My Son Is Going to War
By Frank Schaeffer
“It took my youngest son joining the Marines to teach me that it is not some abstraction called the ‘US military’ that protects us. It is our children. Twenty-two brief years ago, Corporal John Schaeffer weighed ten pounds, three ounces at birth. His damp little head smelled sweet as he nestled in the crook of my arm. The nurse let me hold him while Genie slept. From time to time I pressed my ear against John’s chest to listen to his heartbeat. He grew into a gifted poet, athlete, and loyal friend. John could have gone to any college in the country. So could many of his brother Marines.”
Frank Schaeffer is a writer. His latest book, co-authored with his son Corporal John Schaeffer USMC is Keeping Faith – A Father-Son Story About Love And The United States Marine Corps.