South Carolina's military culture and the October flood

Years ago, reading Pat Conroy’s best-selling novel, The Lords of Discipline, I was struck by the single line – “No Southern man is complete without a tenure under military rule.” Not all Southerners serve, have served, or will ever serve their country. And today it is only a very small percentage of Americans overall who have served or will ever serve in the armed forces. Nevertheless, Conroy’s line speaks to many of us hailing from the South, and to an even greater degree those of us from the Palmetto State. At no time more than during the recent response to the massive flooding event has this interest in serving been so apparent. This event produced heavy and historically damaging rainfall across our state.