• Home
    • Photo Archives 2021-2022
    • Photo Archives 2020
    • Photo Archive 2019
    • Photo Archive 2018 - >
      • Photo Archives 04/01/17 >
        • Photo Archives 06/01/16 - 10/31/16
        • Photo Archive 09/01/2015 - 01/31/2016
        • Photo Archive 01/01/15
        • Photo Archive 8/01/14 - 12/31/14
        • Photo Archive 4/02/14 - 7/31/14
        • Photo Archive 11/24/13-04/01/14
        • Photo Archive 10/01/2013
        • Photo Archive 02/01/2016 - 05/31/2016
      • Photo Archive 11/03/16 -
    • EVENTS & BOOK SIGNINGS
  • About the Author
    • Contact us
    • FAQ
  • Buy the books
    • Book 2 Preview
  • Blog
  • About the book
    • Locales in the book
    • Allied Naval Forces >
      • Pacific Fleet
      • Atlantic Fleet
    • Allied Ground Forces
    • Allied Air Forces
    • Strategic Reserves
Michael S. Pauley, Author

MLK DAY

1/20/2014

0 Comments

 
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr., day, which to someone like myself, is a special day for remembering the integration of the Military.  I can recall that even after Vietnam, the Army was still suffering from “growing” pains, but for me as a young soldier, the real pain had nothing to do with color.  It was our collective fear of the drill sergeant.  From our melting pot of all races, creeds, religious bents, and city versus country backgrounds, we learned some valuable lessons.   We worked together, ate together, lived together, sweated together, and sometimes were killed together.  Color meant absolutely nothing, because we were all just one color, “green,” and you didn’t care a damn about the race of the man beside you.  I think that this experience, along with the untiring efforts of those like the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., have allowed us to move forward, and to embrace our multi-ethnic force.  Social change is never easy, but when you are all facing adversity together, it does have a way of changing the social dynamic more rapidly.  I will promise you, when bullets are flying, the last thing on your mind is whether the man next to you is of a particular race or religion.  Instead, you think about him as a brother in arms, and brothers don’t see color.  Instead, they see a brother for whom they would lay down their lives!  For all those who went before us, and paved the way for people of all races, creeds, religions, and backgrounds to serve together in the military, I simply say “thank you for showing the way.”  It wasn’t easy, and there are still things that could be fixed, but at least, with their efforts, we’ve collectively found the right road on which to travel.  ~ Michael S. Pauley  

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Michael S. Pauley is a Navy brat and an old soldier who served in all three components of the United States Army. Living in Lexington, South Carolina, Michael is now a practicing attorney and member of the United States Naval Institute and the American Legion, Post 154, Tybee Island, Georgia.

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    August 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Categories

    All
    Aliens
    Current News
    Day Job
    Day Job
    Events
    History
    Military
    Random Thoughts
    Sequels
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Contact us
EVENTS/BOOK SIGNINGS
FAQ
Buy the books
Site maintained by Downhill Media Group, LLC