Body count won’t end

Nearly nine years of war in Afghanistan and the dead and wounded count continues to increase. The Memorial Day ceremonies at the new Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake are sadly coincidental with the news that the American military body count has reached 1,000 dead and over 5,000 wounded.

The pictures in The Review become a visual commentary on the failure of two Washington administrations to admit this is not a winnable war. The Soviets lost 13,319 dead and over 35,000 wounded in their efforts, not to mention the millions of rubles they spent in their vain attempt to conquer an unconquerable people.

I spent over three years at the naval hospital in Yokosuka, Japan (1963-’67) X-raying Navy and Marine Corps Vietnam casualties, and I will never forget the images of those brave men who were sacrificed by the decisions of the politicians who were never held accountable in this life.

We didn’t win that war and we won’t win this one but we’ll keep on counting bodies, trying to comfort grieving families and having Memorial Day ceremonies!

Carl R. Smith

Spokane