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I grew up on the ocean in Beaufort, South Carolina, where my grandfather owned the only bakery in town. My dad and I would drive a green delivery truck filled with donuts, brownies, pecan pies, etc. — fresh and delectable\u00a0 — to the marines on Parris Island. The aura and other-worldliness of a military base was striking to me as a boy, so different from the informality of my life off the base, except for those brief exciting rides. It made me feel good to know that actual marines would be munching on delicious treats from my grandfather — treats that I\u2019d personally helped to deliver.<\/p>\n
Well, that\u2019s as close to military service as I ever came. I got a medical deferment (required back then to avoid the draft), officially because of flat feet, but really because I was torn and scared as I struggled with my impulses as a young and tormented gay man who didn\u2019t wish to be \u201cdifferent\u201d in that way. But I was.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve admired — then and now — everyone who serves. I will always feel humbled and indebted, having performed no military service at all. What gives me satisfaction, though — as puny as it may be \u2013 is that my friendship with words has enabled me, in a small way, to help celebrate and honor our military.<\/p>\n
When I got a call for my speech writing help from Dr. Richard Jadick, a former marine, I readily gave him a significant discount from my normal corporate fees for clients like ExxonMobil, Roche Pharmaceuticals, etc. It was a tiny way to express my respect.<\/p>\n
As it happens, a choral song I wrote with distinguished composer-conductor Jim Papoulis<\/strong> is called \u201cTo Those Who Came Before Us.\u201d My lyrics are a tribute not only to those who have served our country for centuries in U.S. history, but also to all the ancestors we wish to remember– like my father Sam, and\u00a0 mother Lucille.<\/p>\n My father was in the army, meeting my mother when she helped host a dance for Jewish military men in Atlanta. Many years later, it was her dad\u2019s donuts I was helping deliver.<\/p>\n When I wrote the song, though, I was also thinking about the many stories I\u2019d heard of my parents\u2019 and grandparents\u2019 lives — and then memories of them created by my own life\u2019s experience. I concluded as I finished the lyrics that they were meant for everyone who has come before us. \u2028\u2028Here\u2019s the chorus:<\/p>\n To those who came before us To those who came before us Now my song helps promote The Independence Fund with volunteers who, in very meaningful ways, support severely injured military veterans.<\/p>\n A young student in Texas, Sierra Schmidt, used my song in a creative school assignment to create a video honoring a personal hero. The video she made honored her uncle, Command Sergeant Major Sergio Riddle, for his service.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/on-call-in-hell-cover-74A9FA1F-22F5-4962-A180-C2BA997145F1Img100-225x300.jpg\")
What I soon learned was that Jadick was not just a former military man but actually a bonafide hero. He was a military physician in Iraq during the war. To quote his commanding officer in the Newsweek<\/em> cover story about him at the time, “I have never seen a doctor display the courage and bravery that Rich did during Fallujah.\u201d It is estimated that \u2013 because of the innovative thinking put into action \u2013 30 of our men came home alive. His story —\u00a0 documented in the tome On Call In Hell<\/em><\/strong> \u2013- now inspires audiences who book him as a speaker. The letters that praise his speeches to a Novartis sales force, University of North Carolina, TEDx talk, etc. are deservedly glowing.<\/p>\n
\nTo all who led the way
\nMay the memories we hold
\nGive us wisdom for today<\/p>\n
\nWe can still hear your voice
\nThe echoes of your stories
\nAre living on in me<\/p>\n