One day Dad told me a story related to him by his best friend Leland "Pug" Lawrence. I don't recall how it came up, but Dad was talking about Pug. Pug had fought in the Korean War. It is pointless to pretend it wasn't a war. Dad cried as he told me this which tells me that Pug cried when he told Dad. At some point related to the retreats at the Chosin Reservoir Pug's unit was forced to retreat. The implied meaning was that this retreat bordered on a route. Pug described a close friend of his who had been wounded badly enough to no longer be mobile. There was time for this man to tell Pug that the unit must leave him behind. They all knew that this would be certain death for the man, probably after torture from the Chinese. Pug pleaded with the man to help pull him to safety, but he pointed out that this would only ensure Pug would also be killed or captured. He pleaded and finally talked Pug into leaving him with a rifle and a frag grenade and save himeself while there was still a chance. Pug finally gave in and retreated with the rest of his unit. He was haunted for the rest of hist life for having to leave the man.

These are the kinds of tiny details that make war hell. The kind of details that are too seldom related to the younger generation. More people in positions of leadership should know this personal pain of war that they might not be so willing to commit others to die in battle.

Still, it only takes one to start a war so everyone should be prepared to fight to defend honor, morality, justice.