"We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness."
- Declaration of Independence
"I have said that the Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nation's destiny; so, indeed, I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost."
- Frederick Douglass
"The flames kindled on the 4th of July 1776, have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism; on the contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them."
- Thomas Jefferson
Chamberlain at Gettysburg
(Yes this is a film clip. Chamberlain's speech is very much worth reflecting on in these times: Why we fought then and why we fight now.)
It's as if the Plumlees made a point not to stand apart.
Marshall, Mason and Miles are neighbors in baby-name books. The three brothers are separated by less than four years in age. Each stands at least 6-foot-10. Each played at Duke. Each reached the NBA.
But when each calls home to Indiana, the Plumlees' youngest and tallest son sounds nothing like his siblings.
"They'll ask, 'Hey honey, what did you do today?' And I tell them about blowing something up or jumping out of an airplane or flying in a helicopter," Marshall Plumlee said. "It sounds otherworldly to a family that only knows basketball."
The sport has bounced through their bloodline, beginning with Plumlee's grandfather, Albert "Bud" Schultz, who played at Michigan Tech. A pair of uncles also played college basketball. So did his father, "Perky" (Tennessee Tech), and his mother, Leslie (Purdue), who met as counselors at a basketball camp.
Miles spent seven seasons in the NBA and joined the Australian league in January. Mason, now with the Denver Nuggets, is in his seventh year in the NBA.
Marshall, who won a national championship with the Blue Devils and played with the Knicks and Bucks, hasn't been on a pro team in nearly two years.
Staff Sgt. Towk, Lt. Marshall Plumlee, Staff Sgt. Lewis and Staff Sgt. Nicholas, from left, pose after a training exercise at the Yakima Training Facility in Washington.Private Noah Baldwin
He walked away from the dream to fulfill another, as a platoon leader in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington.
"They've been tremendously supportive and accepted, 'Hey, Marshall is his own individual with his own individual passions. It just happens to be that Marshall is not only passionate about basketball, but passionate about the Army and about service,' " Plumlee said of his brothers. "They're probably my biggest cheerleaders on this new team that I'm on. ... It took some time for everyone to warm up to the idea because we were a basketball family and that's all we knew. But seeing how happy I am, seeing how I've improved as a person, they know I'm exactly where I'm meant to be."
The military career was first sparked by a love of history classes and war movies. In high school, Plumlee was mentored by General Robert Brown, who played under Mike Krzyzewski at Army.
Marshall Plumlee goes to the basket against the Clippers in March 2017.Getty Images
Then,
he joined his brothers at Duke, becoming Krzyzewski's first player in three-plus decades in Durham to also participate in ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps).
"It almost seems like fate. Coach K, I would argue there is no one who has a better understanding of the basketball world and the Army world simultaneously, coaching me as a basketball player and like a future Army officer," Plumlee said. "What's been really cool is how I feel both have helped one another. I started to notice it more watching Coach K lead, all of the discipline, all of the leadership lessons instilled in him from the Army, I said, 'Hey, I want that in my life.' "
Marshall Plumlee shoots his M4 Carbine during weapons qualification.Private Noah Baldwin
"Every time I got to serve in the National Guard, it was a great feeling. It never felt like work," Plumlee said. "I kept getting that itch and wanted to serve in a different capacity. It's really Coach K, I called him and he encouraged me to pursue active duty. His advice was, 'You don't always have a great jump shot and you don't always dribble that well, but you do have a really good heart,' and he encouraged me to follow my heart. I loved the NBA experience, but my gut told me I think it'd be cooler to continue to be a part of something bigger than myself.
Lt. Marshall Plumlee and Sgt. Worsham pose with a stick of C4 explosives.Private Noah Baldwin
"It hasn't felt like an either-or thing. It's felt like a both because there's been a lot of carryover between the two. The lines between the two have been blurred in a lot of ways."
In 2019, Plumlee signed up for Ranger School at Fort Benning in Georgia. The goal of the grueling two-month training is to join one of the world's top military units, utilized in difficult and dangerous missions, engaging in close combat and direct-fire battles. Applicants train in the air, in the mountains, in swamps, in a seemingly never-ending battle with mental and physical exhaustion.
"I don't think there are any parallels to Ranger School. It's a wholly unique experience. They really challenge your toughness," Plumlee said. "It gave me a brutal look in the mirror of what I'm good at and what I need to get better at. It really helps build your character as a soldier."
Plumlee faces unique challenges as a 7-foot soldier, when curling up in vehicles and jumping out of planes. He faces inherent and unnecessary risk, as a 27-year-old who could bank at least six-figure annual salaries to play a game.
"I feel confident. I feel safe. I feel ready that we have a good plan of attack for any kind of adversity that will be thrown our way," Plumlee said. "I don't feel the danger."
He doesn't feel anything but certainty with his decision.
"People often ask me if I miss the NBA now, but in the Army, I feel like I'm getting that same feeling every day," Plumlee said. "I'm part of a team with people from diverse backgrounds and we're coming together for a common mission.
"I'm hooked on the analogy, 'I'm getting to plant a bunch of trees I'll never see grow.' It's a really cool feeling."
FDD is a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
If you do not read anything else in the 2017 National Security Strategy read this on page 14:
"A democracy is only as resilient as its people. An informed and engaged citizenry is the fundamental requirement for a free and resilient nation. For generations, our society has protected free press, free speech, and free thought. Today, actors such as Russia are using information tools in an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of democracies. Adversaries target media, political processes, financial networks, and personal data. The American public and private sectors must recognize this and work together to defend our way of life. No external threat can be allowed to shake our shared commitment to our values, undermine our system of government, or divide our Nation."
