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Themes developing in comments threads around the blogosphere - and in the minds of many around the world:
1. On Aidan Delgado's claims that soldiers drove around in Humvees bashing coke bottles on Iraqi's heads: That figures, that's how those soldiers are. Remember Abu Ghraib?
2. On Abu Ghraib: You know those ignorant soldiers had to be working under orders.
In comments here I'm accused of defending torture for pointing out the guilt of those who did it. I'm also accused of denying that soldiers are capable of wrong doing in the Delgado case. I can't be both, but so it goes.
There's actually an interesting contrast point between the stories. In the Abu Ghraib case a young E4 discovered what was going on and turned the torture squad in to the chain of command, prompting the investigation. He risked a lot - obviously he knew what sorts of things the perpetrators were capable of, but he did the right thing. He seeks no publicity, but he's a guy who should be admired for what he did.
Contrast that to Delgado. Pretend for a minute he's not a liar, that what he claims to have witnessed was true. Rather than seek justice, he slinks off like a coward, applies for conscientious objector status, and begins making broad accusations. By not naming names he casts doubt on every man and woman in uniform.
But what he says isn't true. If it was, someone in Delgado's unit would have had the courage to step forward and put a stop to it, or told what was going on. Few soldiers are angels. Fewer still are criminals. But courage is common, and the rarest soldier of all is the cowardly liar.
By the way, I don't apply the term "coward" to his conscientious objector status. There's something to be admired in those who demonstrate the courage of their convictions, whether by telling the hard truth or by refusing to kill others, regardless of the cause. Delgado is a failure on both counts.
Desmond T. Doss is (he is still living) a 7th Day Adventist. This Christian denomination does not believe in the taking of life. Desmond Doss could have easily avoided service in WWII. Because of his upbringing and personal faithfulness, a request for CO status would have, most likely, been granted without question. Yet, Desmond T. Doss joined the Army, not to kill, but to save lives.This quote discussed the character of a man, being vilified for his faith by those he served with:
So what do you do with a soldier who won't train on Saturday, eat meat, or carry a gun or bayonet? Doss' commanding officer knew what to do. Paperwork was initiated to declare him unstable, a miss-fit, and wash him out of military service with a Section-8 discharge as "unsuitable for military service." But Doss wanted to serve his country, he just refused to kill. He performed all of his other duties with dedication, was an exemplary a soldier in every other way. At his hearing he told the board, "I'd be a very poor Christian if I accepted a discharge implying that I was mentally off because of my religion. I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I can't accept that kind of a discharge." So the Army was "stuck" with Desmond Doss.
Go read the story of how he earned the Medal of Honor on Okinawa exactly 60 years ago today.
