WAKE UP AMERICA!!

Matthew Mattingly’s helicopter was shot down Sept. 13 in Mosul, Iraq. He was killed. The 30-year-old Army captain was a great leader of men.

Mattingly received his military commission in 1998, after graduating from Xavier University. He was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and had already served one tour of duty in Iraq winning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

He was my grandson Johnny Walton’s commanding officer.

On Johnny’s first tour in Iraq his first C.O., a woman, was shot down and killed.

On September 11, 2001, three thousand Americans were murdered in sneak attacks by an implacable enemy. Since then our brave military men and women have battled the enemy in Afghanistan and Iraq keeping America safe.

Yet there are many who do not support their effort. To them I ask a simple question. If you could prevent a repeat of 9/11, with another 3000 dead Americans (or 30,000 or 300,000 by an atomic, biological or chemical attack) how many of the enemy would you be willing to kill? If you could press a button to prevent the attack on America, or let the military do it for you, would you be willing to kill

a. 6000 enemies?
b. 60,000 enemies?
c. 600,000 enemies?
d. All of them?

Lest you think this is an academic exercise, let me remind you of a few facts.

First, we have faced this issue many times before. In WWII we killed millions in Europe and President Truman dropped two atomic bombs on Japan to prevent more American deaths (and several hundred thousand more Japanese deaths).

Second, we have the capacity to achieve any of the above targets. It is simply a matter of tactics how many American soldiers have to die in the effort.

Third, the number of enemies in Iraq has been estimated to be as much as 10% of the population, roughly 3 million Iraqis, mostly Sunnis and former Baath party supporters of Saddam Hussein.

Fourth, the gutless unwillingness of the majority of Americans to face up to this question is why my grandson and the rest of our sons and daughters in uniform are in danger.

It is sad to think that there are Americans who reject all the answers because “war is never the way.” There were some of those in WWII and in every war. There are some Americans who reject all the answers because all we need to do is “bring the troops home to end the bloodshed.” They simply will not believe that this enemy will strike again in America. There are those who say the number must be “proportional” because one terrorist is the same as one American. And there are many who say that we must never kill a non-combatant in the process of killing the enemy. As though we could figure it out. As though such tactics don’t put our soldiers in more danger. All such answers are despicable.

Americans had better WAKE UP and face these questions, and similar ones about interrogation and spying or we are in danger of losing this war. But unlike in Vietnam, this enemy will not be content to commit genocide on its own people and nearby neighbors.

They will come here.