What Is An InfantryMan?
This Page Is Dedicated To Kristopher, Jason, Josh And Justin
You Are Four Fine Young Men
May You Never Have To Go Where Rick Has Been
Our Wish For You Is For You To Always Live In A War Free World
Bobbie And Rick
"Life Is Not Measured By The Number Of Breaths We Take"
"But By The Moments That Take Our Breath Away"
Author Unknown
The Average Age Of The Infantryman Is 19 Years
He Is A Short Haired, Tight-Muscled Kid
Under Normal Circumstances He Is Considered By Society As Half Man,
Half Boy
He Is Not Yet Dry Behind The Ears
But He Is Old Enough To Die For His Country
He Has Never Really Cared Much For Work
He Would Rather Wax His Own Car Than Wash His Father's
He Has Never Collected Unemployment Either
He Is A Recent High School Graduate
He Was Probably An Average Student
He Pursued Some Form Of Sport Activities
He Drives A Ten Year Old Jalopy
He Has A Steady Girlfriend That Either Broke Up With Him When
He Left
Or She Swears To Be Waiting For Him When He Returns From Half A World Away
He Listens To Rock And Roll Or Rap Or Country And Western And 155mm Howitzers
He Is 10 Or 15 Pounds Lighter Now Than When He Was At Home
Because He Is Working Or Fighting From Before Dawn To Well After
Dusk
He Has Trouble Spelling, Thus Letter Writing Is A Pain For Him
But He Can Field Strip A Rifle In 30 Seconds And Reassemble It In Less
He Can Recite To You The Nomenclature Of A Machine Gun Or A Grenade
Launcher
He Can Use Either One Effectively If He Must
He Can Dig Foxholes And Latrines
He Can Apply First Aid Like A Professional
He Can March Until He Is Told To Stop Or Stop Until He Is Told To March
He Obeys Orders Instantly And Without Hesitation
But He Is Not Without Spirit Or Individual Dignity
He Is Self-Sufficient
He Has Two Sets Of Fatigues, He Washes One And Wears The Other
He Keeps His Canteens Full And His Feet Dry
He Sometimes Forgets To Brush His Teeth But Never To Clean His Rifle
He Can Cook His Own Meals, Mend His Own Clothes And Fix
His Own Hurts
If You Are Thirsty, He Will Share His Water With You
If You Are Hungry, He Will Share His Food With You
He'll Even Split His Ammunition With You In The Midst Of Battle When You Run Low
He Has Learned To Use His Hands Like Weapons
And His Weapons Like They Were His Hands
He Can Save Your Life Or Take It Because That Is His Job
He Will Often Do Twice The Work Of A Civilian
Draw Half The Pay And Still Find The Ironic Humor In It All
He Has Seen More Suffering And Death Than He Should Have
In His Short Lifetime
He Has Stood Atop Mountains Of Dead Bodies That He Helped To Create
He Has Wept In Public And In Private For Friends Who Have Fallen In
Combat
He Weeps Openly And Is Unashamed
Just As Did His Father, GrandFather And Great-GrandFather
He Is Paying The Price For Our Freedom
Beardless Or Not, He Is Not A Boy
He Is The American Fighting Man
He Has Kept This Country Free For Over 200 Years
He Has Asked For Nothing In Return, Except Our Friendship And
Understanding
Remember Him Always
For He Has Earned Our Respect And Admiration With His Blood
"He Is An InfantryMan!"
Author Unknown
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