(FORMER) SGT. CARL WHELESS U.S.M.C. wrote on September 15, 2001
Comments:
A Marine from a younger generation needs your assistance...
Ladies and Gentleman,
I am sorry to impose upon you, but as a former Marine from a younger generation, I know that a Marine is a Marine and I know that "Once a Marine; Always a Marine" (that goes for Marine Corps families, as well) is one of the rock solid things in this world that you can count on.
I would like to respectfully request two things from you, if I may:
The first one is that I operate a message board for a group of friends, located in Dallas, TX. I am one of the few veterans within this group and the ONLY Marine Corps veteran (1983-1993--Had to leave to service due to the "Reduction In Force" policies of the early 90's). Many of the people in this group are in their twenties and were NEVER taught much about history, service to one's country, or about the horrors of war. They are FIERCELY patriotic, but have no direction.
I know that your experiences are intensely personal. I know that especially Korean War veterans tend to keep what they experienced to themselves. I am respectfully asking any of you to come and visit my message board and to help these young people to understand what is happening to their country and what they should prepare themselves for. I have been doing my best to do so, but they need more focus and depth of history than I can provide to them. I did not serve in combat and that seems to cause a few of them to be hesitant to accept what I have to pass on to them. If ANY of you, to include those that served on the home-front (families) could share your experience to help this generation prepare themselves for the coming days and possibly, years, I would be eternally grateful.
This is the URL to my message board:
http://members4.boardhost.com/clockwise/
The second favor is this:
I am trying to start a campaign to circulate an e-mail that I have written, to as MANY people in this country and world-wide as I can. If you would be so kind as to help me in this endeavor, buy "cutting and pasting" the e-mail from this message board (I will providing it later in this message) and the sending it to as MANY people as you possibly can, I again, would be eternally grateful.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Marines...thank you!
(Hal and Ted, thank you for this site and allowing me the use of this space. I am glad that you two gentlemen have taken me in as a personal friend. I am grateful.)
Semper Fi!
Carl Lee Wheless, Jr.
Former Sergeant, United States Marine Corps
Here is the e-mail:
A new name for a new generation...
Greetings,
My name is Carl Wheless. I am a native and present resident of Dallas, Texas. I am a former Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. I had to leave the service of my country in 1993, due to the "Reduction In Forces" policy of our country. I did not want to leave the Marine Corps, but had no choice. Ever since then, I have been alone without my Marines. I miss being able to lead them, teach them, train them and to also help them to understand one another and to help them to not only be better Marines, but better Americans and citizens of the human race. Ever since then, I have struggled to find a way to make a difference; to be a positive effect on mankind.
As it must be for so many Americans and people around the world, I died inside as I watched my country being attacked and there was NOTHING that I could do. Some people cannot understand why I have been so effected by all of these recent events and how I am so filled with pain and sadness.
As I was typing a reply to a person on a message board, I had an idea that might be able to not only bring me hope for the future, but to our nation and the world as well.
In the past, we have labeled our generations, here in America...
We had the generation of the "Roaring '20s", the generation of the "Depression Era", the "WWII" generation, the "Baby Boomers" and then "Generation X".
I believe that it is time for a NEW generation. A generation of hope, of unity and of peace for ALL mankind. Make NO mistake, this generation will have to ALWAYS remember the horror, the loss, the pain and the heroism that occurred in New York City on that sunny, beautiful day; so that they can dedicate themselves to the cause of ending hate and terror across the entire planet.
I propose that every child born on or after September 11, 2001, hereby be known as part of the "A.T." Generation, short for "After Terror".
We must ENSURE that by the time that these children reach the age that they can understand the events of that fateful and horrible day, that they will NEVER have to know hatred or terror, themselves.
This is the cause for which, now, all of humanity HAS to rally behind. Not for hatred, bloodlust or revenge; but rather, justice and ending this insidious threat to all of mankind, forever...
So, please, forward this e-mail to every person in your e-mail address book. Let us name a new generation and to commit to them that we will make the world free of the things that have caused us this tragedy; so that they may never know the pain that we all feel, now, so deeply in our collective hearts and souls.
