News: Michael P. Murphy, 1976-2005
The Medal of Honor, the U.S. military's highest decoration, has been awarded posthumously to Michael Murphy:
For more on the operation, check out this post over at Xavier's place (I feel I must add this - some of the comments underneath the linked post are enough to make you throw up).
posted by Mulliga @ 11:43 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I feel I must add this - some of the comments underneath the linked post are enough to make you throw up
What comments?
James
Specifically, I'm referring to Andre's comments about how these SEALs should be up for an Iron Cross instead of a Navy Cross (comparing them to Nazis).
Now, I wasn't there and I bet Andre wasn't, either, but these goatherds were almost certainly working with the Taliban. The decision to let them go basically led to the deaths of everyone except Luttrell. It's natural to feel resentment and regret over that kind of decision, so I suppose he is sort of "apologizing." Still, IMHO, this behavior is miles away from herding people onto railroad cars for summary execution.
I'm also tired of people trying to paint the U.S. actions in WWII as evil or somehow unjust (Sans Authoritas' comment). It's a mythical world where we can bomb "every troop movement, every troop transport" without harming civilians of the enemy nation, especially when you're talking about mainland Japan in the 1940s. The Germans and the Japanese had no such reservations about attacking civilian populations in Europe and China, respectively. And how much sense would it have made to NOT destroy Germany or Japan - that's what led to WWII in the first place (the end of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles).
I'm with you 100% on all of that, Mulliga.
James
I don't agree. There is a difference between intending to incinerate civilians, and deliberately targeting them. This was a difference that the war leaders failed to recognize. Except for men like MacArthur, Halsey, Nimitz, and a few others, who said that not only was the use of nuclear weapons on Japan immoral, but it was un-necessary. http://www.doug-long.com/thad103.htm
Post a Comment
<< Home