El Salvador
Where to start? One of the best experiences of my life.
We were treated like generals from armed escorts to all-inclusive resorts. El Salvador is a small, but beautiful country full of culture and traditions. Though its history does not reflect the best of times, its growth and development towards the future is truly a marvelous sight. Just to highlight the week: retired 3-star general’s house (whose son is at west point), Officer’s club, museums, volcano, air force academy, CODEM, all-inclusive resort, artillery, cavalry, basketball/volleyball with cadets, Suchitoto, Ilobasco, artesanias, pupusas, discoteca…I’m still so overwhelmed that I’m having trouble thinking..
Much thanks and love to the cadets and officers in El Salvador, I will always hold El Salvador dear to my heart and will definitely return in the future.
Racism
Recently, the Corps held a dinner commemorating LT Henry Flipper the first African American to have graduated from West Point. The guest speaker spoke of how he was abused and discriminated against as a cadet because of his race and went on to celebrate the diversity of the current military. He encouraged the strength that diversity brought to the cultural growth and development of our army.
However, aside from the good food and the speeches, this night got me thinking…
What were we celebrating? Henry Flipper’s perseverance? or the diversity of our current army?
Maybe, both. I guess they meant to reflect on the success of Henry Flipper and to promote cultural diversity. My problem is this. By holding these type of dinners in the first place and recognizing that there is a distinction between people of different races, we indirectly perpetuate racism to continue. Yes, it is important to honor our individual heritage, but here in the army we are Americans, fighting for the same goal of protecting our constitution. As long as we continue to distinguish between races, racism will always be present in some shape or form. It’s kind of like when people say, “oh, no offense but…” just by them saying that you take a little offense from their following statement whereas you probably would’ve taken it as a joke had they not said anything before.
We’re all Americans, we should treat each other that way. Unless you’re some illegal refugee or something…
A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” -JS Mills
Tunnel to Towers Run 2011
As soon as I heard my alarm beep at 0415, I could not help but instantly feel regret for deciding to do this run. I had done this run last year, and don’t get me wrong, I had a great time, but I could probably think of a couple other things I could’ve been doing on a early Sunday morning.
The run was great, easy, and really fun especially as we ran past the hundreds of civilians cheering, “Go Army!” We ran past the finish line and formed up at the newly finished 9/11 memorial at what used to be the World Trade Center almost a decade ago. My yuk cynicism started kicking in as my knees began to ache and my thirst and hunger grew as we kept waiting.
The 1CPT gave a short speech reminding us the importance of the run we had just done, but the gravity of its significance did not hit me until I walked around the memorial, gazing at the thousands of names of the people who had been killed. Anyone who’s been to the memorial knows that in the middle of the memorials, there is a giant hole where the surrounding water flows into. I could not help but stand there mesmerized, and reminded of the giant hole left in the hearts of our nation and the importance of keeping that memory alive just as the water constantly flows into the hole. The more I think about it and the more pictures I see of people mourning their loved ones, the more angry and motivated I feel…9/11. We will never forget.
Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you….Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.
USAF
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now the strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are,
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
…To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
“Ulysses” - Alfred Lord Tennyson
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
- Marianne Williamson
I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross……In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statute of Buddha - - his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agony of the world. But each time, after awhile, I have had to turn away. And in imagination, I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross — nails through his hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me ! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross, which symbolizes divine suffering. The cross of Christ is God’s only self justification in such a world as ours.
- John R. W. Stott
For when I’m weak, then I’m strong.
About me
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