Report From a Forgotten War

[Terri]

By Oliver North
August 8, 2008

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- To Americans of my generation and older, the Korean War is the "Forgotten War." For this generation, it's Afghanistan -- or to be precise, Operation Enduring Freedom.

This seven-year-long campaign against al-Qaida and the Taliban in the shadow of the Hindu Kush didn't start out as a "forgotten war." On Oct. 7, 2001, less than a month after the 9/11 attacks, Operation Enduring Freedom began with a salvo of Tomahawk cruise missiles and raids by B-1s, B-2s, B-52s and waves of carrier-based aircraft. For the next month, the entire world was riveted as Afghan Northern Alliance troops -- bolstered by U.S. special operations forces and CIA teams -- swept south toward Kabul.

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[elmerck1]

I get the Wash.post every morn, and you should read some of the comments from smart alecks who knows nothing about what is going on in the war in Afg, or iraq. I wish each and very one ot them had to serve a tour of duty over there, and they would come back different individuals.It makes me so mad to hear them down our country, our party, and the good people who are serving in the military over seas.I wish they would implement the draft again, and that would require them to serve at least one tour of duty.You talk about an eye opener, that would do the trick.

[THelsel]

Elmerck, Sir.

Please, no draft. That's the last thing our guys need, some idiot from Berkeley, California who doesn't want to be in, hates the commitment that his fellow soldiers have, and who would most likely whine from the day he takes the oath until he's discharged as unsatisfactory for service.

Understand that this does not denigrate the contributions of those who were drafted in an earlier day but that our present day "All Volunteer" military is a thing of beauty composed of professionals and leaders at every rank. Let the whiners stay at home and let our winners in uniform continue to win without having to worry about the "cherry" breaking and putting their buddies at risk.

[Paulmarkar]

THelsel I agree with you the all volunteer force is best. Elmerck1 does have a point though, these people have not contributed to the nation as in the past. Maybe a national service corps would do the trick, draft them for one or two years and send them to Iraq and Afganistan to do civil works projects so they can see first hand what the military has accomplished. It would also force them to see that the rest of the world doesn't have it so good and teach them to appreciate what we have here and what it costs to keep it that way.

[qrayjack]

It has been a great blessing for me to have spent most of my life in the company of heroes -- people who put themselves at risk for the benefit of others. That certainly defines the young Americans here in Marine Expeditionary Unit 24. Hero is a word that also applies to our Fox News cameraman, Canadian Chris Jackson.

And thank you Colonel North for personally observing and relating these stories of heroism by the superb men and women of our military who fight for our freedoms and those of others. God bless and keep you, and them, safe.

[schillerbjr]

I concur with QRAYJACK post # 5, "OUTSTANDING" statement!!