http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-sneed30.html
'He wants to serve his country'
Mayor 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."
Earned MBA
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."
So what turned him around?
"I suppose you could say that one defining moment was Sept. 11 and the nightmare at the World Trade Center. I had flown into New York the night before because I had worked there for Bear Stearns. But I was frustrated, I didn't know how I could help. I didn't know what I could do, so I gave blood and volunteered at a hospital.
Decided in grad school
"But it was really last fall when I decided I wanted to serve my country by joining the military. It wasn't that anything special was happening. I was still in graduate school. But it had always been in the back of my mind. And before I knew it, it was in the forefront. I graduated from the University of Chicago in June and could have gone into investment banking or private equity, but it didn't surprise anyone when I told my close friends I wanted to join the military.
"I'm 29 and on the old side to go into the military but not too old."
Patrick Daley's father and uncles were young men during the Vietnam War. "Although my family has a history of serving in the military reserve, I will be the first person in my family to go active."
Patrick Daley decided to enlist rather than enter service through officers training.
"In the military, doors go up and out rather than down," he said. "It's a close bet that I may make a career out of the military, and it's better to start at the bottom. But I can tell you one thing: My family wasn't surprised."
So did Patrick Daley have the biggest collection of G.I. Joes? Was he a big fan of war movies? Did he play soldier as a kid? "I suppose some of that is true, but I will tell you that I always enjoyed military history," said Patrick Daley, who graduated from Mount Carmel High School before finishing his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois.
It's no secret among Patrick Daley's close friends that he was a big supporter of President Bush. "Well, that's true," he said. "I just hope that I can be of service."
So is he scared?
"Look. I have friends in Iraq and Afghanistan. They tell me it isn't as bad as you read in the press, that much in those countries is working and that we are making progress."
Mayor supportive
So how do his parents feel?
"Dad is very supportive and mom is doing just what mothers are supposed to do, worrying about her son."
In the end, Patrick Daley found a way to fulfill his view of public service. "There are many paths of service -- policeman, fireman, political and the military -- but it's an all-volunteer era. I've always wanted to find a way to serve . . . just like my grandfather and my father. Think of it. It's amazing. I get to serve my country."
