When a soldier has to question the worth of the sacrifices made

There are names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington millions of people will see this month when they travel there for Memorial Day. Looking at all the names we know they all paid the price with their lives but we don't know how any of them felt about the worth of the Vietnam War. There are names of some who died believing in the cause right next to names of some who died believing it was wrong. Just as veterans cannot agree on the worth of that war, the newer veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan will not agree on the worth of these wars. What they will agree on is that in the end, after all the political balls had been played out and most politicians behind sending them have left office, they served for each other.

After 9-11 high school kids joined older men and women in showing up at recruitment offices around the country. They wanted revenge just as much as they wanted to do whatever it took to prevent it from happening again. Pat Tillman was one of them.



His death was due to friendly fire and this was finally owned up to in 2009


Did it change the value of Tillman's sacrifice? No. No matter what happened with the propaganda that followed his death, it didn't change the fact that Tillman gave up millions of dollars as a football player because of 9-11 and the fact this nation needed him along with the thousands joining him because of what happened that September morning. Are these Medal of Honor heroes worth more than heroes from Iraq?

Medal of Honor, Afghanistan

MURPHY, MICHAEL P.

Rank and Organization: Lieutenant, United States Navy
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as the leader of a special reconnaissance element with Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Afghanistan on 27 and 28 June 2005.

MONTI, JARED C.

Rank and Organization: Sergeant First Class, United States Army.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty: Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a team leader with Headquarters and Headquarters troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, in connection with combat operations against an enemy in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, on June 21st, 2006.

GIUNTA, SALVATORE A.

Rank and Organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Battle Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry,173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, 25 October 2007. Entered service at: Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Born: 25 January 1985, Clinton, Iowa. Citation: Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on October 25, 2007.

MILLER, ROBERT J.

Rank and Organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312, Special Operations Task Force 33. Place and date: Konar Province, Afghanistan. Entered service at: Oviedo, Florida. Born: 14 October 1983. Citation: Robert J. Miller distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of heroism while serving as the Weapons Sergeant in Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3312, Special Operations Task Force-33, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan during combat operations against an armed enemy in Konar Province, Afghanistan on January 25, 2008.

Medal of Honor Iraq
SMITH, PAUL R.

Rank and Organization: Sergeant First Class, United States Army
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on 4 April 2003.

DUNHAM, JASON L.

Rank and Organization: Corporal, United States Marine Corps
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, First Marine Division (Reinforced), on 14 April 2004.

MONSOOR, MICHAEL, A.

Rank and Organization: Master-At-Arms Second Class (Sea, Air And Land), United States Navy
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.

McGINNIS, ROSS A.

Rank and Organization: Private First Class, United States Army
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an M2 .50-caliber Machine Gunner, 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Adhamiyah, Northeast Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 December 2006.

What about the soldiers deployed into both countries? What kind of thoughts do they have about being wounded in Iraq when they joined because of Osama and wanted to go into Afghanistan? Does it hurt more because they were wounded in Iraq instead?

Apparently, emotionally, being in the "wrong place" has put a heavier burden on their shoulders.

A soldier learns he fought the wrong war

The consensus on Iraq has hardened, and it's a painful one for its veterans.

By Shannon P. Meehan

My initial reaction to the news of Osama bin Laden's death last week was similar to that of many Americans: relief, pride in our country and those serving it, and a sense of closure for those who lost loved ones on that September day many years ago. But I also have other, more troubling feelings that linger.

As a veteran who was injured in combat in Iraq, I wanted to feel a sense of accomplishment and finality. I wanted to feel that bin Laden's death demonstrated the worth of my sacrifice. But I couldn't. And somehow I felt I was on the outside of all of this.

As I sifted through the reactions of my friends on social networks, I read comments like, "Great news. If only we hadn't gotten off course with Iraq for so long," or, "Could have gotten him earlier if we hadn't wasted our time in the illegal war in Iraq."

Reading such comments made me realize just how disconnected I was from the killing of bin Laden. The more I reflect on it, the less I feel part of it or of the war against terrorism, at least in the public's eye.

My war - the Iraq war - is being remembered as quite different from the "war on terror." Its narrative, as shaped by the media and the public, breaks dramatically from that of the war in Afghanistan and the pursuit of terrorists around the globe.

The Iraq war has become the mistaken war, the one that so many Americans believe we never should have waged. I have come to realize that, regardless of my personal beliefs and opinions, this is how the Iraq war will be remembered - as an unfortunate error increasingly divorced from the country's valiant fight against terrorism.
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A soldier learns he fought the wrong war

When you look back at the number of troops in Afghanistan before the Bush Administration decided invading Iraq was more important, you realize this soldier is probably right.
Troop Levels in the Afghan and Iraq Wars
FY2001-FY2012: Cost and Other Potential Issues
Amy Belasco
Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget July 2, 2009

Experts will debate Iraq for many years just as they have been searching for answers as to what could have been accomplished in Afghanistan had the focus been getting Osama, but the men and women sent will question it for the rest of their lives.

When the memorials are built for Iraq and Afghanistan, they will walk to it, stand in front of it, see a name they know, and they will wonder as much as they will miss their friend. What will we be doing? Will we help them to see that in the end they fought for each other? Is there is nothing more worthy than that?