5 years

I'm not asking for pity, only understanding for the cost of this war. We did, after all, volunteer for the Army and that is the key distinction between this army and the army of the Vietnam War.
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Iraqi war dead are more special than those in Vietnam?
 
It would seem the wires got crossed on that comment, to be sure.

I also agree with JAM that the word "anniversary" just rubs me the wrong way in cases like this. Same for 9/11.
 
USNA69 said:
Iraqi war dead are more special than those in Vietnam?
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Just to be clear...
I don't agree with everything said in this article, but I did think it was a good reminder about the fact that behind the numbers are real people with families. I come across too many people that forget that there is a face that goes with each of those numbers. Maybe that happens with every war, I don't know. I was born in 1968 so I was too young during Vietnam to be aware if this was the case then too.
 
WAMom68 said:
Just to be clear...
I don't agree with everything said in this article, but I did think it was a good reminder about the fact that behind the numbers are real people with families. I come across too many people that forget that there is a face that goes with each of those numbers. Maybe that happens with every war, I don't know. I was born in 1968 so I was too young during Vietnam to be aware if this was the case then too.
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You certainly got the spirit of his article. It's a red herring suggesting that he was disparaging or comparing Vietnam casualties to OEF/OIF caualities. Clearly what the kid (well a Lt is kid to me- so I'm not disparaging him when I call him that) was saying was that unlike Vietnam-it's not a draftee Army and everybody in the Army has volunteered- so he's not trolling for pity for people put in a situation not of their choice (as compared to Vietnam draftees) and doesn't think that pity is even warranted as a result. However- as you have pointed out- he is trying to make sure that people understand that behind statistics and news stories there are real people.
 
That said, and I know this is off topic. Someone brought up the difference of a Vietnam death v. a Iraq death.

If somebody dies in defense of this country, whether they volunteered to go or they were drafted, the loss is the same, and they gave their lives for this country, and the freedom we hold dear.

I would be interested to know the "fragging" numbers between an all volunteer military v. one with draftees. This takes nothing away from a draftee, but I have no doubt that not everyone who didn't want to go ran to Canada, some still went. I know the draft was around for the Civil War too, but I doubt there are any numbers there.

I don't think the United States treated those troops they way they were owed, and it's hard for us to make up for that so far down the road.
 
Bruno, the public will believe what they want to believe. For some they will just use the numbers, as if some limit has been met. They of course will disregard numbers from previous wars, the numbers of lives lost in minutes in WWII, because it suites their own needs.

I don't think we can convert those kinds of people.


Some Americans understand there is a story behind the numbers and many faces behind that story, and some will ignore that completely, maybe because they can sleep better at night not associating names of friends with the dead. They use the numbers as a statistic and a punch line.
 
LineInTheSand said:
I don't think the United States treated those troops they way they were owed, and it's hard for us to make up for that so far down the road.
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How very true, and how very sad. :frown:

What really gets me into a tizzy is that too many of the same people who mistreated them back then are the ones wanting to COMMAND their modern brothers now! :mad:
 
LineInTheSand said:
"Soldier, Sailor, Airmen, Marine, and Coast Guardsmen" was meant to REMIND people that we haven't only lost Soldiers and Sailors. If it's a post to "remember", I think it is important to remember all members who have lost their lives.


The post was not a correction, as much as a reminder.


When you're branch is constantly left out of the "rememberance" it's important to remind people.
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all the services have had fatalities in iraq whether it's 1 or 2319. every one of them should be honored for giving their life and every service has something to give.

as of 3/27/08:

Army: 2319
Marine: 847
Army National Guard: 436
Army Reserve: 129
Marine Reserve: 127
Navy: 78
Air Force: 48
Naval Reserve: 14
Air National Guard: 2
Coast Guard: 1
Department of Defense: 1
Department of the Air Force: 1
Department of the Army: 1
Marine (IRR): 1

from http://icasualties.org/oif/Service.aspx
 
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