Old Soldiers......

Do you remember the movie, "We Were Soldiers". The author's of that book, Hal Moore and Joe Galloway, wrote this follow-up book, "We Are Soldiers Still", which I recently read.

The original book is required reading at military academies and focuses on the battle for the Ia Drang valley and the struggles the soldiers and their families faced during this time. "We are Soldiers Still" looks at the lives of those who fought there in the time since, centering around return trips to Vietnam that the authors have taken. It includes highlights of interviews with former Vietnamese combatants in the Ia Drang, the stories of what happened to many of the survivors and General Moore's insights into leadership, war and life in general.

He also talks about his wife, who was featured prominently in the movie. You might remember her bravely going in person to the homes of all the wives of those lost in the battle, as the Army's system for death notification at the time was to send a taxi cab with a telegram. She fought for a change and the Army relented, returning to more proper notifications....if any system can be called proper for such a horrible and unpleasant event.

One thing he brings up is how he didn't believe that if the U.S. Govt. had been better students of history, they might have been more circumspective about entering a war with Vietnam. Vietnam had a history of driving out invaders, including repeated wars with China and the recent defeat of the French. What wasit that made the U.S. think that we could effectively outlast a people that had fought similar invaders for generations?

It makes me consider our current state of world affairs. the current administration has announced an upcoming increase in troops to fight in Afghanistan. The Afghans (that we called freedom fighters during the Soviet occupation), have been involved in a Civil war since 1978. the Soviets were involved from 1979-1989 and that involvement resulted in devastating effects for their army and, some speculate, their economy. As Rudyard Kipling informs, the British were in on the action, being involved in three wars that led to the deaths of many young Brits.

We have some of the finest, best equipped soldiers in the world. I hope and pray they are thoughtfully and effectively deployed when the need arises.

And, if this post isn't long enough, here is the Song Sgt. Mackenzie from the movie "We Were Soldiers". I think I will watch that movie again.