The Faith of the Military Mom, by G. David Bednar

By G. David Bednar, First Thing, 7 . 23 . 24

G. David Bednar, a former infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps who fought in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, writes from Greenwich, Connecticut.

The following essay is adapted from a speech delivered to the Military Moms of Greenwich in 2024. 

Perhaps nowhere is the break between the past and the present more manifest than in today’s military. For three thousand years the place of honor around the campfire or counsel table was the warrior’s. For most of human history, male military service was widespread, if not universal. In most Native American languages, the word for “man” and “warrior” are identical.

The honor of warfare drew all of society. At Harvard University during World War I, President Lowell nearly shut the school down so it could train soldiers. Eleven thousand, three hundred and nineteen Harvard alumni or students served from sixty different classes. Three hundred seventy-three were killed, forty-three of whom were students who enlisted before they graduated. At that time, members of elite society perceived a duty to fight for one’s country, but they were also attracted to the honor of this calling. …

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