[Magdalen] Percentage of life during wartime.

[Lynn Ronkainen]

My thoughts on war and specifically on Vietnam were tweaked once again a few 
years ago when I read _Matterhorn_ written by a retired Marine officer. It's 
a novel, filled with 'truth', not necessarily in the form of fact. There was 
an officer in the story who had been in Korea, and this was his personal 
goal - to right the mistakes made in Korea. Singular focus on a type-cast 
enemy.  I think we still never understood the 'eastern mind' as demonstrated 
by Japan and China and the way they deal/dealt with war.

The other truth I became aware of was that our military then and now 
believes that the number of dead somehow are connected to an enemy 'giving 
up', stopping or surrendering.  That's what the sick body counts that even 
Westmoreland admitted to lying about were really all about.  That's what the 
tally from drone strikes is really all about.  WW2 was certainly all about 
that, but it was a WORLD WAR.  Body counts were probably most productive 
when men faced each other across a field and walked to their death or 
survival... I am reminded of the ending of the movie/based on book called 
_Son of the Morning Star_ about the battlefield on which Custer lay dead. 
The movie depicted Indian women finding him and piercing his eardrums with 
an awl or stick, while saying: "maybe now he will listen in the next world". 
Sigh.

Thinking we know the mindset of the enemy is a false dichotomy in today's 
world. Until we change our thinking and try to get in the head of those who 
are 'non western thinkers', we will never really understand where they are 
coming from and why they are willing to do what they do.  The decline of 
'western privilege', i.e. doing it 'our way'  (the way the western world has 
done for centuries) in the waging of war is what we are seeing now, IMO. A 
meeting of the minds is like two ships passing in the night. Progress is not 
possible unless our military tries to understand the mind of the enemy from 
their culture and heritage.
Lynn


My email has changed to: houstonKLR at gmail.com

website: www.ichthysdesigns.com

When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I have not a 
single bit of talent left and could say, "I used everything You gave me." 
attributed to Erma Bombeck

--------------------------------------------------
From: "ME Michaud" <michaudme at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 1:13 PM
To: <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] Percentage of life during wartime.

> Our cousin-in-law, a West Point graduate, certainly said as much.
> (TTTT, we thought he was seriously nuts, but that might be beside
> the point.)
> -M
>
>
> On Wednesday, May 27, 2015, Lynn Ronkainen <houstonklr at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The Korean War (veteran) generals looked at Vietnam as THE Asian war to
>> "win" right.
>>
>>