Steadman served in the Marines

I was Lacey City Councilman Michael Steadman's platoon sergeant. I first met Steadman in 1991. He had previously attended college in Washington.

We served together until about 1998. Sgt. Steadman was discharged honorably. I take exception with the phrase of, "...only eight years in the Marines" for a couple of reasons.

Only .002 percent (or less) of this nation's occupants decide to enlist in what is arguably known as the branch of the military that promises you only plenty of physical torture and mental fatigue. There are far easier ways to earn money for college or to learn a job skill. Steadman chose the difficult path.

Other branches have service commitments that vary in length from as little as two years up to six years. Steadman chose to serve beyond the minimum commitment. He did not serve enough years to qualify for a pension so maybe "career" isn't the best word for his time in uniform.

In no case should someone that decides to do what 99 percent of the rest of this nation won't do, and then chooses the Marines out of all branches have, his commitment to his country marginalized. For full disclosure I will proudly state that I consider Mike to be a lifelong friend and brother to me.

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Steadman served in the Marines."