The Covenant

Below is a piece written by Bob Chernow, one of our Nova M Radio supporters. It is a keeper.

There's a covenant between those who serve in war and the nation they serve. In the first part are those who agree to defend our country. They know the risks, which often involve death, but they serve because they are asked.

The second part of this covenant is twofold: The nation agrees never to forget their sacrifice. And leaders ensure that the cause they ask others to fight is just.

This covenant is a simple one, unwritten and unspoken.

While few of us who have served in war can make clear the reasons we did, most would agree with this sacred pact.

Sometimes the reasons for war are poorly thought out or just plain wrong. Vietnam is a prime example. Soldiers were condemned for fulfilling their part of the contract. Doors were closed, smiles stayed hidden. Following Vietnam, it was the veteran who experienced the fallout from losing an unwinnable war.

Only years later would Vietnam veterans hear those sweet words, "welcome home." Only since the Gulf War, would we receive respect for honoring the sacred covenant.

General Dwight Eisenhower said, "Men acquainted with the battlefield will not be found among the numbers that glibly talk of another war."

Would Eisenhower view the invasion and conquest of Iraq a just cause? Would he see Iraq as a digression of resources from the actual terrorist threat?

Eisenhower also warned us of the danger of the military-industrial complex. Are they manipulating part of the war behind the scenes?

We and other great powers tend to get involved in the quicksand of foreign lands, where the justification for war has been fabricated or is pre-emptive or created for the wrong motives. At times like these, the covenant between those who serve and the nation is best reviewed in all parts.

Bob Chernow is a Milwaukee businessman who served as a volunteer in Vietnam. He also helped run the Milwaukee Veterans Stand for Homeless Veterans. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Air Medal.