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| Home Front: Culture Wars |
| Veteran, 51, to Rejoin Marines, Son in Iraq |
| 2005-01-29 |
| Thank you, sir, that you give us another. A 51-year-old Marine veteran is returning to the military to serve along with his son in Iraq and fulfill a personal dream of serving overseas, he said on Friday. Jim Flaherty put in 24 years in the Marines, retiring in January, 2001. He got an e-mail last December from a military contact in Iraq inviting him to sign up for a 12-month tour working on the rebuilding of Falluja. Flaherty, married for the second time with 18-month-old twins, had doubts about whether to go, but figured this was a last chance to satisfy a dream to serve overseas. "I'm thinking, 'What am I? Nuts, when I've got two little kids?"' he said in an interview. His stint with the Marines is expected to start in February or March. In Iraq, Flaherty will join his son, James, a sergeant in the Marines who has been on active duty for about eight months. He may also be joined there by his daughter, Shannon, also a Marine, who expects to be deployed in April. Flaherty's desire to serve overseas was almost fulfilled with a posting during the first Gulf War, but he missed out when Operation Desert Storm ended in 1991. Flaherty said he did not think the request for him to return to active service at age 51 reflected any problems the military might have in finding enough people to go to Iraq. U.S. troop numbers were raised to 150,000 last month to strengthen security ahead of this Sunday's elections. Flaherty, currently director of facilities for Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, played down the danger of his mission, pointing out that he will be working on construction projects rather than being in combat. "Have you ever walked through North Philadelphia or Camden (New Jersey) at night?" asked Flaherty, referring to Camden's status as the murder capital of the United States. "It's not going to be any worse than that." |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
#1 "Have you ever walked through North Philadelphia or Camden (New Jersey) at night?" asked Flaherty, referring to Camden’s status as the murder capital of the United States. "It’s not going to be any worse than that."This man's got it in perspective (unlike the worthless MSM). I admire him just because at 51 he's still physically fit enough to be in the Marines. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-01-29 1:16:08 PM |