Lt. Gen. John Kelly: America, don't forget our troops

America is not at war.
The Marine Corps is at war;
America is at the mall.

When America was attacked by Muslim terrorists on 9/11, causing nearly 3,000 innocent victims to perish at the hands of hijacked airplanes piloted by al Qaida terrorists into New York's Twin Towers, the Pentagon outside DC, and Flight 93 that was crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside by brave passengers who overtook the hijackers to prevent crashing into the U.S. Capitol or White House, President George W. Bush and Congress reacted.

Our military was sent to Afghanistan and Iraq in response to the terrorism and to protect the homeland from further attacks.

Anti-war protesters showed up in downtown Staunton, a small central Shenandoah Valley city where such a thing was not expected because it was also the location of the Stonewall Brigade National Guard Armory.

With memories of Vietnam and the treatment of military veterans during and after that war, many in the community including military veterans began to regularly show up for Support the Troops rallies to publicly support not only American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan but also local military troops and their families.

During a Support the Troops rally in 2003, a reporter once asked if we could support the troops but not support their mission, a talking point used by many anti-war protesters. My conclusion was that no, you could not reasonably support the troops and not support their mission. Anti-war protests were counterproductive and demoralizing to our troops who were putting their lives on the line halfway around the world and whose families were making huge sacrifices.

Someone who knows that better than most is Lt. Gen. John Kelly whose son was killed in Afghanistan after stepping on a land mine in November 2010. Recently nominated to become Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates's senior military assistant, he is the highest ranking military officer to lose a child during this war.

Shortly after his son's death, he addressed a crowd at the St. Louis Hyatt Regency, a crowd unaware of his loss. Reporter Greg Jaffe with the Washington Post wrote:

Four days earlier, 2nd Lt. Robert M. Kelly , 29, had stepped on a land mine while leading a platoon of Marines in southern Afghanistan. He was killed instantly.

Without once referring to his son's death, the general delivered a passionate and at times angry speech about the military's sacrifices and its troops' growing sense of isolation from society.

"Their struggle is your struggle," he told the ballroom crowd of former Marines and local business people. "If anyone thinks you can somehow thank them for their service, and not support the cause for which they fight - our country - these people are lying to themselves. . . . More important, they are slighting our warriors and mocking their commitment to this nation." [emphasis added]

In a war that has continued for years but is under the radar of most Americans, most Americans pay no attention to the sacrifices of a tiny portion of Americans who continue to protect the homeland. Good article by Jaffe ... I would strongly suggest reading every word.