Flags at Half-Staff in Minnesota

Driving home through central Minnesota this evening, I noticed several flags flying at half-staff. Those folks were going an extra mile, honoring Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon:

"Governor Dayton orders flags flown at half-staff in honor of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon"
Press release, Office of the Governor Mark Dayton, State of Minnesota (August 26, 2011)

"In honor and remembrance of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon, Governor Mark Dayton has ordered all U.S. flags and Minnesota flags to be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings in the State of Minnesota, from sunrise until sunset on Saturday, August 27, 2011.

"Sergeant Harmon, of Lengby, was twenty-nine years old, and a 2000 graduate of Fosston High School. He enlisted in the United States Army in 2004. Stationed in Germany, Sergeant Harmon completed two tours of duty in Iraq and was recently deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade. He died a hero on Sunday, August 14, 2011 in Afghanistan.

"At the direction of the Governor, Minnesota flies it's flags at half-staff following the death of Minnesota military personnel killed in the line of duty, on the day of interment."

I've archived a copy of the Minnesota Governor's proclamation regarding Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon (*.pdf) (August 25, 2011)

My condolences to family and friends of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon.

Related posts:

• "Michael Jackson and 1st Lieutenant Brian N. Bradshaw: One's News, the Other's Not"
  (July 7, 2009)
• "Bruce Maloy, Thank You"
  (March 13, 2009)
• "A Bank Robbery in Texas, Donald Murrah and David Long"
  (March 12, 2009)
• "Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor and the Trident Hoax"
  (March 11, 2009)
• Lieutenant Michael Murphy, U.S. Seal:
  "The World Needs Heroes -"
  (October 22, 2007)

In the news:

• "Governor Dayton orders flags flown at half-staff in honor of Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon"
  Press release, Office of the Governor Mark Dayton, State of Minnesota (August 26, 2011)
• Minnesota Governor's proclamation regarding Sergeant Matthew Allen Harmon
  (August 25, 2011)

More:

• "Individuals and the War on Terror"

Bruce Maloy, Thank You

Not all heroes wear uniforms.

Bruce Maloy, 51, town comedian, pursued a mass-murderer on an Alabama highway. Maloy is dead, shot by the killer: but it's possible that by slowing Michael McLendon down, Bruce Maloy saved lives.

Enough said.

In the news:

• "Alabama Welder Hailed as Hero For Trying to Stop Mass Murderer"
  FOXNews (March 13, 2009)

Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor and the Trident Hoax

One of this blog's more well-visited posts is "Golden Tridents on Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's Coffin" (July 5, 2008). A follow-up post, "Monsoor Coffin Trident Hoax? Probably Not" (July 30, 2008) isn't nearly as well-visited.

I think it may be the second post's title that makes the difference.

People visiting the "Golden Tridents on Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's Coffin" post generally come there by way of a search engine string like this:

navy petty officer mike monsoor hoax

Rumors Die Hard

Rumors, like the idea that those golden tridents in rows is a hoax, die hard.

"Nothing is New Under the Sun"

I've gotten used to rumors like these:

• New Orleans levees were blown up by the American government during Katrina
• American soldiers spied on Iraqi women in Fallujah
  • They had night vision goggles: 'what else could they possibly do with them?'
• Mike Mansoor's coffin tridents were a hoax

In fact, I've been hearing and reading them for about a half-century now. Names and details have changed over the decades, but the idea that "they" are behind "it" is nothing new.

I was born during the Truman administration, so I remember the tail end of those days of yore, when rumors of communist plots and commie conspiracies littered America's intellectual landscape. (Frank Burns of M*A*S*H is a caricature of a sort of person who really existed. To this day, there are living specimens, although "terrorists" have generally replaced "commies" in that sort of rumor.)

These days, it's the CIA and the military-industrial complex for some, towel-heads and Ay-rabs for others, in rumors about what "they" are doing.

There are times when it's easy to think that I know just how Qoheleth felt. Not the most cheerful author in history.

Why All These Rumors? Is it Some Kind of Plot?

Seriously? I do not think that rumors about the American military, American Muslims, or even the lizard people, are some kind of plot. It would make an interesting story, though.

I think rumors, aside from their entertainment value, serve to make those who pass them along seem well-informed, and to back up assumptions and preferences about the world and how it works.

You could write a book about rumors and how they work: and two psychologists did:

"...Rumors are an enduring feature of our social and organizational landscapes. They attract attention, evoke emotion, incite involvement, affect attitudes and actions-and they are ubiquitous. Rumor transmission is motivated by three broad psychological motivations—fact-finding, relationship-enhancement, and self-enhancement-all of which help individuals and groups make sense in the face of uncertainty...." (Review of "Rumor Psychology: Social and Organizational Approaches" (Nicholas DiFonzo, PhD and Prashant Bordia, PhD (September 2006)) on APA Books) (emphasis mine)

For someone who doesn't like immigrants, or poor people, or rich people, or people who talk funny, it's probably reassuring to believe that "they" are really plotting against "real Americans." That sort of rumor gives a sort of reason (ersatz as it is) for the person's biases.

And, I think the same goes for someone who doesn't like soldiers, or Big Oil, or corporations in general.

Michael Monsoor and the Strange Case of the Impostor Coffin

One idea behind the Michael Monsoor trident hoax rumor is that nobody, but nobody, could possibly be "slapping badges on a coffin as it passes by." Nobody.

That may be true, but that's not what the video showed happening. (More in the "Golden Tridents on Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's Coffin" post's update.)

Snopes.com ("Mike Monsoor") has decided that the video is real, but the coffin is fake. Or, more precisely, has another SEAL, James Suh, inside. If that's true, the mis-identification of the coffin in the original video could have been part of what started this enduring rumor. It's not that big a leap, from 'that's not really Monsoor's coffin' to 'it's a fake photo.'

As for being able to put tridents in a row, as shown in the video: I'm generally cautious about saying something I can't do is impossible. "My guess is that most SEALS can do quite a few things that I can't."

Golden Tridents on Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's Coffin

"Nearly every SEAL on the West Coast" showed up for Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's funeral in San Diego's Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

"During the service, as Monsoor's coffin was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, Navy SEALs lined up in two columns. As the coffin passed, video shows each SEAL slapping down the gold Trident from his uniform and deeply embedding it in Monsoor's wooden coffin...." ("A Fitting Tribute to a Slain Navy SEAL Gains Attention" FOXNews (July 4, 2008)

"Rare Mikey Monsoor memorial footage" YouTube (January 1, 2008)



YouTube video, 9:34

Previous posts about Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A Monsoor:

• "Michael Anthony Monsoor: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty"
  (April 8, 2008)
• "Michael Monsoor to Receive Posthumus Medal of Honor"
  (April 2, 2008)
• "Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: American Hero"
  (March 31, 2008)

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

---

UPDATE (July 30, 2008)


(unknown source)
"You can't get such alignment...."
Well, I probably couldn't.

I've learned that there's a story going around that a photo of tridents on Monsoor's coffin are a sort of hoax:

"While the report is true the pic is obviously a hoax.

"1# You can't get such alignment by slapping badges on a coffin as it passes by.

"2# A National Cemetery and not one Government headstone in site.

"#3 Plastic flowers hummmm I don't believe they are allowed in National Cemeteries. I have never seen any in the many National Cemeteries I have visited."
(Armchair General and HistoryNet discussion thread (July 22, 2008))

Someone else in that thread provided the URL for Snopes' report: "Mike Monsoor" (Snopes.com (July 2008)).

The video embedded in this post shows that the coffin, although suspended, wasn't moving past the SEALS. They were lined up on either side of the coffin. The tridents weren't slapped on, they were placed, then pounded by each SEAL. The place-and-pound footage is about 8:50 into the video.

Even without the video, I'd have been hesitant to say that something is impossible. My guess is that most SEALS can do quite a few things that I can't.

There are Heroes - Ross A. McGinnis

Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis was stationed in turret the last of six Humvees in a patrol in northeast Baghdad when someone threw a grenade past him, into the Humvee.

The grenade lodged near the Humvee's radio.

McGinnis could have jumped, as he was trained to do. But he apparently realized that the other four soldiers in the Humvee didn't know that other four soldiers didn't know where the grenade had landed - and didn't have time to get out.

So, instead of jumping, he put his back against the radio mount. When the grenade exploded, it killed Private First Class McGinnis, but his decision to absorb the blast saved the four other soldiers.

An American Major General said that McGinnis "was part of a mission that requires equal measures of courage and compassion."

There are still heroes, people who decide to serve others, however dangerous that service is.

Ross A. McGinnis died December 4, 2006. His parents received the Medal of Honor at the White House today.

He's the fourth to American soldier serving in Iraq whose survivors received that honor:

• Private First Class Ross A. McGinnis
• Army Sergeant 1st Class Paul R. Smith
• Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor
• Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham

Sources and background:

• "McGinnis' parents to receive Medal of Honor today"
  The Derrick (June 2, 2008)
  • "The nation's highest award for valor is to be awarded today at the White House in honor of Knox hometown hero Ross A. McGinnis, who sacrificed his life in December 2006 while serving in Iraq.
  • "President Bush is scheduled to present the award to McGinnis' parents, Thomas and Romayne, during the Medal of Honor ceremony to be held this morning in the East Wing of the White House.
  • "McGinnis, 19, of Knox died Dec. 4, 2006, from wounds he received in Baghdad after a grenade was thrown into his vehicle.
  • "The soldier shouted a warning to the other men before hurling himself onto the grenade - lodged near the Humvee's radio - shortly before it blew up, killing him."
• "Pa. Soldier Who Jumped on Grenade to Receive Posthumous Medal of Honor"
  FOXNews (May 23, 2008)
  • "The White House announced Friday that a Pennsylvania soldier who jumped on top of a grenade in Iraq and saved the lives of his comrades will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor.
  • "The nation's highest military honor will be given to 19-year-old Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., on June 2.
  • "McGinnis "distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism," said White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Michael Anthony Monsoor: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Michael Anthony Monsoor died in 2006, after using his body as a shield to protect his fellow-SEALs. Today, his parents received the Congressional Medal of Honor on his behalf, at the White House.

Two excerpts from the White House press release stood out for me:

"He earned their confidence with his attention to detail and quiet work ethic. One of Mike's officers remembers an instructor once asking after an intense training session, 'What's the deal with the Monsoor guy? He just says, "Roger that," to everything.' "

"Perhaps the greatest tribute to Mike's life is the way different service members all across the world responded to his death. Army soldiers in Ramadi hosted a memorial service for the valiant man who had fought beside them. Iraqi Army scouts -- whom Mike helped train -- lowered their flag, and sent it to his parents. Nearly every SEAL on the West Coast turned out for Mike's funeral in California. As the SEALs filed past the casket, they removed their golden tridents from their uniforms, pressed them onto the walls of the coffin. The procession went on nearly half an hour. And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten."

I also appreciated reading that Michael A. Monsoor died on Saint Michael's Feast Day, September 29. A Catholic like me appreciates details like that. I pray that Michael Anthony Monsoor had a happy death, as he assuredly avoided the straw death that my Nordic ancestors feared.

The White House press release includes a video (14:29) of the presentation ceremony.

"Navy SEAL paid ultimate price to save buddies" CNN (April 8, 2008), does a pretty good job of covering the event, and includes a link to a video of Michael's sister talking about her memories.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Michael Monsoor to Receive Posthumus Medal of Honor

April 8, 2008, is a date to keep in mind. The family of Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, Navy SEAL, will receive the Congressional Medal of Honor on his behalf at a White House ceremony next Tuesday.

---

Update, April 3, 2008

We're learning more about how Michael Monsoor lived and died: his last decision; and that his favorite holiday was Halloween.

He had a choice, before that grenade exploded. " 'One of the key aspects of this incident was the way the overwatch position was structured. There was only one access point for entry or exit and Monsoor was the only one who could have saved himself from harm. Instead, knowing what the outcome would be, he fell on the grenade to save the others from harm. ...' " NavySEALs.com (Memorial / Michael A. Monsoor)

Michael Monsoor had planned to get home to Garden Grove, California, in time to for his favorite holiday, Halloween. " 'Last Halloween, he was one of the Super Mario Brothers,' said one of his best friends, Patrick Barnes. 'This year, we were supposed to dress up as sumo wrestlers.' "

People who knew Michael Monsoor remembered a 25-year-old who "loved snowboarding, fast cars and motorcycles." His friends knew the loyalty and devotion that Monsoor showed in his death. " 'He was selective about the friends he made,' Barnes said, fighting back tears. 'But when you became his friend, you became his brother.' " Orange County Register (October 4, 2006)

More at Garden Grove resident and SEAL dies in combat" Orange County Register (October 4, 2006), "Navy SEAL to Get Medal of Honor" The Western Star (April 1, 2008), and "Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: American Hero" (March 31 2008).

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: American Hero

It's a movie cliché: grenade falls among soldiers; designated Hero flings self on grenade; grenade goes off; cue mood music.

It's also something that actually happens.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor receives the Congressional Medal of Honor¹ posthumously, for saving the lives of others by sacrificing his own.

Monsoor was with a SEAL team, working with Iraqi soldiers to provide sniper security in Ramadi, when a grenade bounced off his chest and landed near him. He dropped on the grenade. Two SEALs near him were injured, another, about a dozen feet away, wasn't.

• "He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it," ... "He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs' lives, and we owe him."
  (a lieutenant who got shrapnel wounds to both legs that day)
• "Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism on Sept. 29, 2006"
  (presidential press secretary Dana Perino)
• "He was just a fun-loving guy," ... "Always got something funny to say, always got a little mischievous look on his face."
  (a petty officer 2nd class who went through SEAL training with Monsoor)

Military.com gives a sort of thumbnail biography of Michael A. Nomsoor: "Other SEALS described the Garden Grove, Calif., native as a modest and humble man who drew strength from his family and his faith. His father and brother are former Marines, said a 31-year-old petty officer 2nd class.
"Prior to his death, Monsoor had already demonstrated courage under fire. He has been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions May 9 in Ramadi, when he and another SEAL pulled a team member shot in the leg to safety while bullets pinged off the ground around them."

There's more detail at NavySeals.com - Michael A. Monsoor.

"Monsoor" joins thousands of other American names in the list of Medal of Honor recipients, including:

• Corporal Hiroshi H. Miyamura
• First Sergeant Maximo Yabes
• Pharmacists Mate 2nd Class Class George E Wahlen
• Army Surgeon Mary Walker
• Sergeant Alvin C. York
• Colonel Jay R. Vargas
• Sergeant Robert Emmett O'Malley

---

Update April 1, 2008
(No, this is not an April Fool prank.)

I've been more aware of the surname "Monsoor" since writing this post, and have noticed some references to Michael Monsoor's background on the Web. For the most part, these have been quite positive, and sometimes curious.

One which caught my attention was a comment left on another blog's post: "I am moved by Michael Monsoor's bravery in combat and my condolences go out to his family.
"Monsoor is a Muslim name. I would like to know if Michael Monsoor was, or his family is, Muslim."

The person who wrote this expressed a reasonable curiosity about Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor's family and background. "Monsoor is a Muslim name," however, shows what I believe to be a common misunderstanding of Islam, Muslims, and culture.

Monsoor is a Middle Eastern family name. There are Monsoors in Lebanon, for example.

Although many Muslims are in Lebanon, that doesn't make Monsoor a Muslim name. For example, Schmidt is a German name. Quite a few Germans are Christians. That doesn't make "Schmidt" a Christian name, although some might assume that a Schmidt would be Christian.

Why does the name Monsoor 'sound' Muslim? Islam has been identified with Middle Eastern nationalities and ethnic groups. That doesn't necessarily mean that all people with Middle Eastern names are Muslims, though.

Back to Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: His given name is "Michael." That name is traced back to Hebrew, and in the Christian Bible is the name of one of the archangels. Offhand, I'd say that it's an odd name for a Muslim to have.

But, stranger things have happened.

And all of this misses an important point. Monsoor is an American family name: just like O'Hare, Schwinghammer, Nguyen, Nakamura, Corradino, Bashir, and Rangasammy. And, of course, Smith.

It doesn't matter what sort of service was done at Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor's funeral. He's an American, and Americans can all be proud to be part of his country.

---

Quotes from

• "Navy SEAL Posthumously Awarded Medal of Honor"
  FOXNews (March 31, 2008)
• "Navy SEAL Dies Saving Comrades"
  Military.com (October 14, 2006)

Medal of Honor background from

• "The Congressional Medal Of Honor" website

¹The Congressional Medal of Honor: the highest military award in America. Congress created the Medal of Honor in 1862, and tweaked it in 1918 and 1963.

New post on Michael A. Monsoor, at "Michael Monsoor to Receive Posthumus Medal of Honor" (April 2, 2008)

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

What Makes a Hero be a Hero?

I ran across this while doing research today: "Study Looks at What Personal Qualities Make a War Hero" FOXNews (November 12, 2007).

'Everybody knows' that heroes are charismatic rebels. That's the way it is in the movies. Real life is different. Quiet types with a capacity forloyalty and selfless actions become heroes, too.

It's an article worth reading.

'Crippled' Marine Marches Back to Iraq: Wants to Help

It's hard to keep a good Marine down, apparently.

Gunnery Sergeant William "Spanky" Gibson lost most of his left leg in May, 2006. He was on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq.

He could have gotten a desk job, back in America. But he didn't. Sergeant Gibson is back in Iraq, his second tour, on active duty with his fellow-Marines.

Getting back on his feet, with an assortment of artificial legs for different functions, took work and determination.

"I realized, well, it ain't growing back, so let's start recovering," Sergeant Gibson said. "Initially, I didn't allow it to affect me to the point of despair ... Now, I roll over and look at my wife and say, this kind of sucks. But you get over it quickly."

Two months after he was shot, Gunnery Sergeant Gibson was back at Camp Lejeune. While training there, he decided that he needed to go back to Iraq. "It's in part to show appreciation to my fallen Marines and also to tell the people of this country that ... I'm back to help you in any way I can, again."

Today's Iraq isn't the country he left, almost two years ago.

"The country itself, it's changed tremendously," he said. "I don't know if I ever thought I'd see it, but I hoped that our actions here ... would allow that change to happen, and now seeing it, it's amazing."

He looks at what's happening in Iraq as the rebirth of a country. "This is where we were 232 years ago as a new nation," he said. "Now they're starting a new nation, and that's one of my big reasons for coming back here. It wasn't for other Marines to look at me and say, 'Oh wow, you're a tough guy.' "

Hats off to Gunnery Sergeant Gibson, and all the other soldiers and technicians who are helping Iraqis put their country back together after decades of a tyrant's mismanagement: And helping keep America safe.

---

Quotes from "Iraq War Marine With Amputated Leg Back in Active Duty" FOXNews (February 28, 2008)

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

A Father Honors Fallen Son

The photo shows two Marines holding the United States Marine Corps flag against a wall. Under the flag are the words, "some gave all so others may live - USMC," and four names: Strain, Lucente, Stokes, and Krissof.

Those four were the war dead of Nevada County, California. "The Union" of Grass Valley, CA, shared information about Marine Lance Corporal Adam Strain, Marine Lance Corporal John Lucente, Marine 1st Lieutenant Nathan Krissoff, and Corporal Sean Stokes.

One of them, Marine 1st Lieutenant Nathan Krissoff, died on December 9, 2006, after a roadside bombing a roadside bombing in Anbar Province. Coping with his death wasn't easy for his brother, Marine 2nd Lieutenant Austin Krissoff, or his parents.Christine and Dr. Bill Krissoff.

"We are proud of him," Dr. Krisoff said in "The Union." "He believed in fighting terrorism. It was important to him. He was deeply affected by 9/11."

Marine 1st Lieutenant Nathan Krissoff's father thought for several months, about how he could best honor his son. On consideration, he decided that his best course was to join the United States Navy as a combat surgeon.

There was a problem: at 61, he needed an age waiver to join the service. His application's paperwork was moving slowly, at best, until August. That's when President Bush met with several families who had lost people in Iraq. Dr. Krisoff was there.

The president went around the room, asking if there was anything he could do. Dr. Krissoff remembers that when Bush got to him, "I said, 'Yah, there is one thing. I want to join the Navy medical corps and I gotta get some help here.' "

Three days later, the Navy called Dr. Krissoff. The paperwork was taken care of, and his waver was granted.

Bill Krissoff is a lieutenant commander, attached to the 4th Medical Battalion. He hopes to join a combat surgical team and serve in Iraq.

That may not be heroism, but I think it'll do until something better comes along.

Facts and photo link from:
"The Union"
"Marines honor local war dead"
"Soldiers' stories"
"Muskegon Chronicle"
"Father joins Navy to honor fallen son"

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

There are Heroes

"U.S. Soldier Re-Enlists Hours After Being Seriously Wounded in Iraq IED Attack" tells about Specialist Christopher Hoyt, an infantryman who decided to re-enlist for another four years, after two of his fellow-soldiers were killed in the IED explosion that left cuts on his legs and body.

The top non-commissioned officer of Hoyt's brigade, Command Sergeant Major John Troxell, said: "It takes a person of very strong character to go through an incident where another soldier five feet away was killed, and he was severally wounded, and still say 'I believe in what we are doing and I want to stay on the team. I want to support the United States Army and my country,' "

I was in college in the seventies, so I'm aware of the sort of psychobabble about survivor's guilt, at least, that can be invoked to explain Hoyt's decision. I'm inclined to agree with Sergeant Major Troxell, though.

Like the Iraqi shieks whose determination to save their country became stronger when fanatics killed one of them, I believe that Specialist Hoyt made a rational choice, based on good sense and bravery.

I'm not "conservative," in the American political sense, but I am one of those people who believe that courage exists, and that there still are heroes. And that the soldiers like Specialist Christopher Hoyt, who decide to make sacrifices for their country and fellow-citizens, are heroes.

Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.

The World Needs Heroes -

And it has them.

At 2:24 p.m. today, the president of the United States presented the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to a Navy Seal.

Michael Murphy's four-man unit was under attack by a numerically superior force. To radio for help, Murphy moved to an exposed position. He got a message out, but was wounded. He was killed later, after he re-joined his unit.

Today, about two years later, the American president said: "For his courage, we award Lieutenant Michael Murphy the first Medal of Honor for combat in Afghanistan. And with this medal, we acknowledge a debt that will not diminish with time -- and can never be repaid."

I'm pretty sure that Lieutenant Murphy wasn't the last hero America has.

To everyone in the American armed forces: Thank you.

(Transcript and photos of the presentation at President Bush Presents Medal of Honor to Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, U.S. Navy )

More posts about Individuals and the War on Terror.

UPDATE October 23, 2007

If you didn't read or hear about this ceremony, or Lieutenant Murphy, in the news, don't be surprised. CNN and MSNBC didn't cover it during the hours they call 'prime time.' The New York Times did cover the event: in the "Metro" section.

Related posts, on censorship, propaganda, and freedom of speech.
Related posts, on Individuals and the War on Terror.