For every able-bodied Taiwanese man, joining the military is a rite of passage. Back when there was a serious threat of war with China, military service lasted up to three years or more. These days, with warming relations between the two sides, required military service has been reduced to less than a year. Kids these days take peace for granted. But a trip to the outlying Taiwanese island of Kinmen, just off the southern shore of China, is enough to remind you of how fortunate we are. In today’s Ear to the Ground, I bring you to a firing demonstration for an 8-inch howitzer.