On October 22, 2007, journalist for the Atlantic Monthly and visiting professor at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD Robert D. Kaplan, spoke with Yale Journal of International Affairs editor Alexander Besant about contemporary issues in American national security.  As I was reading his interview during my final exam this morning, I realized he had a simple, but brilliant, insight, “Unpopular war is hard to make heroes out of individual troops.  If you had a case of a Medal of Honor winner in the First Gulf War, it would potentially have been easier to lionize him or her than in the current war in Iraq. Remember, when the troops went into Bosnia, the troops were lionized and were portrayed in the liberal media as heroes. Yet real heroes in this war have not been portrayed this way.”

Mr. Kaplan is correct.  This is an unpopular war.  A recent Quinnipiac University poll shows 56 percent of those interviewed disapprove of the way the current administration is handling the war.

With Code Pink morons protesting outside military recruiting stations in California, abuse against members of  the military being heaped on by slimy, self-righteous, so-called “peaceniks,” who think their right to protest by harassing service members trumps the Soldiers’ right to exist without being assaulted by communist asshats, and even explosive devides being planted outside military recruiting stations, it’s obvious the war is not exactly fabulous in the minds of the public. 

They tend to forget that the mission of the military is not just combat anymore.  It’s helping rebuild cities, homes, schools, roads and other infrastructure.  It’s helping rebuild hope.  Society has gotten caught up in the unpopularity of the war and has forgotten its heroes.

This is my friend Mike – Father Michael Wikstrom.  He’s a chaplain, who was deployed with me to Kosovo. He’s currently in Afghanistan, helping rebuild that hope for future generations.

This is my friend Jeremy Brown.  He was also deployed with me last year – both he and his twin brother Paul.  Winning the hearts and minds.

Derrick Turner was also deployed to Kosovo with me.  He’s from Texas, and he volunteered to stay in Kosovo to help the people rebuild.

Mike Wikstrom sent me this photo.  “

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We gave out over 1300 packets of school supplies
to the kids,” he writes, “and gave the teachers enough supplies for a year.  All donations came from schools, churches and
community groups such as Jaycees, Lions, Rotary…etc.“

This is another one that Mike sent me of a Navy Lt. Cdr. having fun with some children in Afghanistan.  He has his own website, where he writes:

One of my responsibilities is heading up the VCR program.  One of the
greatest things about being a American is helping those who are less
fortunate than ourselves.  The VCR program does just that.  It also
helps us to “win the hearts and minds” of the local Afghans – and makes
it safer for our servicemen and women.  Churches, schools, community
organizations and individuals all help by sending clothing, shoes,
blankets, toys and other items.  On Mondays we sort the items and bag
them.  Later in the week we deliver the items to refugee camps,
orphanages, schools and hospitals, etc.  It is amazing to see the
impact of this simple act. 

These are heroes we seem to forget.  They are ordinary men and women who do extraordinary deeds every day without demanding honor or recognition.  They just do it because it’s part of their job. 

We seem to forget them sometimes, and that’s why the work of honest, dedicated journalists like Michael Yon is so vitally critical.  No matter how unpopular the war is, we need to remember that there are ordinary, committed, proud Americans battling not just an armed insurgency, but fighting to win the hearts and minds of the populace and help them build a better tomorrow.

To view more of Michael Yon’s work, you can click on the photo above.

Please stop and consider for a moment that the members of our Armed Forces aren’t out to slay, murder and pillage.  They are dedicated to helping people around the world rebuild their lives – one kid at a time.

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