Over the past several years, our military services have had a shortfall in recruiting due to several issues.
Many citizens in the age range for enlisting have become ineligible due to obesity, drug-use, criminal records, mental illness, and chronic medical problems. Of the potential recruiting pool, 23% might be in good-enough shape to enlist and only 9% of this number actually desire to join. A large number of those eligible lack a firm foundation in patriotism and American history.
Folks, this situation reminds me of the reasons the Roman Empire failed 1500 years ago; a lack of men willing to join the Legions to defend against the “barbarians.” Because of the increasing decadence and chronic disease among the population, Rome was forced to recruit foreign mercenaries and those barbarians into Legion service. That policy didn’t end well!
In the short term, recruiting can be improved by loosening physical requirements and raising the upper age limit. This is being tried by the U.S. Army; we’ll see how that works out. Long-term remedies involve new school programs emphasizing American history, patriotism and love-of-country. We might even try high-school-age military training; that’s what got me in the NAVY back in 1969.
For more information on the subject, Google “military recruiting problems.”
Now under new management; the Texas County Military Museum in Houston is now managed by members of American Legion Post 41. We’ll be taking turns manning the Museum office every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you’ve never visited before, it’s the white building on Grand Avenue with the pair of Hotchkiss Revolving Cannons out front. Inside, you’ll find uniforms, soldier’s accoutrements and weapons of the Civil War, items from WW1 and WW2 including a display celebrating our very own battleship, USS Missouri (BB63). Your guide will be a military veteran who can answer questions you might have. There are free pocket-size copies of the Constitution and a new booklet covering U.S. Flag etiquette, plus recruiting pamphlets from our Texas County veteran’s organizations.
Texas County area veterans organizations:
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 473 has their meeting on the last Thursday of each month at 1800 at their Post Meeting Hall on Highway 63 north of Cabool.
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6337 meets each third Monday of the month at 1730 in Licking at their Meeting Hall on Main Street just south of Highway 32.
- American Legion Post 559 will meet at 1800 on the second Tuesday of each month at the VFW Post 6337 meeting hall in Licking.
- Fleet Reserve Association Branch 364 meets at 1430 every fourth Sunday of each month at the American Legion Post 41 meeting hall in Houston.
- American Legion Post 41 meets at 1800 on the second Thursday of each month at their meeting hall on the west end of Chilton Oil Company in Houston, (just north of Pizza Hut.)
- Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7222 meets at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at their meeting hall just east of Summersville MO.