My dad commanded cannon fodder, and retired as a Captain in the USN. You either know who you are fighting for, or you are cannon fodder. Even every officer knows they either know who they are fighting for, or their own troops will make them into cannon fodder.
My best friends in high school were the sons of a CIA spook and a Navy Seal, the kind of guys who laugh at James Bond movies. My other friends include one guy who was raised in a tar shack with 22 siblings by his single mother, and a friend who was born in a barn, raised in another barn, and moved into a tree house. Just chalk it up to having lived a colorful life, but I say its the ancient Chinese blessing and curse!