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Fog of War

By Harold Trainer

More US military were killed in Afghanistan during both July and August than at any time since we invaded the country. The war is becoming President Obama's War and he soon will have to live with the results of this war. Living with the results of war is not good or easy.

Fundraiser for Cindy at Trainer house. (l-r) Harold Trainer, Cindy Sheehan, and Mike Aklin, father of Sgt. Mike Aklin II who was killed in the Iraq War in November 2003.

Coincidentally, Secretary Robert McNamara died in August at the age of 93. He stated a number of years ago that we and he were terribly wrong to fight and die in Vietnam.The documentary about McNamara, entitled, Fog Of War, documents how war can go so wrong and the huge mistakes made in Vietnam by a government that thought they were doing the right thing. The Vietnam War is now sometimes known as McNamara's War, killing more than 58,000 American Military and a million plus Vietnamese.

It is somehow easy to think in the present that a war is necessary and important to the security interests of the country as President Obama has said. It is much harder to see the past and then look into the future and through the "Fog of War" to a place where death and dying cannot be supported and the war becomes a terrible wrong and mistake.

We do not want that to happen to this president, our country and to our brave young men and women who have chosen to join the military. He needs to see through the Fog of War and see the future and how terrible it may be for him and his family and the country.

VVAW was among the sponsors who recently brought anti-war activist and Gold Star Mother, Cindy Sheehan, to Louisville from September 7-12. Cindy made international headlines in 2005 by setting up camp for an extended Iraq War protest outside Bush's ranch in Texas. Cindy's son Casey was killed in combat in Iraq, leading her to become a founding member of Gold Star Families For Peace. She made numerous appearances in Louisville recently and challenged Obama's policies on Iraq and Afghanistan. Our country's reckless use of our military cost her son's life in Iraq. Afghanistan and Washington war policy including media coverage will cost more mothers and fathers their kids' lives. She continues to speak out against the Iraq War and Afghanistan War at a number of appearances including the Muhammad Ali Center, Bellarmine University, University of Louisville and through appearances on National Public Radio and local TV stations. She said she was worried that many people who rallied for peace were protesting more against Bush and his policies than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She said that Obama has continued the military policies of his predecessor. Cindy told people that protesting the wars now are unpopular, often from a different set of people, referring to criticism from the Democrats for challenging Obama. She fired up the local peace community, some of whom have not spoken out against the wars since President Obama took office.

Sheehan called for a focus against the foreign policy employed by the White House, rather than a policy maker such as the President. She urged people to take a stand and do what is right for our brave young men and women who are putting their lives on the line for us. Keep us from being blinded by the Fog of War.

Harold Trainer, USAF, Maj. Ret., Vietnam Veteran, Business Instructor at Jefferson Community College, Louisville, KY. Lives in Prospect, KY.