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TI: Let's get to that later, because I want to just sort of focus in on... because it was about this time where you started thinking more seriously about joining the military.

EW: Uh-huh.

TI: So talk about that, sort of your thought process in terms of why you thought joining the military was the right decision for you.

EW: I think I always had this desire to serve, a duty to serve. And I think you can see that in the Boy Scouts, and the Boy Scouts has often historically been a precursor to military service. I think that after the events of 9/11, even before that, I was always thinking of joining the military, but certainly after the events of 9/11, there's just more of this urgency to, to serve and to want to do something to protect the country and to protect everybody else. And so I asked myself, what is it I can do? And knowing that there were a lot of people who were joining the military after 9/11, and there were people joining the FBI, the CIA, from all walks of life, before, when they haven't even, hadn't even thought about that kind of career. There were accountants and lawyers leaving six-figure jobs to take a $50,000 job at the FBI. And I thought about the same thing, I was like, "What can I do?" And so that's when seriously began looking into and talking to recruiters, and trying to figure out what I'm gonna do after I graduate.

TI: And so what did you decide to do after you graduated?

EW: That's when I decided, I decided to join the army. I wanted to be an officer because I wanted to be a leader, I wanted to try to hone or build those skills, and I wanted to really lead soldiers down in the trenches. And I think that's why I chose the Army as opposed to the Air Force or the Navy. I really wanted to experience that bond that officers have with their soldiers. And it definitely did help that the recruiter from the army was a lot more helpful than the other branches. And so I had to go through a selection process for Officer Candidate School, and I had to submit letters of recommendation, my transcripts, I had to take a test, and I had to go before a board of senior officers and explain why I wanted to join the military and be an officer.

TI: And how was that process for you? Was it, was it pretty strenuous, or how, I've never talked to anyone who's gone through that process. So explain to me a little bit more about that process, in terms of, like, what kind of questions would they ask during the interview?

EW: It was the, very... some were basic, some were in-depth, and I think, I remember there was a, there were three majors and a lieutenant colonel. He was kind of the chair of the board, and he kind of weighed in at one point and he said, "You know, from what it sounds like, through your life experiences and through your job, it sounds like that you have been a leader pretty much your whole life, and that this would not be a difficult transition, going into the army." And I said, "Well, yeah, I didn't really think about it that way, now that you mention it." So I don't know how selective the process is. I know that I received the list from that year's selection, and then there was about a third that was selected for active duty, there was a third selected for reserve, and a third that were not selected.

TI: And you were selected for active duty?

EW: For active duty, uh-huh.

TI: At that point, what were your hopes? I mean, what were you thinking when you were accepted as an officer, or for officer training school?

EW: I thought it was great. It was a tremendous opportunity. I think for me, joining the military was a, was a sign of joining something that was an honorable and noble profession, and definitely a great opportunity to serve my country.

TI: What about concerns? At this point, were there any concerns about you or joining the military that you thought about?

EW: There weren't many concerns. You know, joining the military, like I said, was a desire for me for a long time, and going back to the recruiters, the Navy and Air Force recruiters turned me down because somewhere in my medical records, the doctor at one point had wrote that I had viral-induced asthma, which means every time... it means every time I caught a cold, I would wheeze and cough, which most normal people do when they catch a cold. [Laughs] But because he had wrote that in my records, the other branches would not, they're all part of the same system, so they would not select me or allow me to join the army, because they said, "You have a medical, past medical history." And I guess I wanted to join so badly that the army recruiter told me, "Well, why don't you go take a breathing test, and then maybe they'll give you a waiver." So while nothing was guaranteed, I spent, I think it was close to $800 of my own money to get this breathing test, and of course I passed with flying colors like I knew I would, 'cause I was healthy and active and athletic. And then they gave me a waiver, and I got in. And so... I think this, for me personally, this was something that I strongly wanted to do, and it was a, it was a triumph to be able to do it and accept it. And of course, totally different story on my parents' side. My mother was very, very much against me joining the military, especially during a time of war. On the other hand, my father was very proud. He hadn't joined the military himself, but he said that they're, in his eyes, the military provides a lot of opportunity for teaching ability, leadership, and other segues into whatever you want to do in the army.

<End Segment 10> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.