When Patton was in North Africa, that seemed impossibly distant from Berlin. Anzio was the end of the World, as was Iwo Jima when Americans were being slaughtered with no progress. But, Iwo Jima became an air base from which we launched on Okinawa. We lost 6800 men on that 8 square mile island. It took a MONTH to take that 8 miles from the enemy.
Can you imagine fighting a War entailing the sacrifice, upheval and complex scope of WWII TODAY, with 24X7 Cable coverage and worldwide communication capability.
There were surreal and ridiculously immense loss of human life in obscenely short moments in that war. Thousands dying in an hour. We dropped fire bombs on civilian populations, killing tens of thousands in Dresden and Berlin in a day.
That was a different era, but the human tragedy is timeless.
It's why you and I sleep in peace and confidence in the security and prosperity of tomorrow each night. That's what the boys are fighting for. That's what they've always fought for. And always will. This is a vital mission, and our soldiers are excelling.
It is right to have worry for your loved ones and insecurity for the future. But ... this is a HISTORIC time in World History. I think the Middle East is going to experience a Renaissance going forward. I do.
Can you imagine fighting a War entailing the sacrifice, upheval and complex scope of WWII TODAY, with 24X7 Cable coverage and worldwide communication capability. Nope. And that is why the media was tightly controlled during WWII. The first dead bodies of American soldiers were not even shown to the American public until late 1943 when King Roosevelt thought we were getting lax about the war and "allowed" "Life Magazine" to show three dead bodies of marines on some pacific island beach.
Arne,I know more about WW2 than any war we've had.It was truly horrific and our very lives depended on the winning.The bombing of Dresden is controversial today because it had no "strategic"military target.It sure as shooting demoralized the citizens.Great Britain was getting buzz bombed and I haven't a pang about Dresden.I hate innocent civilian deaths.War is hell and I always want our side to have the advantage.I believe with the knowledge we had at the time,the Abomb decision was correct.I always think we must be ready to fight and win.
I have no fear for my children's future as long as we stay vigilant and stay the course.I just think there will always be tyrants and fanatics who wish us ill.WW2 was truly horrific.With today's weapons it could not have been the same war.Mass killing goes on in Africa and the Iran/Iraq war had obscene casualties.We are not a people who send our youth to war without sorrow.That is good.The enemy must understand we will suffer the loss and the sorrow in a just cause.