The National Memory

As time passes and those who served in the military pass away, the national memory of every war fades. Future generations will no longer remember the names of places nor will they know how or where Americans fought and died. The veterans of these past wars are the living reminders of the costs of wars in blood and silver. As these veterans die, the facts about their wars fade into the past and are recorded in history books.

Vietnam veterans who have visited Vietnam say that they were surprised that they did not experience negative attitudes toward Americans. The Vietnam War does not appear to be a major issue in Vietnam as most of the population was born after the end of the war. For most of the Vietnamese population, the Vietnam War has already been relegated to the history books.

The memories and attitudes of the American people are similar toward World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and are beginning to include Vietnam. As these wars fade from the public conscience, the lessons learned do also. One issue we learned and continually forget was good intentions do not guarantee success when "Nation building", "regime change", or whatever name you give to the U.S. forcibly trying to change the government of another country. Attempting to force a change in government will stir resistance and is a sure way to start a war. It never goes as smoothly as its advocates predict. Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan are all proof of this.

When you hear a politician calling for regime change in North Korea, Iran, or several other countries understand that this person is not dealing with reality. These politicians seem to not understand that war means innocent people will be killed. They do not understand war because so many of them have avoided military service. Yet, these same politicians are willing to send our forces into war with no regard for the costs paid by our troops.

There are cruel governments whose sole purpose is self-preservation with no sense of right or wrong. It is understandable that good people would want to see these governments removed, but one must consider the costs of attempting to force this. What are we willing to pay when these regimes take up arms to prevent their overthrow?

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.