I recently had the honor of introducing U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson and Sen. Lindsey Graham to the members of Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative at their annual meeting, and in the process, I rediscovered something extraordinary about the residents of rural South Carolina and their willingness to serve our country.
As part of the introductions, I mentioned that both men had distinguished military service records. Sen. Graham served as lawyer in the U.S. Air Force for six and half years before joining the South Carolina Air National Guard. During the first Gulf War, Graham was called to active duty as staff judge advocate and helped prepare soldiers for deployment. He currently serves as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, and is one of only three U.S. senators currently serving in the Guard or Reserves.
For Rep. Wilson, military service is a family tradition. He joined the U.S. Army Reserves in 1972 and later entered the S.C. Army National Guard in 1975, where he rose to the rank of colonel. His four sons followed in his boot prints. Maj. Alan Wilson, our state attorney general, served as a field artillery officer in the S.C. Army National Guard and received the Combat Action Badge while deployed in Iraq. Lt. Addison Wilson is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a military physician to the U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. Army Rangers in Iraq. Capt. Julian Wilson currently serves as a headquarters company commander in the S.C. Army National Guard and has served in Egypt. Hunter Wilson is a recent graduate of the Army ROTC at Clemson University and has been commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant. He will be attending Army engineering school.
I saw a lot of heads nodding with knowing approval as I detailed the military credentials of these men, so I asked the audience, “How many of you have served in the military or have an immediate family member who has served?” Of the approximately 1,000 people in the room, well over half proudly raised a hand.
It comes as no surprise to me that the members of South Carolina’s electric cooperatives are prone to military service. Just as members of cooperatives have always banded together to serve their community, the residents of rural South Carolina have always been there to answer the call of duty to protect and defend their nation. But when I did a little digging on the subject, the numbers were astonishing. Residents of rural areas account for just 16 percent of the U.S. population, but they account for 44 percent of those in uniform. I also found this grim statistic, one that speaks volumes about the willingness of South Carolina soldiers, sailors and airmen to serve in harm’s way: 727 South Carolinians have been killed or wounded fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In some parts of the country, celebrations of Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day are just a chance for a three-day weekend, but that’s not the case in the Palmetto State. We all have too many friends, relatives and neighbors who have served or who are serving in uniform to ignore the true meaning of these holidays. And on behalf of the 2,300 co-op employees and board members of the state’s electric cooperatives, allow me to offer our heartfelt thanks to all who have worn the uniform. We owe our freedom and security to your service, and we’ll never forget that debt.