Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 24, 1993 TAG: 9303240320
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A SOLDIER TO BE PROUD OF
REGARDING the March 5 commentary by Maj. David Jonas and Capt. Hagen Frank ("Military shouldn't mirror society"):I am a freshman at William and Mary in Williamsburg, and I would like to tell a story of a soldier I know who is a member of the ROTC at this college.
Soon after the last student burning the midnight oil finally turns off the computer and goes to sleep, you may just be able to make out the soldier, a mere shadow running through the early morning darkness.
Once day breaks, you may find the soldier zealously taking notes in a biology class in preparation for medical school or perhaps skillfully translating the Russian alphabet into English.
If it happens to be a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, you may catch a glimpse of the soldier marching through the cobblestone campus, donning fatigues, proudly bearing an American flag in hand.
Through the woods, on the newer end of campus is a lake. If it happens to be crew season, you will find the soldier grinding the oars of the boat into the slimy green waters of Lake Matoaka. Once crew season is over, the best place to locate the soldier would be on the rugby field, throwing, running, tackling and chasing a football.
Once night has fallen, the soldier devours a bowl of microwave soup and hustles to an ROTC fraternity meeting. All the while, the soldier lugs a brick everywhere as part of pledging the fraternity.
In any terms, this person represents all the qualities - physical, emotional and intellectual - of an ideal solider. This country would be lucky to have a soldier of this caliber to fight in the name of the United States. I suspect Jonas and Frank would agree with me.
Well, I have a secret to tell them. The soldier's name is Jennifer. DOLLY M. TROMPETER ROANOKE