Honor Your Soldiers.

This is Steven Petrick Posting:

I happened to catch the Kurosawa Film "Shadow Warrior". It was subtitled (and shown under its Japanese title which began with a "K", but I can only remember the translation). There were two things that struck me about the film. One was that "conflict" was represented WITHOUT making anyone a "villain" in the usual sense. None of the leaders engaged in various antics that have come to seem the norm. None of them engaged in random executions of henchmen who had failed them or any of the other stylized "this is how you tell this is the bad guy". Yes, they were all vying for the complete control of Japan, but none of the faction leaders were "evil", even though they were in conflict with each other. The ultimate villain was Shingen's son, and yet he was less evil than simply someone trying to move out from under his Father's Shadow. That his efforts led to disaster is a negative reflection on him, but many people fail to live up to their own visions of themselves, and in the cases of nobility, this often leads to tragedy for their subordinates.

The other thing was the final battle.

I have often been accused by people (who apparently think they know me even if they have never met me) of thinking war is something "fun". I don't, and have not since I was of an age to fully understand it. I do know what "death" is, the grim reaper and I became acquainted at a very young age in a very graphic manner. Despite this, I did volunteer and served as an Infantry Officer in the Army. I make no apologies for it. I did not think it was going to be glorious, I thought it was a job that I had some particular skills at. I simultaneous do not regret that life never required me to demonstrate those skills, and that I was not there to share the burden with others who had to in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.

The final battle scene in this film consisted of just two parts. Each of the combat units of the Takeda clan began its charge, and as they went over the crest of the rise into full view of Ieyesu's musketeers, you just heard volleys. You did not see the men charge, you did not see them fall, you just heard the continous rattle of musketry. You just saw the increasing dismay on the face of Shingen's son as he proved unable to do anything but order the next unit forward into the field. When the shooting ended, the camera spent what seemed like five minutes simply looking at the field. Horses struggling to get up, and here and there a man "wounded unto death" would rise, take a few steps, and fall. Some just crawled a little.

I could not help but think that the man who had set that seen had seen the aftermath of more than one of Japan's failed Banzai charges into machine guns and artillery during World War II.

I have often noted that anyone considering going into the Infantry should first be made to watch the first half hour of "Saving Private Ryan". Not because I think people should not be soldiers, because soldiers are what protects a country from the larger evils that mere police forces would be powerless to stop. But because anyone who wants to be a solider should understand that war his a horrible, horrible, business. Something that should be entered into only with your eyes wide open. As the Iron Duke (Lord Wellington) noted, the only thing more melancholy than the aftermath of a battle won is the aftermath of a battle lost. Soldiers stand (to borrow from Robert A. Heinlein) Between home and war's desolation. Understand this, if you would not prepare for war, war will come for you while you are least ready for it. As the Roman said: If you would have peace, the prepare for war.

Honor your soldiers. They are the barrier that keeps the intentions of unkindly strangers from robbing you of all you own, including your very life. The fact that so many can disparage them is only the proof of how successful they have been.