SAN DIEGO: In boot camp my drill sergeant was a tough old Filipino. He was probably in his late 20s at the time, but to us he seemed much older. He had seen three tours in Vietnam in the bloodiest situations. He was a patriotic SOB, determined to instill thatsame patriotism in his motley recruits.
Most of us were Blacks or Mexicans, with a few Caucasian working stiffs. Some were already patriotic. Others maintained a healthy skepticism about national myths. That my drill sergeant was an Asian American fighting in a war against Asians was probably not loston him. It certainly wasn't lost on us.
Thirty years later, the United States has embarked on a war against terrorism that experts say may last as long as the Cold War. That was 40 years. Even if it lasts "only" a decade, this new war will sweep up our sons, who today are happy 8-year-olds.
Most Americans seem resigned to waging war against other countries for as long as it takes if the president says they must. Adorning their gas-guzzling SUVs with flags is about the only thing wealthy Americans will have to contribute to the war effort. For Mexican American working families, the price will be much higher.
For the five years or so before Sept. 11, the Secretary of the Army made a concerted effort to recruit more Latino men and women into the service. Because they will make up the largest pool of 18-year-olds in a few decades, they were the primary target of Secretary Louis Caldera's propaganda blitz.
Most of us were Blacks or Mexicans, with a few Caucasian working stiffs. Some were already patriotic. Others maintained a healthy skepticism about national myths. That my drill sergeant was an Asian American fighting in a war against Asians was probably not loston him. It certainly wasn't lost on us.
Thirty years later, the United States has embarked on a war against terrorism that experts say may last as long as the Cold War. That was 40 years. Even if it lasts "only" a decade, this new war will sweep up our sons, who today are happy 8-year-olds.
Most Americans seem resigned to waging war against other countries for as long as it takes if the president says they must. Adorning their gas-guzzling SUVs with flags is about the only thing wealthy Americans will have to contribute to the war effort. For Mexican American working families, the price will be much higher.
For the five years or so before Sept. 11, the Secretary of the Army made a concerted effort to recruit more Latino men and women into the service. Because they will make up the largest pool of 18-year-olds in a few decades, they were the primary target of Secretary Louis Caldera's propaganda blitz.