The textbook American soldier is tall, clean-cut, and bright-eyed. The textbook Harvard student is perhaps slightly shorter, slightly scruffier, and slightly bleary-eyed.
But, on occasion, these categories overlap. A handful of current Harvardians are also soldiers; they traded books for boots and set out for the military either before or after their time at Harvard. And they’ve gotten a bit more life (and gun) experience than most of their peers.
SOLDIER SNAPSHOT
“I was tired of being at school,” says Ryan A. Delany ’08. “It was a chance to play G. I. Joe for a couple of years.”
Delany, in a Superman T-shirt, aviator sunglasses, leather jacket, and heavy black boots, looks the part of soldier/badass. But this tough-guy persona is no act. Having graduated high school in 1999, Delany joined the Marines, pushing college aside.
“I needed a chance to grow up,” Delany says. The unenthusiastic student proved to be a much more attentive soldier, and quickly climbed the ranks. After 9/11, Delany’s battalion became the only anti-terrorist unit and was sent to guard the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The only attack while Delany was stationed there involved indirect fire, and no one was hurt.
After about four months, Delany’s unit was rotated out of Kabul, and he was sent to North Korea. Again, Delany was lucky—he only had to fire his weapon three times. Four years had gone by since Delany had entered the force, and having gained the title of sergeant, he returned to the United States.
Back in New York, Delany attended a general studies program at Columbia University for one year before transferring to Harvard. “I knew I had to go to school,” Delany says. But transitioning into a college lifestyle wasn’t easy for the vet. Being a few years older than the average sophomore, Delany is concerned about finding his place on campus.
“I don’t want to be that creepy old guy hanging out in the freshman dorm,” he says.
A NOBLE CAREER
As Delany prepares himself for government tutorials, W. Robert Wheeler ’05 settles into a daily routine slightly different than what he was used to as an undergrad. Last summer, Wheeler enlisted right after graduation, and entered basic training.
“It was kind of like hell,” Wheeler says. “The drill sergeant is on you from the minute you wake up to the minute you go to sleep, and nothing you do is ever good enough.”
On Dec. 8, 2005, Wheeler was officially made an officer after graduating from the Oxford Training School in the top 10 percent of his class. Now stationed in El Paso, Texas, Wheeler is settling into a more comfortable routine.
“Once you’re done for the day, you’re a civilian again,” says Wheeler of his life in El Paso. “The new freedom is nice.”
Far from the isolating cubicles and awkward water-cooler conversations of corporate America that his former classmates are now experiencing, Wheeler reflects on his decision to pursue his patriotic dream.
“I’ve been given so many opportunities, and I just wanted to give back and improve on the gifts I’ve been given,” he says. “I decided to go because I support the war, and I support everything this nation has been through with the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq.” With a grin, Wheeler maintains that he’s still the fun-loving guy that all his friends knew in college, but just has significantly less time to party these days.
SILENT SERVICE
Unlike tattoo-clad Delany, Joseph K. Cooper ’07 tends to refrain from advertising his past military service. After high school, Cooper’s lackluster academic performance made him think that a college education may not be the best next step. He enlisted in 1998 and spent four years in the infantry in Korea, Egypt and Washington, ending with the rank of sergeant. Upon returning home, Cooper enrolled at Manatee Community College.
“I needed to re-learn how to learn,” says Cooper.
Cooper’s hard work paid off when he transferred to Harvard. These days, Cooper prefers the comforts of Currier House, “even though the amount of schoolwork can be overwhelming.” Still, he says that he’s “just happy to be here.”
Wheeler, on the other hand, is happy to finally be getting his hands dirty. As a satisfied member of the U.S. Military, he bemoans his classmates’ aversion to military service—not just for the sake of his country, but for his classmates’ own mental well-being.
“I think that it is a shame that more people from Harvard don’t join the Army because both have so much to gain from each other [the Army and Harvard grads],” he says. “In the service, Harvard graduates’ talents would translate into saved lives, both American and foreign.”
Realistically, Wheeler’s hope of seeing more Harvard students enter the army will have to wait. For now, the promise of the green stuff seems to trump the red, white and blue.
