“Supporting the Troops,” Revisited

As is part of a great American tradition, a lot was said and written in honor of our veterans this past Veterans Day. And, as it has become customary during the past few years, a lot has also been said and written about our newest veterans, the troops who have served so honorably and bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also, as in past years, much has been said and written about “supporting the troops.” Many voice their support, and concern, for the troops by bemoaning the shortcomings and problems they face when they finally return home and take off that uniform. The past couple of years, and especially around Veterans Day, we have been horrified by the incredibly high rates of suicides, alcoholism, mental illness, PTSD, unemployment and homelessness among our veterans. In unison, Americans are asking why and demanding that our veterans be better taken care of, medically, financially, mentally and in other ways.

Fortunately, this Veterans Day—while we continue to demand support for our troops and veterans—we have not heard as often or as loud the cries of those who in the past have attempted to use Veterans Day to equate not supporting the war in Iraq with not supporting the troops.

Last Veterans Day I wrote about this emotional issue.

One of my starting paragraphs read:

Let me just say it up front: I support the troops, but I do not support the war in Iraq. Although millions of honorable Americans regularly make similar assertions, it is still risky to do so knowing that a good number of Americans will at best reject outright what they see as a contradiction in terms and, at worst, accuse those who make such a contention of being disingenuous, unpatriotic, etc.

And I concluded, referring to my hawkish views during the Vietnam War and my gung-ho support of that war:

There are many ways in which opposition to this war can be construed to mean lack of support for the troops. I was at one time masterful at that. I just ask that “supporters” of the [Iraq] war consider the possibility that those Americans who disagreed with our government on the justification for this war and who continue to disapprove of the cavalier manner in which our troops have been placed in harm’s way, do indeed respect, admire and deeply care for those who are doing the actual fighting in Iraq and elsewhere and making all the sacrifices.

As I said, this Veterans Day there wasn’t a lot of such rhetoric. Perhaps it is because the war in Iraq is winding down; perhaps because many of the “accusers” have mellowed in their views; perhaps because we are now on the threshold of significantly increasing our involvement, our troop levels, and perhaps the casualties in another war.

Or it could be because some of the initially ardent supporters of the war in Afghanistan are now having second thoughts.

I was and continue to be such a supporter. While I can not promise that I will continue to blindly support this war, I can categorically promise that I will never question the patriotism of those who have been, are, or will be against the war in Afghanistan, and that I will never insinuate that those who do not support the Afghanistan War do not support the troops.

I hope others will share in such sentiments.