Why the heroesdied
By David D. Perlmutter
BATON ROUGE, (UPI) -- One American soldiersaid to his mother just before leaving for Afghanistan: "Theterrorists have to be stopped. If they send me over there andanything happens. I'm proud to die for my country." Another'swife explained after he died that it was his hope to "defendour nation from evil." At the funeral of a third, the pastorsaid, "You didn't run from the heat of battle. You didn'thave to fight, but you did."
They didn't run, any of them -- in factthey signed up, marched and flew into harm's way.
And then these men -- Army Sgt. Philip J.Stivak, Marine Staff Sgt. Scott N. Germosen and Marine GunnerySgt. Stephen L. Bryson -- died in the post- 9/11 war against terrorismin accidents and action.
I've been pondering the mystery of suchmen most of my professional life. I write books about social conflict,war and warriors. I study pictures and stories about men -- andwomen -- who leave their families and their homes and go to somedistant battleground and fight--and sometimes die. I read theirdiaries; I listen to relatives, hometown pals and service buddiestalk about them.
But still I don't know the answer to thebig "why." Teaching a class on war and war images, Itell my students that historically people have gone to war forvaried reasons. Wanderlust, search for adventure, escaping thelaw, seeking plunder, learning a trade and impressments were themore prosaic calls to the trumpet of many armies in the past.
But there was faith and patriotism too,and love of a great commander. George Washington's ContinentalArmy did not brave frostbite, hunger and disease at Valley Forgein the winter of 1777-78 for gold or glory: they believed in anidea and a man.
But who are today's army? The dead heroescame from small towns and bigger cities like Joplin, Mo. and Queens,N.Y. Some were quiet men, others jokers and story-tellers. Therewere black and white, Hispanic and Anglo. One had six brothersserving or who had served in the military. Others had no suchtradition. Some were single; others left wives and little onesbehind.
Did they join to obtain job skills and respect?Until 9/11 this was the main focus of Army recruiting, althoughMarine ads still featured a warrior elite image. But there mostbe something more to the story than vocational training and psychologicaluplift. Why did they die for us?
I am reminded of Thornton Wilder's novel,"The Bridge of San Luis Rey." Five people traversinga rickety span over an Andes valley fall and die. Why them atthat time? asks a young Franciscan monk. His quest for an answeris unresolved, except that in the face of death he discovers acore of love and sacrifice in all the victims.
Yet, there is something distinctly Americanin the stories of our warriors. It's revealed in two simple wordsthat I find rarely in the annals of war and the motivations ofwarriors. These men wanted to "do good."
Over and over again you hear about Americansailors, airmen, soldiers and Marines who flew to far-off landsnot just for vengeance or duty or country, but to free other peoplesfrom the whims of crazed gunmen and dictators.
What other superpower in history can accuratelydescribe one of its soldiers as a "patriot and peacemaker."Such is the portrait a hometown journalist painted of Sgt. Bryson,an African-American Marine from family of Marines.
The massive infusion of assistance, materialsand resources given to our former blood enemies in World War IIis proof of America's inclination to virtue in victory. We rebuildour enemies and make them better than they were before -- thatis, if they give us the chance and reject the false idols thatled them to disaster in the first place. Obviously such an ethiccan lead us into misadventures, interventions both unnecessaryand impossible.
Still it reveals much that when our soldiersgo to Somalia or Bosnia or Afghanistan and say they want to helpthe good people as much as they want to hurt the bad. Foreignerswho hate America -- even Americans who hate America -- do notpay attention to such principles. Our government may sometimeserr, but we keep trying to do good and do better.
That is why the heroes died.