PROFESSIONALISM: The Troops

When the history of the Iraq War is written, the American and Iraqi victory will be attributed to the initiative and persistence, if not the planning and management, of George Bush and his War Cabinet; and to that slim majority of the American and Iraqi public that had the courage to stay the course in the face of the loss of soldiers, marines and large segments of political and national will. But, it will also be recognized and valued that when the situation was grim and the majority weakened, when anti-war politicians thought of Vietnam, the victory depended on the endless courage and professionalism of the United States military.

In today's Wall Street Journal Online, Peggy Noonan, a writer of perception and renown, said this: http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110007710

One of the great and historic things about this war is that whatever you think of it, justified or not, the right decision or not, no one--no one--has decided it is right to emotionally abandon the fighters in the field. This, as we know, is different from what happened in Vietnam, when a generation of those who served were given in response the distanced disrespect of a certain portion of our country. Everyone feels bad about that, and should. But, amazingly enough we seem to have learned from it. Almost everyone knows--and the very small number who don't know at least know enough to go off and be quiet--that the men and women on the field are fighting for us, serving us, that they are putting themselves in harm's way with courage, that they deserve to be patronized by no one, that they deserve honor from all.

As a Vietnam vet, I'll drink to that.