by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
County Court Judge James Ruth was busy in his office Tuesday, his last day on the bench for a while.
He won’t be on vacation. He’s not going to recharge the batteries. And he’s definitely not taking a sabbatical.
“No,” he insisted. “You’re not on sabbatical when you’re going to Iraq.”
Ruth was notified Tuesday by his commanding officer, Col. Jeffrey Hetherington, that his unit would be joining the war effort. He’s been ordered to report to Miami on Monday.
Thanksgiving will be the same, he said. But familiar themes will undoubtedly have a more earnest tone.
“We’ll have a celebration,” said Ruth. “Give thanks to the Lord and count our blessings.”
A lieutenant colonel in the Florida Army National Guard, Ruth has about 25 years in total military service. He had been assigned to the military police, quartermaster and infantry signal corps before landing in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) corps.
His unit has been activated before, but never for more than a month or two at a time.
Ruth is “ready, willing and able” to go, even if the Middle East is not where he would have chosen to spend the holidays.
“If you told me to make out a list of the top 10 places I wanted to go right now, Iraq wouldn’t make the list,” he laughed. “But as far as commitment to community and country, I’m ready.
“My parents instilled in me a sense of community. That’s why I have this chosen profession. And the military is consistent with what I do in civilian life.”
Ruth’s mother and father have “lived their lives giving back” as teachers — he in Nassau County; she at Ribault, her son’s high school.
After preparations are complete in Miami, Ruth’s unit will move to Camp Blanding for weapons training and “crash courses” in Arabic culture, anti-terrorism and mines.
“Actually, it’s more of a refresher course,” he said. “This is the the kind of training we’ve been doing throughout, particularly heightened after Sept. 11.”
He anticipates being in Iraq by his birthday, Jan. 6.
Military service is something the Ruth family understands. So does his wife, Michelline.
“Most of the members of my family were in the military,” he said. “My dad, grandfather, my brothers, uncles and a lot of the women.
“There’s a number of outstanding people who answered that call before me. It’s my turn.”
Michelline Ruth, a former prosecutor, served with the JAG Corps in the 25th Infantry Division. She now does insurance defense work for Allstate.
Judge Ruth’s duties will be divided among his colleagues, “who will pitch in to handle my cases until I return. The troops have really rallied around this.”
His daughter, 6-year-old Shaina, has been alternately curious and nervous about what has been going on for several months.
“When I was being activated, going back and forth, she would see me get in my uniform,” said Ruth. “She was seeing on the news what was happening in Iraq.
“One day, she said, ‘Dad, did you kill anybody? Did you see anybody get shot?’
“I said, ‘Why do you ask me that?’ And she said, ‘You’re going to the war, aren’t you?’
“I took for granted she knew where I was, but she had been wrestling with that for months. I didn’t know. That sensitized me to make sure I keep her informed.”
When he got his orders Tuesday, however, Ruth and his wife thought it best not to tell Shaina the whole truth.
“We decided to tell her Dad was going away with the military,” he said. “The only difference this time is he’s going away a little longer. And he’s going to send gifts.
“She felt better. She was sad, but she brightened up a little bit.
“The next day she said, ‘Are you leaving today? I need to get my list together.’ ”