Perspective: His son slain in Iraq, a dad re-enlists

Francisco G. Martinez was slain by a sniper while on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq, on March 20, 2005.

FORT WORTH -- Father and son, Paco and Paquito, watched the television when a Girls Gone Wild commercial came on.

"I can't stand that ... ," Paco said to his son. "Look at these college guys, having the time of their life with daddy's money."

Paquito probably knew a lecture was coming on. He was 17, just a few weeks beyond throwing his mortarboard into the air at the Eastern Hills High School graduation, wondering what would happen next.

Paco went on, because this is sometimes what fathers do -- talk to the televisions when they're really talking to their sons.

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