Edged Weapons

Your spectacular feature article about weapons as works of art and pieces of history [“On the Edge,” January 2006] is fascinating, but extremely disappointing. How could you possibly omit the sword given to Lt. Presley N. O’Bannon, USMC, by the state of Virginia for “assault and conquest at Derna, North Africa, in 1805”? ... O’Bannon helped in putting an end to piracy on the Barbary Coast in North Africa and in stopping the Tripolitan War.

Trudy J. Sundberg
via e-mail

As a student of the American Civil War, I found “On the Edge” quite interesting. Like most descendants of veterans of the “war between the states,” I do not possess a single artifact from my ancestor’s service. Nevertheless, several years ago I was able to purchase a Model 1840 cavalry saber; these were affectionately known (due to their weight) as “wrist breakers.” This is the type of saber that was initially issued to my great-grandfather’s regiment, the Fifth Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, at the war’s outset. For some, being able to physically hold a piece of history such as this (even without a known provenance) provides a powerful connection to the sacrifices made by our forebearers. And, it reminds us that many of the military items we ourselves take for granted today could end up as treasured heirlooms of our own descendants.

Lt. Col. Robert Stroud, USAF
Scott AFB, Ill.

Bloody, Yes. Brilliant?

Not all of what Ralph Peters says in his otherwise prescient and timely article [“Our Brilliant, Bloody Future,” January 2006] stands up to scrutiny. Most Americans have no interest in the current conflict unless their livelihood or a family member is affected directly. Nothing will change that. Our civilian leadership, both elected and appointed, care very little about those fighting this conflict as their deeds do not match their words and scarcely any of their adult children share the military sacrifice.

Never has our culture been more coarsened, never have institutions like marriage, child-rearing, and freedom of speech and religion been so threatened. Illegal immigration has reached an invasion level of uneducated, unneeded, criminally motivated, non-English-speaking, non-assimilating hoards. Unlike in the past, our legal immigration policies now cater to political correctness rather the economic and social needs of the nation’s population as previously established. Above all, the fiscal corruption of the federal government apparently knows no bounds.

Lt. Col. C.P. Thompson, USA-Ret.
Springfield, Va.

I wanted to add my second to “Our Brilliant, Bloody Future.” I have enjoyed several of Ralph Peters’ books and find his insights interesting and important and no less so here. While I greatly appreciated (and needed) his generally upbeat tone about the future of our great country, I was most moved by his comments about the overall strategy that our government and country have taken in the war on terrorism.

If I may be so bold as to paraphrase him: It is a war that has been neither well thought out nor properly executed and for all of the reasons he gave — all to the detriment of our troops. As he implied, perhaps the most important missing ingredient (beyond poor long-term planning and misguided agendas) is the total unwillingess of our government to ask, no, demand that all of us recognize and contribute to the war effort.

“How do those in uniform convince a misled American public that a government unwilling to pay war’s butcher bill up front will pay it with compound interest in the end?” Asking only that people put ribbons on their cars and trucks seems a little short of the mark. As Peters says, this is a war that must be fought — and it must be won. That, however, will require a national recognition of the challenge and a national commitment to succeed. I’m not as hopeful as Peters.

Lt. Col. D. Roger Pederson, USAF-Ret.
via e-mail

Ralph Peters’ article in the January edition contains some interesting information, but his assertion that we were attacked by Arabs because they are jealous of our success is completely off-target. If his logic was correct, wouldn’t Japan, Germany, and Switzerland also be under attack?

... Throughout the Middle East there is very little political cohesiveness among the multitude of factions that exist. Yet, there is one issue on which all Arabs agree — the return of displaced Palestinians to their former homes in what is now Israel. Every Arab knows that Israel was created with and continues to be financed with American dollars and protected with American military equipment and forces. Ask an Arab to identify the capital of Zionism and the response will most often be New York, not Tel Aviv. So, in my opinion, it was no coincidence that the first strike against America [targeted] the most prominent structures in that city.

If our professional organization is going to sponsor a series on the long battle ahead, we need to at least be factual in the information we publish. I know Israel is the 300-pound gorilla sitting in the living room that no one wants to acknowledge, but if we are going to pacify 1.4 billion Muslims, we must at least recognize the issues. Otherwise, it will never end. Additionally, it would be a violation of our most basic tenet, integrity.

Lt. Col. George C. Reoh, USAF-Ret.
via e-mail

The January issue had a great article by Ralph Peters. … Please publish more of his articles in Military Officer. He is fairly nonpartisan, calls ’em like he sees ’em, is a brilliant strategist with great insight into current events, and has a strong foundation in military history and geopolitical studies, with on-the-scene, firsthand knowledge of trouble spots. He is a provocative and entertaining writer.

Lt. Col. Allen R. Chellis, USA-Ret.
Seoul, South Korea

Punchbowl Thank-You

As a World War II and Korean War veteran, I was pleased to note MOAA had provided a memorial marker at Hawaii National Cemetery. I believe that the Hawaii National Cemetery is a most awesome site. A thank-you to those who undertook the effort.

Lt. Col. Martin Maltenfort, USA-Ret.
via e-mail

Small but Proud

Thanks for including a NOAA officer’s contribution in [“Storm Stories,” January 2006]. I urge you to do more on NOAA Corps officers. They are members of a unique service — the smallest of the seven commissioned uniformed services, with a proud tradition that dates back to President Jefferson’s administration.

Maj. Robert Amdur, USA-Ret.
via e-mail