Ms. Hughes' story was touching -- Oliver Brown is a hero, and I doubt anyone will ever dispute that. I can only hope that someday I have 40 Oliver Browns in my platoon.

But as touching as it was, it was somewhat misleading. Some 76,000 dead sons, brothers and fathers over the course of 100 years cannot possibly be placed within the context of Vietnam. The 58,000 that died in Vietnam died in the course of 10 years. Real context would be to say that in the same time frame as Vietnam, we will lose 7,600 sons, bothers, and fathers compared to 58,000. An even better comparison would be to consider that the Army loses more sons, bothers, and fathers every year to training and car accidents than it does in Iraq/Afghanistan.

Ultimately, the question becomes if America has the will and the backbone to finish the job in Iraq. If we are willing to retreat in the face of a threat that won't retreat from us, and given that this is the least bloody conflict in American history, then I'd think that America hardly has a will or backbone at all.

Michel-Paul Maurais

senior-philosophy