|
||||
|
Stories of American Heroes - Brought to you from the "Home of Heroes" - Pueblo, Colorado |
|
||||
|
Stories of American Heroes - Brought to you from the "Home of Heroes" - Pueblo, Colorado |
IF HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
WHEN WILL WE LEARN?Commentary by your Webmaster
C. Douglas Sterner
September 1, 2002
· The whole world knew, or at least suspected, that the man at the helm was evil.
· The whole world knew, or at least suspected, that the nation he ruled was bent on warfare.
Little more than a decade earlier, soldiers of the aggressive nation had invaded its neighbors, quickly bringing them to their knees. Peace in the region came only because young soldiers from the United States had come halfway around the world to the rescue. In a matter of only a few short months the aggressors had been pushed back inside their own borders and brought to their knees. The coalition of allied nations demanded, in the negotiations for peace that followed, that the aggressor nation disarm itself of any military capability beyond a token force for the preservation of its own people, and that it desist from rebuilding its army or developing a stockpile of new or advanced weaponry.
Now, claimed a veteran of the war a few years past, This same aggressor nation was preparing for more carnage. In defiance of the mandate of the peace treaty, its evil ruler was secretly building a new army and experimenting to create even more advanced and more deadly weapons, with dreams of a second attempt to either dominate or destroy the world, he warned.
Due his famous role in the previous war, this American combat veteran and former military leader was frequently asked his opinion of events halfway around the world. His message was always the same: This aggressor has rebuilt from the previous war, and is building newer and bigger weapons. We must deal with this problem NOW, or we will face the consequences later.
The previously invaded nation, liberated by the blood and sacrifices of America's brave young men and women no longer looked favorably upon the United States. For the most part, any action taken to neutralize this new threat would require the United States to proceed almost alone. At home, there was a general apathy to the problem. The evil ruler and his nation were in another hemisphere, far from America's shores. For his call to action, the American hero who asked for an immediate American response was labeled a "war-monger."
The insightful veteran soon observed: "I learned…leaders…were more interested in petty bickering and attempting to keep themselves in power than they were in even learning about (the evil leader's) aims, much less preparing to defend against them. It was a government of compromise and self-delusion. In their internal political fights the leaders had forgotten the outside world."
The call to action of this American hero went unheeded. The evil ruler and his nation were far away, in an entirely different hemisphere of the world. And frankly, no one had any proof that the war veteran's claims of new military might and some of the most advanced new weapons of mass destruction being developed by a potential enemy were actually valid.
One expects an old war hero to be a hawk, easy to ignore in a society bent on self-indulgence, political maneuvering, and power ploys. "Despite the cold reception (to his warnings) from government and civilian leaders alike, I never quit working for American preparedness. I could not awaken them to the danger. They continued on their placid way."
"Nor did the American people want to hear of war," he said. "For two years the Economic Club of New York had been asking me to address their membership, but I had felt that it was not yet ready to hear what I had to say. I decided if anyone in the United States would be receptive to the truth, it would be this group of farsighted, intelligent, successful men. In my speech I said that the day would soon come when the United States would be plunged into war whether or not we wanted it. Our participation would not be restricted to money and munitions but, rather, to men, money and munitions-'and gentlemen, I mean millions of men'.
"During the entire speech, members of the club sat stolidly. Usually when I speak there are interruptions of applause; on that occasion, there was not even one."
Americans are a peaceful people, a people who would much rather enjoy some of the greatest conveniences and one of the highest standards of living, to engaging in war. In all things, peace is preferable. "We are NOT the world's police force, or its savior," we are more than willing to proclaim. "Let us not meddle in the affairs of the rest of the world, affairs that are far away and have no direct impact upon us." And thus, it was within that frame of mind, the warnings of an American war hero were ignored.
The Result?
I can tell you the result of such apathy, for it is recorded in history.
The aforementioned is not a view of United States society in 2002, but in 1935. The aggressor nation that had invaded its neighbor, been crushed by American forces, and then rebuilt an army with some of the most advanced weapons of mass destruction in history was not IRAQ, but GERMANY.
The war veteran who warned America to action in 1935 was Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, America's Ace of Aces from World War I, just seventeen years prior.
The treaty ignored by the aggressor nation, an agreement with the coalition of Allied nations to prevent the aggressor nation of rebuilding, was the Treaty of Versailles.
The evil leader was not Saddam Hussein-it was Adolph Hitler.
· The result of seeking peace at any price…. · The result of ignoring the warnings of Eddie Rickenbacker to immediately confront and deal with the problem in 1935…. · The end result of neglecting to destroy a madman with a stockpile of deadly weapons was…
World War II.
"If we desire peace, it must be known that we are at all times, ready for war." (President George Washington)
At the bottom of this page are some of our reader's earliest comments. On January 1, 2007, to expedite NEW comments, we have made available the blogging script from Haloscan. Please use the link below to READ or ADD new comments.
Click Below to Make and View Reader's Comments
