Duty, Honor, Country
May 26, 2016 7:28 AM   Subscribe

As 2nd Lt. Alix Schoelcher Idrache stood at attention during his West Point commencement on Saturday, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

After West Point shared the photo, by Army Staff Sgt. Vito T. Bryant, on its Instagram account, Idrache commented:
I want to thank everyone for your kind and thoughtful comments on this picture. SSG Bryant captured a moment that I will never forget. At this moment, I was overwhelmed with emotions. Three things came to mind and led to those tears. The first is where I started. I am from Haiti and never did I imagine that such honor would be one day bestowed on me. The second is where I am. Men and women who have preserved the very essence of the human condition stood in that position and took the same oath. Men who preserved the Union is a dark period of this country's history. Men who scaled the face of adversity and liberated Europe from fascism and nazism. Women like CPT Griest, LT Haver, MAJ Jaster [the first women to graduate from the Army's Ranger school] who rewrote the narrative and challenged the status quo to prove themselves worthy of being called Rangers. The third is my future. Shortly after leave, I will report to FT. Rucker to start flight school. Knowing that one day I will be a pilot is humbling beyond words. I could not help but be flooded with emotions knowing that I will be leading these men and women who are willing to give their all to preserve what we value as the American way of life. To me, that is the greatest honor. Once again, thank you.
A comment on the Washington Post's Facebook page (which shared this article) noted that the star on Idrache's collar indicates he is graduating in the top 5% overall (based on academics, physical fitness, and military ratings) out of his class of 950. The Post article notes he was West Point's top graduate in physics.

He immigrated to the United States from Haiti in 2009, and before graduating earned his citizenship and served for two years in the Maryland Army National Guard.
posted by sallybrown (7 comments total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
Immigrants: [they] get the job done. --Hamilton

Thank you for sharing this. I have many complicated feelings about the military and everything that goes with it, and nonetheless I straight-up admire this young man, who has accomplished such a great deal against significant odds.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:46 AM on May 26, 2016 [32 favorites]


Written like a real leader. Maybe we won't be too bad off after all!
posted by scolbath at 7:49 AM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]


chesty_a_arthur stole my quote.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:50 AM on May 26, 2016 [2 favorites]


The military as an entity has problems, but many of its young leaders are amazing. (E.g., Eric Greitens.) Senior officers pursue master's degrees, many study foreign languages and history, and teach. Academically, there's great stuff at the service academies and staff colleges.

My neighbor's son is off to the the Naval Academy in a few weeks, and all of us are super proud of him: he's a great kid, and he's going to go far.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:57 AM on May 26, 2016


chesty_a_arthur expressed my thoughts perfectly.

It also brought tears to my eyes to hear a man express admiration for female role models (other than family members), the way he cited the new Rangers. I can't recall ever reading something like that before.
posted by sallybrown at 10:54 AM on May 26, 2016 [8 favorites]


Outstandingly well said, Lieutenant.

I'm glad my taxes are paying this man's salary.
posted by rmd1023 at 11:14 AM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]


All knuckle-dragging, eye-bulging rants about immigrants coming and taking the jobs that should go to "real 'mericans!" will be met with this picture, his words, and the address of the nearest recruiting station.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 1:13 PM on May 26, 2016 [3 favorites]


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