Quote Of The Day
I confess, without shame, I am sick and tired of fighting—its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families, appealing to me for sons, husbands and fathers … tis only those who have never heard a shot, never heard the shriek and groans of the wounded and lacerated … that cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more desolation
— William Tecumsah Sherman, United States General during the Civil War, Commanding General Of The United States Army (1869-1883)
That and other thoughts in “Courage, an essay for Memorial Day.”
How to explain a certain former naval aviator, shot down over Vietnam, and held prisoner for many years?
senility?
We don’t learn.
WIKI has a “Timeline of United States military operations” I count 238 military operations since the end of the Civil War, including eight during Sherman’s tenure as Commanding General. (To be fair, most look like Navy/Marine operations.) This does not count the Indian wars (some during Sherman’s tenure), slave revolts and other insurrections, private range wars and feuds, etc. listed separately.
@michael reynolds: I expect you know:
– being a drama queen
– media whoring
– starting to worry about a primary
– fear of not being on the teevee every Sunday morning
– Syria looked bright and shiny
– orders from AIPAC
And what @steve s: said.
A very small nit to pick:
It’s T-e-c-u-m-s-E-h