If you look on the left side column of The Political Dogfight you'll see a piece written by the brilliant, ground level historian Bernard Fall on the Viet Nam war and the climatic battle that drove the French from the country. He was killed in that goddamn war when the US was there. Just another jounalist like so many that have fallen in Iraq.
Just this morning I see that over 10%, over 10% of our KIA [Killed in Action] have come from my own Camp Pendleton Marine Base, just 15 miles down the road and I fear more will die. Only one, just one, insurgent war in the 20th Century has been won by an outside force according to President Clinton.
I wish I could remember the one that was....I don't. 10% of our battle casualties and most of them drank a beer and raised hell in some bar in San Clemente I've probably been in years ago when I more or less lived there with a girlfriend.
You think it hits close to home and comes close to breaking my heart? Yeah, you bet.
How many more? Over 16,000 battle casualties. Like Tammy Duckworth who is running for Congress after losing both legs and one arm when her helo was hit with rocket fire. And it hit in the cockpit!
You know the amazing part of that story? She landed the bird upright and saved lives!
Will she be worth a damn as a Candidate in Il-06 (if I have the number right...I'm sure sick of hearing of the Primary)? I don't know. But she sure deserves our respect. She's paid a helluva price and is willing to continue fight in our arena; the political arena. That says something...you decide what.
Read what Bernard Fall said about the defeat of the French and see if it makes any sense to you. Today I'm going out into the bright blue sky of California and try to forget those men that are already gone and that thousands more are in training today to be ready to go....are just 15 miles away.