Recent conflicts such as Desert Storm and the Balkan conflict were, indeed, serious events where people died or were maimed. But when you compare the lightning-fast military operations of the late 20th century to those earlier engagements of Vietnam, Korea and World War II, which all lasted years, well, there is a difference. Returning veterans from the great wars of the 20th century were people whose lives were defined by the years they gave in the service of our country. Today, we take a few moments to reflect upon the many sacrifices made by our surviving veterans. Younger people find it hard to relate to the fierce combat that their grandfathers endured on Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Guadalcanal Wake, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Anzio, Sicily, or at Midway.
More youngsters remember hearing about Vietnam, a war that created more questions than answers.
That same argument was used for Korea, which began the debate over the validity of the domino theory. That debate eventually led us into Vietnam. No one seems to play that game anymore. It was a definite fight for good against evil. All of the wars we've fought since 1945 haven't been quite so clear in mission.