Obscured and Lost in the Fog of War

It seems obvious that we should remember the contribution of our men and women who have served and of those who are still serving in the Armed Forces of this nation.  Few Americans would deny this.
 

Likeness of Raritan Borough's WWII hero Sgt. John
Basilone, mounted on a truck of the Marconi Lodge
in the September, 2011, local parade.

Paradoxically, however, it is anything but obvious that we sufficiently honor these heroes.  Mostly, it is the families and friends of those who have died or who have been wounded and disabled in our recent wartime engagements that are left to pick up the pieces and to justify their loss.
 
Except for the American troops on the front lines who are fighting in desolate places like Afghanistan, the rest of us seem to have become too detached, going about our lives as usual – no sacrifice is asked of us, and none is offered. 
 
“Just keep signing the checks, and don’t ask questions,” the politicians in Washington seem to be intoning.
   
For months, if not years, I have not liked the twisted logic and the flawed political strategies which have caused too many of America’s best to have perished.
 
Wars should not be fought without just cause, rational objectives, and the will to win decisively.  Ignoring that concept just prolongs the time, the cost, and the misery on both sides. 
 
Despite some of the self-serving rhetoric emanating from the White House and the halls of Congress, those principles have not been applied in Iraq.  Neither are they being implemented in Afghanistan.  
 
In his column on Friday, Jay Jefferson Cooke’s concluding sentence was, “The cost of freedom is buried in the ground.”  That thought transfixed me and provided the impetus for this post.
 
Far too many American lives have been lost or shattered already.  It’s time to get the storyline straight.
 
Thanks for reading.  And, remember.


(Click on the photo for an enhanced view)