Little known black history fact
By hersheyskiss
@hersheyskiss (761)
United States
April 20, 2008 10:11am CST
In 1961, a young African American man, after hearing President John F. Kennedy's challenge to, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country," gave up his student deferment, left college in Virginia and voluntarily joined the Marines.
In 1963, this man, having completed his two years of service in the Marines, volunteered again to become a Navy corpsman. The people who provide medical care to the Marines as well as Navy personnel.
This man did so well in corpsman school that he was the valedictorian and became a cardiopulmonary technician. Not surprisingly, he was assigned to the Navy's premier medical facility, Bethesda Naval Hospital, as a member of the commander-in-chief's medical team, and helped care for
President Lyndon B. Johnson after his surgery in 1966.
For his service on his team, which he left in 1967, the Whitehouse awarded him 3 letters of commendation. What is even more remarkable is that this man entered the Marines and Navy not many years after the 2 branches began to become integrated.
While this young man was serving six years on active duty, Vice President D. Cheney, who was born the same year as the Marine/sailor, received 5 deferments. Four for being and undergraduate/graduate student and one for being a prospective father.
Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, bothe 5 years younger than the African American youth, used their student deferments to stay in college until 1968. Both then avoided going on active duty thru family connections.
Who is the real patriot here? The young man who interrupted his studies to serve his country for 6 years or our 3 political leaders who beat the system? Are the patriots, the people who actually sacrifice something or those that merely talk about the love of their country?
After leaving the service of his country, the young African-American finished his last year of college, entered the seminary, was ordained as a minister, and eventually became the pastor of a large church in one of America's biggest cities.
This man is Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the retiring pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
Incidentally, both Harvard and Yale have offered him teaching positions.
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