A Real Patriot

This guy is a much bigger - and braver - man than I am. I salute him.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's only son, Patrick, has joined the Army during a time of war.

He reports to active duty as an enlisted soldier in the Army's regular airborne infantry.
His activation date: between Christmas and New Year's. His destination: presumably North Carolina's Ft. Bragg. His final destination? It could lead him to Iraq or Afghanistan within a year.

"He wants to serve his country," said a Sneed source. "He's a patriot. It's just that it's a pretty dangerous time to be doing so. His father is very proud but his mother, Maggie, is nervous as any mother would be. It's a pretty honorable thing to sign up in a time of war."

In an exclusive interview with the Sun-Times, Patrick Daley -- who recently graduated with honors from the University of Chicago's MBA program and could have pursued lucrative job offers -- told Sneed why he made the decision.

"It's been in the back of my mind for some time," said Patrick Daley, one of Mayor Daley's four children, including Nora, Elizabeth and a second son, Kevin, who died. "I left West Point during my freshman year when I was 18 years old and always remembered their motto, 'Duty, Honor and Country.' But I was so young and not really old enough to understand what it really meant. But I know now.

"I suppose when you're 18 years old -- as I was at West Point -- you're selfish and I didn't want to devote 10 years to an uncertain future. It took me a while to learn that there's also a virtue in selflessness. And I believe that virtue is to serve your country. And the values of West Point are still with me."