Ever so often in the course of our nation’s history there has occurred a confluence of events and actions perpetrated by other nations or despotic individuals, that has made decisive action by our nation imperative. You know these events all too well. These events include the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Soviet Union’s challenge in the Cold War, the North Korean invasion of South Korea, the Gulf of Tonkin attack, Manuel Norriega’s threat to the Panama Canal, the endangerment of American citizens in Grenada, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the slaughter of innocents in the Balkans and recently the terrorist acts perpetrated against our nation in 2001.
Following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on our nation and the growing problems in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula, we as a nation now face more despots intent on doing long term harm to the United States and the world. The common thread running through all of these past events is that armed conflict became necessary. There are in fact, some things worth fighting for; namely security, peace and freedom for our allies and us. The United States of America occupies a unique position in the world community with special obligations and responsibilities. Call it what you wish – international leadership, noblesse oblige or manifest destiny – our nation has critical and fundamental responsibilities to our allies and to ourselves, that if not met will result in the loss of the freedoms and safety we enjoy. We as a nation have never been Hessian or Prussian in either our thinking or national conduct. We have always fielded professional military forces, but these forces were always comprised of true citizen soldiers, sailors and airmen, who were quick to lay aside their arms once the threat was removed. We have never coveted other nation’s resources or land. Indeed, we have rebuilt the nations we defeated on the fields of battle.
