Bush in Salt Lake City: "Staying on the Offensive"

President Bush addressed the VFW in Salt Lake City today. As reported:

Speaking in Utah before U.S. military veterans, President Bush acknowledged the deaths of more than 1,860 U.S. troops in Iraq since the 2003 invasion that toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"We will honor their sacrifice by staying on the offensive against the terrorists -- by building strong allies in Afghanistan and Iraq that will help us fight and win the war on terror," he said.

Sometimes it seems that more soldiers must die because others have died before them. We cannot honor sacrifice by asking others to pay the ultimate price.



Illustration of the "Charge" on the BBC

In 1854, Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote of another ill-fated military adventure in the Crimean War. Hearing the President speak made me think of this poem, which if you are not familiar with it, is worth a read and a thought or two.

I found a description of this poem:

This poem was written to memorialize a suicidal charge by light cavalry over open terrain by British forces in the Battle of Balaclava (Ukraine) in the Crimean War (1854-56). 247 men of the 637 in the charge were killed or wounded. Britain entered the war, which was fought by Russia against Turkey, Britain and France, because Russia sought to control the Dardanelles. Russian control of the Dardanelles threatened British sea routes.

Here is the text of The Charge of the Light Brigade:

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd.
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd.
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honor the charge they made!
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

It is not good enough that a President send other young Americans into battle to die because there have been others who preceded them in death! This Administration fixed the facts to get us into this war and they need to get back in touch with reality to find their way out.

America deserves better!

Bob