My brother went to Harvard. He’s ‘Good Will Hunting’ smart. I lived with him in Cambridge for a while, and I visited the campus chapel. Up on the walls, they had the names of every Harvard man who’s died in war. The list was so long for World War I and World War II. It stretched all the way to the ceiling. But as time passed, the list grew thinner and thinner. The best and the brightest didn’t show up for Vietnam. And I understand. It was an unpopular war. But there were consequences. Leadership faltered. Standards were lowered. Lives were lost because of poor decisions.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were going to happen whether I participated or not. I was a fortunate son of this country. I had a good family. I went to a private school. I graduated from a great college. Many of the men who served under me didn’t have those advantages. They relied on me to make tough decisions in dangerous situations. And I’m glad I was there to make those decisions.
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4 mins