something is right deep down in your heart and you are not sure what to do, DON'T GIVE UP!
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