Recently, a friend told me that her son was joining the Army, and asked if I had any words of wisdom for him.  I told her I’d speak with him if she wanted, or I could put together a few thoughts that she could pass on.

Here’s what I came up with.

1. Don’t be stupid.  To paraphrase John Wayne, you’ve chosen a hard life, and it will get a lot harder if you don’t use your head for something other than to keep your ears apart.
2. Don’t ever do anything that would make your grandmother ashamed of you.
3. Learn everything you can, no matter how trivial.  There is no such thing as useless knowledge or a useless skill.  That boring class you go to or that manual lying around the day room might be what points you in the direction of your chosen profession.
4. Volunteer.  Yeah, I know, never volunteer.  But getting exposure to new things will help with rule 3, and the most interesting and fun things you ever do will probably come because you put your hand up and said “I’ll do it.”
5. Keep your ears open and your mouth shut.  The military tends to have a rigid social structure based on rank and time in service.  It’s also a harsh meritocracy, where experience is everything.  For the first year or so, you will be at the bottom of both ladders.   You will know when you’ve started climbing either of them.
   1. On the other hand, if you don’t understand, ask.  It’s better to take crap for not getting it the first time it’s explained than to catch hell for failure.
6. For at least the first few years in the military, you can live without the following items (See rule 1):
   1. Any vehicle that you cannot afford to pay cash for.
   2. A huge stereo or TV.
   3. An STD.  See rule #2 and wrap that rascal.
   4. A DUI or any other criminal record. See rule 1 and 2.
   5. A credit card that you can’t afford to pay off every month.
   6. Cigarettes or chewing tobacco
7. The following people are not your friends (See rules 1 and 2):
   1. Car salesmen
   2. That pretty young thing trying to get you to sign up for a credit card
   3. Pawn shop and tattoo parlor owners
   4. Strippers
   5. The guy who brings drugs to the party
   6. The bar owner who doesn’t card for underage drinkers
8. If they’re worth marrying, they’re worth waiting for.  Getting married in a hurry is rarely a good idea. (See rule 1)
   1. Beware the potential spouse who knows way too much about the benefits for married people in the military.
9. Someday, it will end.  It may be after one enlistment where all you get is a handshake and a DD214, or it may end after 30 years where you get a few hundred men and women pass in review to honor you.  But it will end.  Be prepared for that day, because how you handle it will impact the rest of your life.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 9–10 June 1944, near Goville, France. S/Sgt. Ehlers, always acting as the spearhead of the attack, repeatedly led his men against heavily defended enemy strong points exposing himself to deadly hostile fire whenever the situation required heroic and courageous leadership. Without waiting for an order, S/Sgt. Ehlers, far ahead of his men, led his squad against a strongly defended enemy strong point, personally killing 4 of an enemy patrol who attacked him en route. Then crawling forward under withering machinegun fire, he pounced upon the guncrew and put it out of action. Turning his attention to 2 mortars protected by the crossfire of 2 machineguns, S/Sgt. Ehlers led his men through this hail of bullets to kill or put to flight the enemy of the mortar section, killing 3 men himself. After mopping up the mortar positions, he again advanced on a machinegun, his progress effectively covered by his squad. When he was almost on top of the gun he leaped to his feet and, although greatly outnumbered, he knocked out the position single-handed. The next day, having advanced deep into enemy territory, the platoon of which S/Sgt. Ehlers was a member, finding itself in an untenable position as the enemy brought increased mortar, machinegun, and small arms fire to bear on it, was ordered to withdraw. S/Sgt. Ehlers, after his squad had covered the withdrawal of the remainder of the platoon, stood up and by continuous fire at the semicircle of enemy placements, diverted the bulk of the heavy hostile fire on himself, thus permitting the members of his own squad to withdraw. At this point, though wounded himself, he carried his wounded automatic rifleman to safety and then returned fearlessly over the shell-swept field to retrieve the automatic rifle which he was unable to carry previously. After having his wound treated, he refused to be evacuated, and returned to lead his squad. The intrepid leadership, indomitable courage, and fearless aggressiveness displayed by S/Sgt. Ehlers in the face of overwhelming enemy forces serve as an inspiration to others.

— Medal of Honor Citation for Staff Sergeant Walter D. Ehlers, 1st Infantry Division, May 7, 1921 to February 20, 2014.

Staff Sergeant Ehlers fought in North Africa and Sicily, landed in the second wave at Normandy, and earned his MOH during the fighting in France.  He lost his brother, Roland, who died when a mortar shell struck his landing craft at Omaha Beach.  We are fortunate that such men lived.

An interview the Orange County Register did with Mr. Ehlers can be found here.  It is amazing how matter of fact and humble people like him are.