thedrifter
06-08-05, 05:23 AM
Joining Up to Dodge a Dead End
With no hope of a good job or money for college, many heartland teens are enlisting in the military in search of economic security.
By P.J. Huffstutter
Times Staff Writer
June 8, 2005
GLENWOOD, Iowa — Lucas Tvrdy was about to enter high school when his mother, Patty, sat down with his older sister, Jessie, and had the talk.
It was painfully simple, Patty recalled: We don't have the money to send you to college. There were no apologies, no tears. Only resignation.
Like most families in this town 30 minutes southeast of Omaha, the Tvrdys aren't poor — but there is no room in their budget for tuition. Patty works as an administrative secretary for a small city health department; her husband, Randy, worked for himself for many years and only recently has enjoyed a steady paycheck for hauling pet food across Nebraska.
"There were many, many years we raised a family of four on $7 an hour," Patty said. "Even now, we make enough to pay the mortgage and our bills. That's about it."
Jessie, unwilling to take on thousands of dollars in college loans, decided to join the Navy. When she graduated from Glenwood Community High School in 2002, she gave Lucas her senior photograph and this advice: "When it's time, follow me."
Three years later, Lucas is doing just that. The 5-foot-11 teenager, who weighs 110 pounds when wearing combat boots, hopes to learn how to work on ship engines. Or maybe try out for the SEALs.
"It's our way of life," said Lucas, 18. "I could be sent to Iraq. I could die in Iraq. But I'd die a man with good life insurance, so my family would be taken care of."
As the conflict in Iraq heads toward a third year, military recruiters across the country are falling short in their efforts to fill the ranks. But those in struggling heartland towns like Glenwood are making their numbers.
Different reasons draw the teenagers into service: pride in following a family tradition, a sense of honor in defending their country, an overwhelming need to find a focus for their future. In the end, the primary draw tends to be economic security.
Even if they don't agree with the war, financial worries outweigh political opinions. And that has helped recruiters here enormously.
National Guard officials say they are surpassing their recruitment goals in Iowa, although recruits know they are likely to be sent to the Middle East. The Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps say they are meeting their goals. The Army has fallen short, but recruitment numbers have steadily risen each month since May 2004, said Army Lt. Col. Marisa A. Tanner, commander for the Des Moines Recruiting Battalion.
Although their job continues to be difficult, recruiters said, they are having unexpected success in other rural regions in the Midwest and in parts of the South. They cite a sluggish economy coupled with long-standing town traditions of serving in the military.
Glenwood High's Class of 2005 graduated Memorial Day weekend. Nine of its 140 seniors are headed to basic training. Some left almost immediately, while others will be gone by the end of this year.
All but one were minors when they enlisted; their parents had to sign waivers. Two are still 17.
Andy Lentz joined the Marines. Kent Herrman, Ron Rosenburg and Dan Greenwood signed up with the Army. Lucas Tvrdy, Chris Corbett, Wyatt Flint, Loleta Ashburn and Amanda Cerra are Navy-bound.
Lucas expects to leave Glenwood in December. By then, two of his closest friends will be gone.
Kent Herrman, 19, heads out today. Known at school as the tough kid with a quick wit and a quicker temper, he hopes his experience as a wrestler has conditioned his body to withstand the grueling training.
Chris Corbett, 18, will be gone by July 11. Described by teachers as sweetly naive, Chris stood less than 5 feet tall for most of his life until a recent growth spurt stretched his slender frame 6 more inches.
"I've had people tell me they think we're dumb to be doing this — that we're dumb to go off to war," Kent said. "I think they're dumb not to want to."
Their dreams seem modest. Lucas wants to attend an automotive technical school and open a custom motorcycle shop. Chris hopes to attend cooking school and become a chef. Kent longs to get a university degree and become a police officer.
These are heady goals in a town where 9% of adults have a bachelor's degree and the median household income is $39,682 a year, according to the most recent census. In comparison, the median income for Omaha — where many local residents go to find work — is $44,981.
The American Legion post takes up more than a quarter of a block on the town square. Its annual Ham and Bean Feed is a big event. Most storefronts on the square — from the Farm Bureau to the grocery store — have American flags in the windows.
With a population of 5,400, Glenwood is the largest town in rural Mills County, which takes its name from a young officer who died during the Mexican-American War.
Iowa's pride in its military service dates back to the state's formation in the 1840s, said William Johnson, a curator with the State Historical Society of Iowa. During the Civil War, more than 63% of the men old enough to fight joined the conflict. In World War II, the town of Red Oak — about 30 miles east of Glenwood — lost more young men per capita than any other community in the United States.
No one from Glenwood has died in the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. But since November, at least four from nearby towns have been killed in the Middle East.
"You think of Iowa as very peaceful, a place of farmers devoted to the land. But we're also strong in our devotion to family," Johnson said. "Serving our nation is considered one of those responsibilities that come with being a good family man and, these days, a good family woman."
Glenwood High officials said about three-fourths of its graduates attended college or trade school, while the rest entered the workforce or went into the military.
"Kids in the country know they have to work for what they want," said Patty Tvrdy. Lucas is a "fingernails-get-dirty kind of boy," so Patty wasn't surprised when he enlisted.
Most students want to come back to their hometown, said school Principal Dave Stickrod, but it's difficult to find a job that pays well.
Glenwood's meatpacking plant closed years ago, as did the facility that cleaned uniforms for hotels and other service industries. Family farms struggle to thrive along the rolling hills of the Missouri River valley.
"We're kid-rich and industrial-property poor," Stickrod said.
The few jobs here are often in the healthcare or food service industries. On Tuesday, the Iowa Workforce Development's website listed 11 full-time permanent jobs in Mills County — all but one in Glenwood. Three pay $10 an hour or more. The rest pay $9 an hour or less. Few of the ads mentioned benefits.
Lucas has spent the last months looking for work, to pay bills and keep busy until he ships out. He's chatted up potential bosses. Hardee's was closing for good. McDonalds wasn't hiring.
He stopped by one of his favorite haunts, hoping for better news at Tom & Tiff's, a cafe down the street from one of the town's three stoplights. When Lucas sat down, the waitress didn't bother to ask what he wanted. Regardless of the day or time, Lucas said, the staff brings his usual: French toast and a steady stream of Mountain Dew.
He cut off a hunk of the sweet, hot bread about the size of his hand, folded it into thirds and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Hey, you guys get a chance to look at my application?" he asked, mumbling his question while frantically chewing. "Is there anything available yet?"
The waitress shook her head no.
Lucas sighed and tore off another chunk of bread.
The air burned hot and humid on Lucas' last full day of class. He passed by a cluster of girls leaning against teal-colored lockers, giggling over prom photographs. Some wore T-shirts with the names of their soon-to-be new homes: Iowa State University, University of Nebraska.
continued
With no hope of a good job or money for college, many heartland teens are enlisting in the military in search of economic security.
By P.J. Huffstutter
Times Staff Writer
June 8, 2005
GLENWOOD, Iowa — Lucas Tvrdy was about to enter high school when his mother, Patty, sat down with his older sister, Jessie, and had the talk.
It was painfully simple, Patty recalled: We don't have the money to send you to college. There were no apologies, no tears. Only resignation.
Like most families in this town 30 minutes southeast of Omaha, the Tvrdys aren't poor — but there is no room in their budget for tuition. Patty works as an administrative secretary for a small city health department; her husband, Randy, worked for himself for many years and only recently has enjoyed a steady paycheck for hauling pet food across Nebraska.
"There were many, many years we raised a family of four on $7 an hour," Patty said. "Even now, we make enough to pay the mortgage and our bills. That's about it."
Jessie, unwilling to take on thousands of dollars in college loans, decided to join the Navy. When she graduated from Glenwood Community High School in 2002, she gave Lucas her senior photograph and this advice: "When it's time, follow me."
Three years later, Lucas is doing just that. The 5-foot-11 teenager, who weighs 110 pounds when wearing combat boots, hopes to learn how to work on ship engines. Or maybe try out for the SEALs.
"It's our way of life," said Lucas, 18. "I could be sent to Iraq. I could die in Iraq. But I'd die a man with good life insurance, so my family would be taken care of."
As the conflict in Iraq heads toward a third year, military recruiters across the country are falling short in their efforts to fill the ranks. But those in struggling heartland towns like Glenwood are making their numbers.
Different reasons draw the teenagers into service: pride in following a family tradition, a sense of honor in defending their country, an overwhelming need to find a focus for their future. In the end, the primary draw tends to be economic security.
Even if they don't agree with the war, financial worries outweigh political opinions. And that has helped recruiters here enormously.
National Guard officials say they are surpassing their recruitment goals in Iowa, although recruits know they are likely to be sent to the Middle East. The Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps say they are meeting their goals. The Army has fallen short, but recruitment numbers have steadily risen each month since May 2004, said Army Lt. Col. Marisa A. Tanner, commander for the Des Moines Recruiting Battalion.
Although their job continues to be difficult, recruiters said, they are having unexpected success in other rural regions in the Midwest and in parts of the South. They cite a sluggish economy coupled with long-standing town traditions of serving in the military.
Glenwood High's Class of 2005 graduated Memorial Day weekend. Nine of its 140 seniors are headed to basic training. Some left almost immediately, while others will be gone by the end of this year.
All but one were minors when they enlisted; their parents had to sign waivers. Two are still 17.
Andy Lentz joined the Marines. Kent Herrman, Ron Rosenburg and Dan Greenwood signed up with the Army. Lucas Tvrdy, Chris Corbett, Wyatt Flint, Loleta Ashburn and Amanda Cerra are Navy-bound.
Lucas expects to leave Glenwood in December. By then, two of his closest friends will be gone.
Kent Herrman, 19, heads out today. Known at school as the tough kid with a quick wit and a quicker temper, he hopes his experience as a wrestler has conditioned his body to withstand the grueling training.
Chris Corbett, 18, will be gone by July 11. Described by teachers as sweetly naive, Chris stood less than 5 feet tall for most of his life until a recent growth spurt stretched his slender frame 6 more inches.
"I've had people tell me they think we're dumb to be doing this — that we're dumb to go off to war," Kent said. "I think they're dumb not to want to."
Their dreams seem modest. Lucas wants to attend an automotive technical school and open a custom motorcycle shop. Chris hopes to attend cooking school and become a chef. Kent longs to get a university degree and become a police officer.
These are heady goals in a town where 9% of adults have a bachelor's degree and the median household income is $39,682 a year, according to the most recent census. In comparison, the median income for Omaha — where many local residents go to find work — is $44,981.
The American Legion post takes up more than a quarter of a block on the town square. Its annual Ham and Bean Feed is a big event. Most storefronts on the square — from the Farm Bureau to the grocery store — have American flags in the windows.
With a population of 5,400, Glenwood is the largest town in rural Mills County, which takes its name from a young officer who died during the Mexican-American War.
Iowa's pride in its military service dates back to the state's formation in the 1840s, said William Johnson, a curator with the State Historical Society of Iowa. During the Civil War, more than 63% of the men old enough to fight joined the conflict. In World War II, the town of Red Oak — about 30 miles east of Glenwood — lost more young men per capita than any other community in the United States.
No one from Glenwood has died in the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. But since November, at least four from nearby towns have been killed in the Middle East.
"You think of Iowa as very peaceful, a place of farmers devoted to the land. But we're also strong in our devotion to family," Johnson said. "Serving our nation is considered one of those responsibilities that come with being a good family man and, these days, a good family woman."
Glenwood High officials said about three-fourths of its graduates attended college or trade school, while the rest entered the workforce or went into the military.
"Kids in the country know they have to work for what they want," said Patty Tvrdy. Lucas is a "fingernails-get-dirty kind of boy," so Patty wasn't surprised when he enlisted.
Most students want to come back to their hometown, said school Principal Dave Stickrod, but it's difficult to find a job that pays well.
Glenwood's meatpacking plant closed years ago, as did the facility that cleaned uniforms for hotels and other service industries. Family farms struggle to thrive along the rolling hills of the Missouri River valley.
"We're kid-rich and industrial-property poor," Stickrod said.
The few jobs here are often in the healthcare or food service industries. On Tuesday, the Iowa Workforce Development's website listed 11 full-time permanent jobs in Mills County — all but one in Glenwood. Three pay $10 an hour or more. The rest pay $9 an hour or less. Few of the ads mentioned benefits.
Lucas has spent the last months looking for work, to pay bills and keep busy until he ships out. He's chatted up potential bosses. Hardee's was closing for good. McDonalds wasn't hiring.
He stopped by one of his favorite haunts, hoping for better news at Tom & Tiff's, a cafe down the street from one of the town's three stoplights. When Lucas sat down, the waitress didn't bother to ask what he wanted. Regardless of the day or time, Lucas said, the staff brings his usual: French toast and a steady stream of Mountain Dew.
He cut off a hunk of the sweet, hot bread about the size of his hand, folded it into thirds and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Hey, you guys get a chance to look at my application?" he asked, mumbling his question while frantically chewing. "Is there anything available yet?"
The waitress shook her head no.
Lucas sighed and tore off another chunk of bread.
The air burned hot and humid on Lucas' last full day of class. He passed by a cluster of girls leaning against teal-colored lockers, giggling over prom photographs. Some wore T-shirts with the names of their soon-to-be new homes: Iowa State University, University of Nebraska.
continued