Support our troops

Receiving notice that his brother had been killed in a military training exercise, Charlie R. Smith ran away from home, lied about his age and enlisted in the United States Navy. During his seven months of service, the military discovered Smith's true age and he was honorably discharged. Smith re-enlisted in the military, this time in the U.S. Air Force, days after his 18th birthday. He went on to fly 57 successful air missions during the Korean Conflict. These are our soldiers.\nPrivate Tara Virgil and Private Andi-gayle Coomes, two of IU's finest, both serve in the Army National Guard. Private Virgil has spent the summer at Fort Lee in Advanced Individualized Training. She is studying and preparing for her specific job assignment in the military. Three years ago, Private Coomes was uprooted mid-semester and abandoned her classes in order to roll out with her battle buddies. These girls know hot days in the field, strenuous exercise regimes and the psychology of mind games. These girls are our soldiers.\nTheir wedding is on as scheduled, but Kevin Rounds and his fiancée Katie will not be moving into their first house together, nor will they be spending their first Christmas, New Years or Valentine's Day together. Rounds is a G.I. in the reserve who will return from his honeymoon only to depart for a tour in the Middle East. These are our soldiers.\nPhillip Simpson, the oldest of nine siblings, was appointed to West Point Military Academy before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Graduation requires a minimum of eight years of service. Despite a likely assignment in the Middle East, Phillip decided to stay. His brothers Patrick and William have since joined him at West Point. Their entire family is committed to the values of our country. These are our soldiers.\nOur soldiers leave children, husbands, wives and parents. They leave homes, jobs and opportunities. They forfeit what they know and what they believe. Their lives are lives of selfless service and sacrifice, made by both them and their families. "Property of the United States Military" does not refer simply to boots and body bags. It refers to the soldiers. Their spouses and parents must provide support to the solider and comfort to the soldiers' children and siblings. I can't help but wonder, who is their rock and stronghold? They, too, are our soldiers. \nNo doubt our soldiers know the cost before they hit the line. All will fight, and some will fall. They do not stop at what is easy -- only at what is right. \nSummer is drawing to a close, and soon we will be moving into yet another segment in our lives. Yet our soldiers' duties have not ended, and neither have our own. As John Philip Sousa solemnly states in "Stars and Stripes Forever," we must "Sing out for liberty and light, sing out for freedom and the right, sing out for Union and its might." Support our troops. God bless America.