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• Wednesday, February 22, 2006 04:22 PM

  Fit To Be Tied

  I was shocked to read this article under Keillor's byline. It seems so out of character that it is really hard to believe that he wrote it. If there is any sarcasm in it, it is far too subtle for me.

  So, taking him at face value, there may be indeed be admirable qualities to be found in many West Point graduates and other service veterans. Whether or not these qualities result from basic training is arguable. I would assert that you need to do the whole drill-- service under fire, losing friends, ordering kids you hardly know to take a hill because the plan requires it, to really build that character. Some, like John McCain or John Kennedy, seem to come through those tests with real character and wisdom. Others, like Richard Nixon, don't seem to have done that well.

  On the other hand, two of our nation's greatest wartime leaders, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln had no military experience. (To qualify Abraham Lincoln as having military experience on the basis of his three weeks in the militia seems questionable. FDR had no military experience. See this . Furthermore, as the article points out, one of our most successful military leaders, Grant, was very unsuccessful as a President.

  Perhaps Garrison Keillor is having problems focusing and is feeling like he would be doing better mentally had he not missed out on the character-building part of having a sergeant yell at him in 95 degree heat. I have at times wondered the same thing about myself. Garrison is certainly well off enough financially to hire someone to put him through the drills and being 60 is no time to slack off on physical training. I'm only 48, but I broke my leg last year and I'm out of shape. If he'd be up for it, I'll join him in the training. I'm ready to become a lean mean fighting machine (but I don't think it will make me a good military leader.)

  John Bescherer

  Mattapoisett, MA

  —notmtwain Read notmtwain's other letters
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