Kappa Kappa Psi

           

  

"To Those Who Serve"

By A. Frank Martin, The Baton, May 1942

Hardly a day passes but what we see a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi volunteer his service to our country in defense of the liberty and freedom which you and I enjoy. Again we stand at the station and wave a fond farewell to a group of fine American lads leaving for the camps to start their training.

As we stand alone wondering what the tomorrow will bring, let us think of what we can do today. It is well to hope and pray for a lasting peace, but our job is to face the real situation of a nation and a people at war, and to see what we can do now.

The other day, a fine young brother in the Kappa Kappa Psi told me goodbye as he left for the Air Corps. I shall never forget his last words, "Brother Martin, I am ready to go and do my part gladly and willingly, but I regret the thought of going, for I have just been a member of Kappa Kappa Psi about a year, and for the first time, I begin to see its worth. I hate to leave this fine fellowship and fraternal feeling just when it was beginning to mean a lot to me. The going would be easier if I could only know that the gang left behind would carry on, and I would have my place waiting for me when I return."

Men, that is a challenge. What will we do to honor those who serve? Many will be left behind. In them will be placed the faith, trust, and confidence of those who serve, - those who are building the first line of defense for freedom.

While they are sweating, toiling, giving, and perhaps, dying, what will we be doing behind the line by keeping intact and defending those things they love, and will we have a place for them when they return?

This summer many of us will have an opportunity to give this matter some thought. Will we return to our campuses and stand before a few brothers and say, "Well, fellows, we might as well fold up for the duration as we have only a few back on the campus to start our Chapter?" If we are made up of that stuff, shadow our every step and cry out to us with a plea - to remember the lads in the front line and carry on.

The best way to honor those who serve is to come back next fall. Start the chapter off with a bang. It matters not how many return. Keep faith with those who serve - carry on. Create, build and maintain a place for them when they return. They may blackout our cities and turn off the power in our industries from time to time until we can face them man to man, but let us resolve that they cannot blackout the spirit of Kappa Kappa Psi, for we will honor those who serve by carrying on. Only God can blackout the Spirit of Man.