Try to Remember

I wasn't originally going to post this; I didn't feel I had anything important to say. But with tomorrow being Memorial Day, I thought it was appropriate.

Lt. Roslyn Schulte, a 25-year-old graduate of the Air Force Academy, was killed in Afghanistan last week. She is the first female Air Force grad to die in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. . . and one of thousands of young lives ended far too soon.

I think I'm particularly affected by Schulte's death because of her background. AS soon as I saw her picture, I felt as if I'd known her. A little research confirmed what I thought: Schulte was Jewish. You don't hear of many Jewish cadets attending any military academy, let alone the Air Force Academy, which faced an anti-semitism scandal just a few years back.

I think the death of a stranger hits home a little harder when you share similarities with them. I know very little about this girl, but there's a familiarity to her: I could imagine her sitting a few rows in front of me at my childhood synagogue.

The Jewish experience in the military is fascinating to me. The first graduating class of West Point was 1/2 Jewish. (There were two graduates.) Since then, that percentage has faltered. Still, Jews have and still do make important contributions to the military. I'm proud of my grandfathers and my great uncle, who all served in WWII. I love that my grandmother was a WAVE and wish I'd had more conversations with her about her experience. And while my parents were clearing out their house, I was thrilled to acquire a prayer book made specifically for Jewish soldiers.

But back to Ms. Schulte. I wish she had the opportunity to raise a family and have grandchildren who were proud of her. I hope that as her legacy, young women will continue to defy gender and ethnic stereotypes to pursue their dreams.