Tell My Sons

I've had many motivations for undertaking this endeavor; I outlined most of them in my first post, and I've alluded to others.  One of the biggest inspirations, though, came from Lt. Col. Mark Weber.

For those of you that don't know the Lt. Col.'s story, he was on the fast track to greatness in the military, advising the head of the Iraqi Army, second in command under General Petraeus; he was considered one of the brightest officers with the greatest potential in the service.  A career officer, he was asked once again to serve his country oversees, again under Gen. Petraeus, this time in Afghanistan.  Before he deployed, he underwent a routine physical.  They found stage 4 cancer.  He was given a few months to live.

That was 3 years ago.

Lt. Col. Weber was an avid journaler.  He chronicled his life since he joined the military at age 18.  He took these journals, along with other musings, and he created a book: Tell My Sons.  This book was a series of advice to his three boys, all under the age of 18.  It was based on his journals, and it was framed around a famous speech from Gen. MacArthur.  (As a history major, I'm probably spelling that incorrectly, but it is late, and I'm too tired and stubborn to look it up.)

This man's story resonated with me on many levels.  14 years ago, I lost my father to an eerily similar cancer.  I have often wished I spent more time with him, learned more from him, and had the ability to solicit his advice as a young man.  I also used to keep an avid journal, writing about the world around me, capturing the perspective of a teen.  His tenacity made sense to me, too; he never gave up.  He realized that he wouldn't be around forever, and he did his damnedest to live his life as best he could, to pass along as many memories and advice as he could to his children.

His book was recently picked up by Random House.  It was released with national publicity on June 4, just in time for the perfect Father's Day gift.  I bought an advanced copy, which is sitting on my coffee table.  I've finished the forward by Robin Williams, and I've read the preface to my son.  This weekend, I hope to read the majority of it, to sense the honesty, the candor, and the bravery.

Lt. Col. Mark Weber died yesterday.  He was 41 years old.  He leaves behind a wife, three boys, and one hell of a legacy.

I encourage you to read more about his story (google his name), and I encourage you to buy his book.  He has a straight-forward and disarming way with words.  On one hand it is all uniform, but on the other, it is gut-wrenchingly real.