“I’m in favor of the [first] War in Iraq… but I just can’t support the Troops.”
–comedian Bill Hicks

We proggies tent to take a bit of heat from the hypertensive set over obeisance-to-the-military issues. In particular we have thrown in our faces a fairly copious stream of indiscretions committed on the Home Front during the Recent Unpleasantness in Vietnam. If the number of returning veterans who claim to have been spat upon by self-righteous war protesters is any indication, there must have been more loogies flying in 1970 than at a Sex Pistols concert. Given the amount of cannabis consumed by all and sundry during that time, it’s hard to reconcile those claims with what must have been a National Cottonmouth Emergency, but perhaps these details are lost to history forever.

As for myself, I had the good taste and discretion to have been 14 years old when that nightmare ended, and can confidently avow that I have spat upon precisely no returning veterans of that war or any succeeding one. I know now, as some may not have then, that the common soldier is as much a victim of war as anyone.

So yes, we are made to feel oh-so guilty about once daring to have pointed out a spot or two of mendacity and malfeasance on the part of the Paladins Who Protect Our Freedom — and in truckling to that guilt we concede far, far more than we ought.

Just as it was then, so it is now: The Generals cower behind the enlisted men. It would be interesting to know how Lynndie England feels about this:

Army Withheld Details About Tillman’s Death
Investigator Quickly Learned ‘Friendly Fire’ Killed Athlete

By Josh White
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 4, 2005; Page A03

The first Army investigator who looked into the death of former NFL player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan last year found within days that he was killed by his fellow Rangers in an act of “gross negligence,” but Army officials decided not to inform Tillman’s family or the public until weeks after a nationally televised memorial service. (Read the full nauseating article)

Fascinating reportorial use of the word erroneous, here:

The documents also show that officers made erroneous initial reports that Tillman was killed by enemy fire, destroyed critical evidence and initially concealed the truth from Tillman’s brother, also an Army Ranger, who was near the attack on April 22, 2004, but did not witness it.

I’m not permitted to breathe the rarefied air of the Washington Post’s editorial board, but from this lowly position I would suggest the words “mendacious,” “dishonest,” or “outright goddamned lying” would have been better modifiers. Just a suggestion.

(That word was picked verbatim up by NPR this morning. Honest mistake. Really.)