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I have very mixed feelings today. On Veterans Day, we are meant to pay tribute to "veterans, military families and those who have given their lives in the service of this great nation. We are indebted to these heroes for the freedoms we enjoy every day. My discomfort is that, while Washington honors veterans and the military, every day government actions too often produce the opposite effect.
After the "War to End All Wars" (World War I), Congress promulgated a proclamation to honor veterans who had fought and died in what had been the most destructive war of history. In just six months of fighting (May-November 1918), US troops suffered 204,002 combat casualties and 116,516 deaths from all causes. An average of 1,780 wounded per day before the entry into force of the Armistice on November 11, 1918.
An Act of the Congress of 1926 implicitly suggested to all Americans that, because of the profound human suffering caused by the war, "this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through goodwill and mutual understanding between nations ". In 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who himself witnessed even greater levels of carnage during the Second World War, also focused on the sacrifice made by our military and the search for peace.
"Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices made by all those who valiantly fought in the seas, in the air and on foreign shores to preserve our heritage of freedom, and restore ourselves," he said. promote lasting peace so that their efforts have not been in vain. "
Upon taking office in 1953, Eisenhower proved by his actions that he valued the sacrifice of the American military, immediately ending the Korean War, and then strove to hold the United States to the United States. 39 away from the others during his eight years at the Oval Office. He strongly recognized the cost that war imposes on America and our troops and wisely used other means to secure America and ensure our prosperity as a nation.
Such recognition by American leaders seems to have disappeared, especially since 9/11. Instead of honoring service members and preserving their lives by keeping war as a last resort, government leaders and popular media make it almost a caricature on which we praise considerable praise. While this may seem like a good and noble thing, it masks the humanity and individual worth of the individual – and diminishes our understanding of the cost that he and their families incur for the ongoing combat deployments we continue to send them.
I have friends who have seen themselves many fights after September 11 and who, without being physically injured, have to live with the pain of having lost many of their friends to fight the dead. In addition, since they left the service, they had to deal with the even more cruel pain of losing other veterans of the fight to suicide. Surviving family members are another of the underestimated costs of our wars.
It is difficult to understand the extent of the pain inflicted and the number of people affected by the death of a member of the military service. Every man or woman who dies often leaves a mother, father, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and close friends. Most Americans never see their pain. He is hidden from their eyes and rarely outside military communities considers him. These survivors – who themselves make great sacrifices for our country – usually suffer from extreme anonymity.
If the security of the country is at stake, if the future of our Republic is threatened, the sacrifice of the troops and the suffering of the surviving family members would be at least more tolerable. Anyone who wears the uniform understands expressly that she might someday have to give her life to defend the country that he loves. Few do it with apprehension; most consider it an honor.
But we are not doing service to our service members or their families by ignoring the price they pay to congratulate them, touting them all as "heroes". The use of a lethal military power – and the associated risk to our military – should only be used by our leaders when US security is directly threatened or attacked.
The precious lives of men and women wearing uniforms should not be jeopardized by missions aimed at "sending a message", standing for a potential confrontation or for the safety of another. country. We should not sacrifice our citizens for the security of Baghdad, Kabul, or to favor one rebel band over another in civil wars around the world.
If we truly want to honor our veterans and their families, we should insist that our leaders remember the original intent of Veterans Day and, once again, "we reaffirm the task of promoting lasting peace" and do our best to "perpetuate peace". by good will and mutual understanding between nations. "
Daniel L. Davis is Senior Research Fellow for Defense Priorities and Former US Army Lieutenant Colonel. He retired in 2015 after twenty-one years, including four combat deployments. Follow him @ DanielLDavis1. The opinions expressed in this article are binding only their author and do not represent any organization.
Image: Reuters
