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Was Iraq worth it? 4:16 p.m. CST, December 13, 2011
As I listened to the President speak on the departure of the last American troops leaving Iraq and the war coming to an end, words that I had heard many times echoed inside of me: Was it worth it?
Many people spoke these words to me after the death of my son LCPL Jonathan W. Collins, who was killed in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on August 8, 2004. The country was very divided on the necessity of the war and about whether all the injuries and deaths were accomplishing anything. The answer seemed so simple, Jonathan died doing what he loved and that was being a United States Marine and serving his country with honor and distinction. Today it doesn't seem as simple.
As an American, do I feel any different because of what we did or didn't do in Iraq? Are we safer as a country? Did Iraq really represent a threat to our way of life? Do most Americans even realize that we still had young men and women fighting and dying In Iraq?
The answer to the above, in my humble opinion, is no. The Iraq war has become background noise for most of us. It did not affect our daily lives, cause us any daily discomfort or require any sacrifices. Unless we knew someone or a family who suffered a loss or an injury, the war simply did not exist.
Was it worth it? The answer to that is something that will be discussed, dissected and written about for years to come, with both history and the future being the judge.
For the 4,483 service men and woman killed and the 32,226 wounded, they answered the call of their country and served with honor and distinction. That is the simplest answer.
-- John K. Collins, Crystal Lake
Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
As I listened to the President speak on the departure of the last American troops leaving Iraq and the war coming to an end, words that I had heard many times echoed inside of me: Was it worth it?
Many people spoke these words to me after the death of my son LCPL Jonathan W. Collins, who was killed in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on August 8, 2004. The country was very divided on the necessity of the war and about whether all the injuries and deaths were accomplishing anything. The answer seemed so simple, Jonathan died doing what he loved and that was being a United States Marine and serving his country with honor and distinction. Today it doesn't seem as simple.
As an American, do I feel any different because of what we did or didn't do in Iraq? Are we safer as a country? Did Iraq really represent a threat to our way of life? Do most Americans even realize that we still had young men and women fighting and dying In Iraq?
The answer to the above, in my humble opinion, is no. The Iraq war has become background noise for most of us. It did not affect our daily lives, cause us any daily discomfort or require any sacrifices. Unless we knew someone or a family who suffered a loss or an injury, the war simply did not exist.
Was it worth it? The answer to that is something that will be discussed, dissected and written about for years to come, with both history and the future being the judge.
For the 4,483 service men and woman killed and the 32,226 wounded, they answered the call of their country and served with honor and distinction. That is the simplest answer.
-- John K. Collins, Crystal Lake
Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
