Always Faithful

I had the distinct pleasure and honor to be at the homecoming for the 3/14th Marine Regiment on Saturday, 21 April. As the Patriot Guard Riders, looking more like a Mongol horde than the completely altruistic group they are, came tearing around the corner astride their big, loud, mostly Harley Davidson motorcycles the crowd assembled in the armory parking lot broke into wild cheers. As each bike rolled past, the crowd chanted and yelled. The noise was overwhelming and infectious. I did not think it could get any louder, but then the first bus carrying Marines turned into the street in front of the armory. The assembled mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, wives and just plain folks went wild with delight. Young Marines climbed out of the air hatches to stand atop the buses, waving both the American and Marine Corps flags. I yelled myself hoarse screaming WELCOME HOME! to these very young warriors. I am tougher than the average bear, but I admit that tears filled my eyes as the 19 and 20 year old Marines posed atop their buses.

I had spent nearly four hours at the armory awaiting the return of the Marines. I spoke to family members and friends who could not wait to see their loved ones. To be sure, there were a number of people present who were not related to any of the Marines. Men and women like me who have served previously, and a few who, though they never served, just wanted to let the Marines know they are loved. It was a funny thing though, all those A.N.S.W.E.R. types who march so vociferously and so passionately for an end to the war because they truly support the troops were absent. Not one A.N.S.W.E.R. shirt, or the like was visible; Not inside the armory grounds and not out on the route where thousands had lined the streets to welcome the Marines home. In fact, the Marines were so moved by the masses of people all along the route from North Carolina to Pennsylvania that they fairly gushed, repeating over and over how good it made them feel to see the outpouring of support. Not one of the dozens of Marines with whom I spoke related any recollection of the peace protesters. Granted, some of the people who have marched for peace may have been present somewhere along the route, silently standing by as the buses and their motorcycle escort roared by, but none were visible and none were in Philadelphia.

I have posted before on my belief that you cannot truly be in support of the troops if you do not support their mission. You can believe the mission has been botched, but you cannot be against it because the troops and their mission cannot be separated. They are one in the same. I now know that the A.N.S.W.E.R. crowd is disingenuous in their mantra that they support the troops. If they truly support the troops they would have been out in force to welcome them home. In fact, if we are to believe that those against the war are the majority of Americans, then their numbers should have dwarfed ours. And yet, in the nearly 500 mile route the Marines took home, not one peace protest was in evidence. What greater opportunity for a peaceful protest exists than to welcome the Marines home?

I recently received the best analogy for this nonsense of supporting the warrior, but not the war. I cannot take credit for it, but I have used it numerous times since. Imagine if you will that it is 1965 and I said, "You know I support this Dr. King guy, but I just can't get behind his Civil Rights mission. People are getting hurt down South. Police dogs are being sent against the people demonstrating for Civil Rights, and water hoses are being turned on them. Why, there have even been people killed for these Civil Rights. I just can't support something where innocent people are killed." What would be the response? First I would be decried as racist for not wanting equality for all, and then I would be berated for not understanding the importance of Civil Rights. Now I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it seems to me that the logic is equally false when applied to the war in Iraq. My Dr. King analogy is the same logic the far-left is using for pulling out of Iraq, and yet, it is accepted as logical in some quarters.

I would further posit that the notion that the war is lost is equally illogical. If you were to ask 1,000 random people what country could defeat our military, 99% of them would respond "No country can defeat our military. It is the best in the world." Well, if the latter statement is true, how can the former be anything other than laughable? The two things are mutually exclusive. Now I may be accused of over simplifying a complicated situation. If that's true though, let me ask another question: If our military can, indeed, be defeated by an insurgency, who will protect us here in the United States when the terrorists come? The police? Police don't stop crimes, they solve them. They certainly are not prepared to combat terrorists in the streets of our cities and towns. I know that police officers all across the country would charge valiantly into the fray against terrorists were they to appear on our shores as they have in Iraq. I also know we would lose a great many brave officers were that to happen.

So, I started this diatribe relating how moving it was to welcome the mostly teenage Marines home from the war in Iraq. I have committed to attending welcome home ceremonies all across the region until the war is won. I will drive for hours, wait more and yell myself hoarse greeting them upon their return. I will also refuse to accept the "I support the troops, but not the mission" mantra any longer. I see it as utterly disingenuous and completely false. You can, intellectually and with good conscience, opine that the war in Iraq began on a faulty premise, and continue that it has not been handled well, while in my presence. No longer though, will I allow the notion that it is illegal, or worse, that the mission and the warriors can be torn asunder. I will challenge that rhetoric with words and deeds. Dissent is patriotic, sedition is not. For someone to suggest that they support warriors prosecuting what they consider an illegal war is fallacious. No one can do that, not with any degree of honesty.

The war may not have been necessary when it began. That is for historians somewhere in the future to decide. What is definable now though, is that our enemies believe that this arena is a battle for supremacy. Anyone who suggests that the war is lost, or suggests that there is no recourse left but complete withdrawal is helping the enemy. I am through questioning those people's judgement. I am now questioning their patriotism. When the inevitable response of "How dare you question my patriotism? I am a patriot!" comes my way, I will simply say, What would you do differently if you weren't?