When Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Accord with Adolph Hitler, nobody questioned his patriotism. It was his ruinous judgment that was at fault. England was saved by the resident maverick Sir Winston Churchill.
When Barack Obama voted against the surge, he committed an error in judgment comparable to that of Neville Chamberlain. If Obama had his way, the war in Iraq would have been lost and the American forces would have returned, downcast and defeated, leaving behind an Iraq in chaos, and their brave comrades would have sacrificed their lives for naught.
Fortunately, bipartisan support gave General Petraeus the troops that he needed and he won the war.
American troops will return home, head high and a spring in their step, marching in celebration to brass bands and tickertape processions.
In Washington, D.C., stands a black memorial inscribed with the names of the largely drafted soldiers who gave their lives in the Vietnam War's defeat.
Let there be a memorial in shining white marble inscribed with the names of the volunteer heroes who wrestled Iraq from the grip of Saddam Hussein and gave unto the proud and ancient country of Iraq the blessings of freedom.
Barack Obama is doubtless an excellent Illinois senator; he is, however, grossly and provably incompetent to act as commander in chief of America's armed forces. This task should be delegated to the authentic war hero and maverick, Sen. John McCain.
Dan Mayers
Sun Valley
