Do you Know a Man Named Karl Marlantes?
That was the question my grandson, Emmett, texted from college. I did not recognize the name. He thought our paths might have crossed at some point.
His Wikipedia entry: Karl Arthur Marlantes (born December 24, 1944) is an American author and Vietnam War veteran. He has written four books: Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War (2010), What It Is Like to Go to War (2011), Deep River (2019), and Cold Victory (2024).
This six minute Youtube video is a brief summary of his life as a Yale student, Rhodes Scholar and Marine Platoon leader, and his call of duty. You would never suspect from his easy manner that he was awarded a Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and 10 Air Medals.
The military draft caused generations of men to confront early in life, often as students, what duty means. Campus protests and military service are two classic examples of how individuals answered what many knew instinctively-the call of duty.