Steve, whenever I see these kinds of patriotic calls to respect and appreciate the troops, I think of a high school buddy of mine who shared a remarkably low lottery number with me during the draft during the Viet Nam conflict. His name was Don McDougal, and he fought the draft valiantly, registering as a contientious objector, and after a prolonged battle, eventually winning out to his convictions, and being consigned to the Ecology Corps. Stationed near Yosemite, he soon became a key member of the Calaveras County Mountain Rescue Team. He recieved mountain climbing training, paramedic training, skydiving training, the governor of Tennessee donated a team of blood hounds and dog handling training, and his team had a DC-10 at their disposal to fly all over the United States doing search and rescues and body recoveries. Unlike the scum such as Dick Cheney, Don refused to serve in Nam due to his convictions, yet felt the responsibility to serve in a manner that befit his conscience and sense of patriotism.

There are many such "heroes" in our society today. Those that choose to actively rebel against participating in the crimes of our leaders, not out of cowardice, but out of a deep sense of conviction and patriotism. That requires immense courage. They too deserve our respect, our gratitude, and our support.

Thanks, Steve, for this post. I'm really haunted by this one. I'm only a few degrees of separation removed, and it hits home.

Thank you for this commentary. I admit to very mixed emotions about our current deployments. My eldest son is a decorated veteran of Afghanistan, wounded in combat, and I vividly recall the phone call apprising us of his status, and the subsequent visits to his hospital ward. I am extremely proud of my son and his compatriots, but I skeptical of the circumstances and goals of the mission that led to his wounding and the wounding and death of several of his comrades.

North Korea is not doing anything new. They have been at this awhile.

The purpose of our military is to kill our enemies and destroy their ability to hurt us.

People in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and even North Korea are not our enemies.

To use our troops to fight and kill and destroy these people is not only immoral, it spits in the face of our military and our veterans. It is beyond stupid, it is beyond disgusting. And this has been true for every 'conflict' since WW2. All the military folks who died in combat since then have died for our freedom all right --- our freedom to be the world's biggest hypocrites.

America’s power continues to be in a state of ‘explosion,’ if used wisely and resolutely against its enemies, and not in a state of “implosion.”

The North Korean test is the “meme” that will destroy President Obama’s new foreign policy based on diplomacy with America’s irreconcilable enemies such as Iran. The doors of diplomacy that Obama is opening to the Mullahcratic regime and its sundry of proxies will close with a bang in the face of the rookie president in foreign affairs.

Steve,
I have both friends and relatives in the military. My thoughts ran deep for them and our country yesterday. Some have given the ultimate sacrifice, others fought bravely and lived (not) to talk about it. I flew my flag proudly for them yesterday.

Who I didn't waste thoughts on were GW, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith -- and for past dirty deeds, throw in Kissinger. These monsters are responsible for the deaths of millions, including tens of thousands of American soldiers. These monsters don't need to be remembered in any way, shape, form. They need to be waterboarded and charged with treason.

Given the chance, these monsters would do it all again in the name of (their money) god.

Here an another point of view about War, Life, Power and American Destiny:
http://www.securityaffairs.org/issues/2009/16/peters.php

Be careful about what you write, my dear writing friend: Ralph Peters is very appreciated by Dick Ckeney.

"Memorial Day does not mean embracing wars and conflicts that set back the interests of the nation in some shallow gesture of patriotism -- but Memorial Day should mean paying respect to those who have sacrificed greatly for the nation, even if that sacrifice should not have been demanded by our leaders." Perfectly put, Steve, and I second your recommendation of Andrew Bacevich's book, and pretty much anything he writes.

I also want to thank you, POA, for offering from you personal experience a very, very important point. People who refuse, out of conscience, to go do what they should not be sent to go and do should be honored equally on Memorial Day, a day which needs to be as large of spirit as is humanly possible. It was created, of course, to honor the Union dead in that most insane of family bloodlettings, our Civil War. The South had its own Memorial Day in February, which was still noted when I was in elementary school in the 50s. I should add that one of my maternal great-grandfathers - both Kentuckians - fought on the Union side and the other on the Confederate side. Neither, thankfully, was killed. I only wish the same could be said for Andrew Bacevich's son.

We need to reflect, and reflect deeply, on everything our wars and the sacrifices - and senseless waste - of our men and women mean. And we need to reflect equally deeply on the consequences of our wars for the people who live where they are waged.