Gratitude and respect for military

As the war in Iraq lengthens and the actions and evils of war become more apparent; as injuries and deaths of human beings and destruction multiply, and the minds of our own people here at home start wandering, as to the reasons for and worth of the war we are engaged in, we must try to realize what brought us to the situation we are engaged in now.

Americans have only to research what actions of probable war that have been taken against our country since November 1979, when a group of Iranian students attacked and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. The attack on this sovereign embassy set the stage for the events to follow for the next 23 years.

In April 1983, a large vehicle loaded with high explosives was driven into the U.S. embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people. In September 1983, a large truck loaded with more than 2,500 ponds of TNT smashed through the main gate of U.S. Marine Corps headquarters in Beirut, killing 241 military members. The following December another truck loaded with explosives was driven into the U.S. embassy in Kuwait. In September 1984 another vehicle was driven into the U.S. embassy in Beirut. In August 1985, a vehicle loaded with explosives was driven into the U.S. Air Force base at Rhein-Main, Germany, killling 22 more people. The hijacking of a cruise ship and the bombings of civilian airlines continued, killing hundreds.

In 1990-1991, the United States came to the aid of Kuwait, during Operation Desert Storm, forcing Iraq and its dictator government out of this country, resulting in more deaths and injuries to our military men and woman and others.

In January 1993, two CIA agents were killed entering CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. In February 1993, terrorists bombed the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring 1,000. In November 1995, a car bomb exploded at a U.S. military complex in Riyah, Saudi Arabia, killing seven military servicemen and women. In June 1996, another truck bomb exploded 35 yards from the U.S. military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, destroying Khobar Towers, a U.S. Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring more than 500.

The attacks continued on two embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224. The USS Cole was attacked in Yemen in October 2000, killing 17 U.S. Navy sailors, and then came the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked, killing thousands and injuring many.

We Americans needed to ask ourselves, how long could we stand by and let these actions against us continue, before we need to wake up and say enough is enough. Warlike actions have been taken against the United States for the past 23 years, and we never responded with authority.

Action had to be taken against the evils that had contributed to the past tragedies against us before a possible doomsday tragedy would fall on us on a much larger scale, and our president and his administration took our case to the United Nations. Diplomacy was tried but it did not work. The United States took action after many warnings to all.

Now that we are at war, we as a country must show to others that we are unified and support the decisions made on our behalf. Some may not agree on the actions, methods and plans that led us to the decision to go to war, to protect our people and country against the same evils that have been committed against us in these past 23 years; that’s their right and I don’t believe anyone would question that right, for this is America.

But as we send our military men and women into harm’s way during this war, in attempting to eliminate these future evils from happening again, we the people of the United States have a duty and responsibility toward our military men and women and their families and loved ones to support and show them all that our men and women are admired, loved and respected and are not fighting, dying or being injured for a divided and uncaring people, who only care to have their views of agreement or disagreements heard on the public forum.

This is the time to rise to the occasion, stand tall in unity, in actions and voice, and let all, far and near, hear our prayers and sentiments of our gratitude and respect that we place above all, for our men and women, who proudly wear the military uniforms of the United States and who perform their duties with dignity and honor. God bless them all, and give them the courage and strength to carry out their duties on behalf of a grateful nation.

Charles J. Birkel, of Bangor, is a retired master sergeant of the U.S. Air Force.