Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 6:20am

Sixty-Seven Years Ago

eugene-b-sledge-and-fellow-marines

“War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste.

Combat leaves an indelible mark on those who are forced to endure it. The only redeeming factors were my comrades’ incredible bravery and their devotion to each other. Marine Corps training taught us to kill efficiently and to try to survive. But it also taught us loyalty to each other – and love. That esprit de corps sustained us.”

 

“Until the millennium arrives and countries cease trying to enslave others, it will be necessary to accept one’s responsibilities and to be willing to make sacrifices for one’s country — as my comrades did. As the troops used to say, “If the country is good enough to live in, it’s good enough to fight for.” With privilege goes responsibility.”

Eugene B. Sledge, “With the Old Breed”.

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Gerard E.
Gerard E.
Sunday, December 7, AD 2008 9:43am

We must never forget. Sadly, too many people have never known at all.

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Sunday, December 7, AD 2008 3:03pm

[…] The American Catholic: Politics and Culture from a Catholic perspective a blog about Politics and Culture from a Catholic perspective « Sixty-Seven Years Ago […]

Michael J. Iafrate
Sunday, December 7, AD 2008 8:08pm

Marine Corps training taught us to kill efficiently and to try to survive.

The direct opposite of the Gospel.

Michael J. Iafrate
Sunday, December 7, AD 2008 8:56pm

I’m not asking you to be a pacifist, Donnie. I only wish you would accept just war teaching and take it seriously. And drop the whole idolatry thing.

Michael J. Iafrate
Sunday, December 7, AD 2008 9:16pm

Tell me about the god you worship, Don.

Eric Brown
Monday, December 8, AD 2008 12:35am

The fact that Christ didn’t address the matter explicitly does not mean that he condoned it. War by its very nature destroys what it tends to protect. The family is the building block of societies and war is a direct attack at that foundation. Men, women, and children die; it is no small matter and I think the “Catholic Anarchist” did not ask for anything contrary to basic Christian teaching on war. If man tried to engage with one another peacefully as quickly as man goes to war, the world would be more in accord with the Gospel.

War is never a moral good; at best, it can be a justified morally neutral act to protect the common good from quickly spreading grave evil or in defense when all other measures have been exhausted.

However to use the fact that the Lord didn’t address this in an opportune moment is a flawed argument in my view. There are a host of things Jesus didn’t specifically address, e.g. slavery — doesn’t mean that the Lord condones that either. Paul didn’t argue against slavery when talking to slave owners, does that mean the Catholic Church should reconsider its thinking on slavery?

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Thursday, November 26, AD 2009 5:05pm

[…] December 2002 Mitsuo Fuchida – “From Pearl Harbor to Calvary” December 27, 2008, 11:02 pm Filed under: Uncategorized As Donald notes, today is “the day that will live in infamy” — the anniversary of the Japanese surp…. […]

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Thursday, November 26, AD 2009 5:10pm

[…] December 2002 Mitsuo Fuchida – “From Pearl Harbor to Calvary” December 7, 2008, 11:02 pm Filed under: Uncategorized As Donald notes, today is “the day that will live in infamy” — the anniversary of the Japanese surp…. […]

Dick Smith
Friday, January 29, AD 2010 11:22am

Froom now on this man is my new hero. I can just say that I agreee 100%

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