tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57142806924891128232024-03-13T14:30:31.638-05:00Let's GoBenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-35057942513786316812008-09-11T20:19:00.001-05:002008-09-11T20:20:54.238-05:00In Remembrance<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/SMnD7-pYlKI/AAAAAAAAACM/pkyHPb5NruE/s1600-h/9-11-01candlesimplelarge1.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244938676245927074" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/SMnD7-pYlKI/AAAAAAAAACM/pkyHPb5NruE/s320/9-11-01candlesimplelarge1.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-66854503621565699292008-09-09T23:53:00.001-05:002008-09-09T23:53:51.886-05:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/SMdS2NOeb1I/AAAAAAAAACE/l-tPdy8oD3E/s1600-h/caisson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244251382313021266" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/SMdS2NOeb1I/AAAAAAAAACE/l-tPdy8oD3E/s320/caisson.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-67413039391776720552008-06-26T19:14:00.002-05:002008-06-26T19:17:48.293-05:00The Trinity in IraqA professor recently asked our class "How would Clausewitz assess the President's surge strategy in the context of the current political situation in both the United States and Iraq?" My response is below. He called me on not mentioning Congress in my consideration of the government (Rightfully so! There is a lot to be said for the idea that Congress was notably absent in the run-up to the invasion and in any meaningful attempts to influence events in the past five years):<br /><br /><br /> The interplay of government, military, and people which forms Clausewitz’s remarkable trinity has been out of balance in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), both in regards to the United States and Iraq. The surge strategy is an attempt to bring the components of the trinity back into balance; however the adoption of the surge after three years of counterinsurgency operations in Iraq may prove too late to rally American support for the war while simultaneously not sustainable to allow the Iraqi government to establish the mechanisms of state and become fully functioning. Clausewitz’s “remarkable trinity” of passion/violence, chance and reason are embodied by a nation’s people, its army and government. According to Clausewitz scholar Christopher Bassford, there is no fixed relationship between the elements of the trinity, but the dynamic established between them influences the conduct of a given conflict. Harry Summers, a strategist heavily influenced by Clausewitzian ideas believes that a nation must establish harmony between all three components of the trinity if it is to achieve victory in war, as the people, military and government must support a unified strategy. The United States has been unable to achieve this harmony in regards to operations in Iraq since the success of the initial invasion. By examining each element of the trinity in turn, it can be seen that the surge strategy is insufficient to redress this lack of balance.<br /><br />The People:<br /><br /> The Bush administration invaded Iraq in 2003, having made the case to the American people that Saddam Hussein represented an imminent danger to the United States through a program of weapons of mass destruction and sponsorship of terrorism. At that time, his actions won the approval of the majority of the American people, with 56% of those polled favoring the removal of Saddam Hussein. (1) Five years later, with United States forces still engaged in Iraq, the majority of Americans favor withdrawal from Iraq, regardless of the state of the security situation. (2) Although American public opinion regarding the efficacy of the surge has risen between July of 2007 and February of 2008, the majority of Americans still believe that going to war in Iraq was a mistake. (3) Over the same time period, the majority of Iraqis surveyed expressed doubts about the ability of the surge strategy to improve the security situation in Iraq. (4) From these statistics, one can conclude that the will of the people is not reflected in the surge strategy, and neither the United States nor Iraqi populations support the strategy.<br /><br />The Army:<br /><br /> By definition, the term surge implies rising and falling. The addition of 30,000 American troops to the forces deployed to Iraq was designed as a temporary measure to increase local security and allow the Iraqi government an opportunity to stabilize and focus on improving the quality of life for the Iraqi population. While the surge has achieved success in improving the security environment (5), it is doubtful that these improvements can be sustained by an Army described as “just about broken” by former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Secretary of State Colin Powell (6) At some point, the American Army will need to hand-off security functions to Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police organizations, which do not possess the same capabilities as American forces. (7) While clearly capable of achieving short term success, American and Iraqi forces may not be able to sustain the level of security required for the Iraqi government to effectively protect and provide opportunities for its citizens.<br /><br />The Government:<br /><br /> For the Bush administration, the surge strategy should have been adopted much earlier than four years into the war. Prior to the invasion, the American government did not anticipate a long occupation of Iraq, nor did it believe that operations in Iraq would place such a large burden on American ground forces. The much publicized “revolt of the generals” revealed the extent to which false assumptions dominated invasion planning. (8) Had a more detailed and realistic analysis of post-conflict operations been the basis for operations, a strategy similar to the current surge might have been put in place sooner, the will of the people and strength of the military would still have been available to the administration. Similarly, the delay in stabilizing the security situation left many Iraqis, regardless of ethnicity, doubtful of the ability of the Iraqi government to provide for their needs. (8)<br /><br />Conclusion:<br /><br /> The American and Iraqi trinities are currently out of balance, due to the prolonged conflict in Iraq. While the surge strategy addresses the security situation, the will of the people and capability of both American and Iraqi Army forces have been squandered during five years of conflict. A surge strategy enacted earlier may have set the conditions for long term stability in Iraq, but now it may be a case of too little, too late.<br /><br />1. Richard Benedetto, “Poll: Most back war, but want U.N. support”, USA Today, 17 March 2003<br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-16-poll-iraq_x.htm" target="_blank">http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-16-poll-iraq_x.htm</a> (accessed 1 April 2008).<br />Global Poll: Majority Wants Troops Out of Iraq Within a Year<br /><a href="http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/394.php?lb=btis&pnt=394&nid=&id=&gclid=CO6h1Kj9upICFSUbawod2TWkZA" target="_blank">http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/394.php?lb=btis&pnt=394&nid=&id=&gclid=CO6h1Kj9upICFSUbawod2TWkZA</a> (accessed 1 April 2008).<br />3. Ken Dilalian, “Progress in Iraq reshapes debate over war”, USA Today, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-02-17-Iraqcongress_N.htm" target="_blank">http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-02-17-Iraqcongress_N.htm</a> (accessed 1 April 2008).Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-42552396582888240952008-06-18T05:08:00.004-05:002008-06-18T05:18:06.705-05:00It's been a while...Work and school have taken a good deal of time, but I've been working hard on Clausewitz as well. My research has been almost 100% in support of school.<br /><br />A professor asked his students in one of my courses whether Clausewitz's theories applied to asymmetric warfare. Below are my thoughts on the question:<br /><br />I am an adherent of Christopher Bassford’s statement that “Clausewitz was a practical soldier and he intended his work to serve as a practical approach to real world complexities”. (1) Bassford, professor of strategy at the Army War College, takes issue with the notion that the style of warfare such as that faced by the United States today in Iraq and Afghanistan represents some form of “non-Clausewitzan” warfare. (2) He believes Clausewitz’s work, especially his concept of the Trinity, serves a framework for thinking about war that transcends concepts of conflict between nation states and provides the means for examining war in all its forms.<br /><br />Clausewitz described a society’s war making capability as residing in the intersection of the elements of a “remarkable trinity” of passion/violence, chance and reason. Bassford writes that the Trinity, while arguably not the central concept of “On War”, is the concept that ties all of Clausewitz’s many ideas together and binds them into a meaningful whole.” (3) It establishes the dynamic interplay of violence, chance and reason that comprises war, while not prescribing a fixed relationship between the elements. (4)<br /><br />American Army Colonel Harry G. Summers used Clausewitzian theory in his analyses on the United States’ involvement in Vietnam and the First Gulf War. In his writings on strategy, he embraced the idea that the components of the trinity (as described in Book VIII of “On War”) (5) were embodied by a nation’s people, its army and the leaders that governed them. Summers specifically emphasized that when the three components of the remarkable trinity were in harmony, a nation stood a better chance of achieving strategic success than a nation that went to war with an imbalance between the three.(6)<br /><br />Anti-Clausewitzian writers such as Martin van Creveld make the case that the Trinity no longer has bearing on the conduct of war due to the decline in “traditional” state vs state warfare relative to the ascendancy of trans-national, non-governmental threats such as Al Qaeda. Their justification for this claim is the state-centric model of the trinity employed by Summers. (7) K.M. French writes that any form of warfare that does not involve two opposing states “is else entirely, that is, non-Trinitarian warfare.” Army War College professor Antulio J. Echevarria demonstrates however, that the people/army/state construction of the Trinity is simply one subjective model, and that the concept of the Trinity as violence, chance and reason is a more objective, and hence more widely applicable, tool with which to analyze war. The people are ”populations of any society or culture”, not just the discrete body of people residing within defined borders, an army is “a warring body from any period”, and a state or government is “any ‘personified intelligence’”. (8) Applying this more objective model of the Trinity to the Global War on Terror, one can see the in the words and actions of Al Qaeda’s Islamic “constituencies”, operational cells, and trans-national leadership the interplay passion, chance and logic that one can apply to the population of the United States, its military, and its elected leadership. (8) Hence, warfare that adherents of Van Creveld would identify as non-Trinitarian can still be examined through Clausewitzian theory.<br /><br />1. Christopher Bassford, “Tip-Toe Through the Trinity”, <a href="http://www.clausewitz.com/CWZHOME/Trinity/Trinity8.htm">http://www.clausewitz.com/CWZHOME/Trinity/Trinity8.htm</a><br /><br />2. Ibid<br /><br />3. Ibid<br /><br />4. Ibid<br /><br />5. Antulio J. Echevarria, “Clausewitz and the Nature of the War on Terror”, in “Clausewitz and the 21st Century” edited by Hew Strachan and Andreas Herberg-Rothe, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007), p 204.<br /><br />6. Harry G. Summers, “On Strategy II: A Critical Analysis of the Gulf War” (New York, Dell Publishing, 1992), pp 17-18.<br /><br />7. K.M. French, “Clausewitz vs The Scholar”, <a href="http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1992/FKM.htm" target="_blank">http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1992/FKM.htm</a><br /><br />8. Antulio J. Echevarria, “Clausewitz and the Nature of the War on Terror”, in “Clausewitz and the 21st Century” edited by Hew Strachan and Andreas Herberg-Rothe, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007), p 205.Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-84088493249032534782008-02-12T19:19:00.000-06:002008-12-10T22:22:22.921-06:00Getting down to business...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/R7JLyad5xUI/AAAAAAAAABU/4koBdJma5bI/s1600-h/CWZthumb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166275052017665346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/R7JLyad5xUI/AAAAAAAAABU/4koBdJma5bI/s320/CWZthumb.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:78%;">"This image is copyrighted and reproduced with the permission of </span><a href="http://www.clausewitz.com/CWZHOME/CWZBASE.htm"><span style="font-size:78%;">Clausewitz.com</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">".</span><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/R7JF3qd5xTI/AAAAAAAAABM/6FInC_hAjqw/s1600-h/CWZthumb.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:130%;">“No one starts a war--or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so--without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it.” - Carl von Clausewitz</span> </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>I've been away from this blog for a long while. The fall ushered a series of unpleasant anniversaries, which in turn led me to stay away from posting. I imagine I will be avoiding personal posts for some time.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>I am embarking on a self directed study of Clausewitz and his applicability to current strategic thought. I've been exposed to his work before in college, through the Army, and in some post-grad work; however I want to complete a systematic study of <strong><em>On War, </em></strong>as well as some of the current literature on Clausewitz's work. I intend to use Let's Go as a repository for my thinking as a conduct my reading and research. Stay tuned...<br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><p></p><span style="font-size:85%;"><div><br /></div><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><blockquote><br /><p align="right"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></p></blockquote></span></blockquote></span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-53341628719752861392007-11-03T10:08:00.000-05:002007-11-03T10:11:07.497-05:00Fun Quiz<div style="width:300px;_height:250px; min-height:250px; background-color:rgb(216,233,237); text-align:center;"><br /> <div style="background:rgb(129,172,201); height:4px;"><br /> <img src="http://www.quizilla.com/images/blue_drk_corner1.gif" style="float: left" height="4" hspace="0" /><br /> <img src="http://www.quizilla.com/images/blue_drk_corner2.gif" style="float: right" height="4" hspace="0" /><br /> </div><br /> <div style="background:rgb(129,172,201); padding: 0pt 0pt 5px;"><br /> <span style="font-size:12px; color:rgb(255,255,255); padding:3px; font-family:Arial;"><strong>What Muppet are you?</strong></span><br /> </div><br /> <div style="padding:5px; text-align:left; font-size:12px; font-family:Arial; background-color:rgb(216,233,237);"><br /><br /><center><img src="http://images.quizilla.com/A/AutumnSong123/1070291143_stuffSam_s.jpg"><br/>You are Sam the Eagle.You are patriotic and devoted. And extremely anal.HOBBIES:Patriotism, Being appalled at what everyone else is doing. FAVORITE MUSIC:The National Anthem of America FAVORITE MOVIE:"An American In....America" LAST BOOK READ:"Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, Eagles are from America" QUOTE:"Please stop that now! It's un-American!" <br/>Take this <a target="quizilla" style="color:rgb(0,0,0)" href="http://quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=17&url=http://www.quizilla.com/users/AutumnSong123/quizzes/What+Muppet+are+you%3F">quiz</a>!<br/><br /><br /><br/><a href="http://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=18&url=http://www.quizilla.com/" target="quizilla"><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.quizilla.com/images/codepastes/30qzlogo.gif" style="padding:2px;" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:12;"><br /><br /><a style="color:rgb(0,0,0);" target="quizilla" href="http://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=18&url=http://www.quizilla.com">Quizilla</a> | <br /><a style="color:rgb(0,0,0);" target="quizilla" href="http://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=21&url=http://www.quizilla.com/register">Join</a> <br /><br />| <a style="color:rgb(0,0,0);" target="quizilla" href="http://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=20&url=http://www.quizilla.com/makeaquiz.php">Make A Quiz</a> | <a target="quizilla" href="http://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=42&url=http://www.quizilla.com/users/AutumnSong123/quizzes/">More Quizzes</a> | <a style="color:rgb(0,0,0);" target="quizilla" href="http://www.quizilla.com/redirect.php?statsid=19&url=http://www.quizilla.com/codepastes/?quizid=312290">Grab Code</a></span><br /></div></div>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-33704684244447885062007-09-08T22:31:00.000-05:002008-12-10T22:22:23.339-06:00What a rotten day that turned out to be...<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/Ruc5vM5d6SI/AAAAAAAAAA0/gmbNCcbUwz4/s1600-h/250px-Riderless_horse.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/Ruc5vM5d6SI/AAAAAAAAAA0/gmbNCcbUwz4/s320/250px-Riderless_horse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109115785354012962" /></a><br />Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the death of my Uncle David. He played many roles in my life: Godfather to my son and to me, mentor in my career, role model. The night I learned that he had died I felt rudderless. I had relied on his advice and counsel for so long I could not fathom not having him around to keep me on azimuth. My aunt Vivian gave me some advice that helped though. She said that although he was no longer with us in this world, he had provided such strong guidance and a great example for so long that I would have a good idea of what decisions he would support when faced with a problem. This has proved true in large measure, but it's cold comfort nonetheless. You gave us more than we can ever repay Sir. We love and miss you. A lot.Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-7012688855329047492007-08-31T04:50:00.000-05:002008-12-10T22:22:23.482-06:00Happy Birthday Glamour Girl<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/Rtfn6s5d6RI/AAAAAAAAAAs/fiyPeE2bL9A/s1600-h/IMG_5931.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer<br />; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/Rtfn6s5d6RI/AAAAAAAAAAs/fiyPeE2bL9A/s320/IMG_5931.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104803698318371090" /></a><br />(Photo copyright © by KC Powers 2006-2007)<br /><br />My oldest daughter, Glamour Girl, just turned six! Not quite the "D + 80" milestone of nine, but she's growing up. I think she's the most like me out of the kids, in that her personality is a mass of contradictions. For instance, she loves the ballet and dances like a sprite, but is the first one to grab a cardboard tube and start kicking butt when the boys want to play "ninjas".<br /><br />When she was a baby she couldn't stand me. Glamour Girl only had eyes for Mommy and would scream if I held her. She wouldn't stop until Household Six took over. This made it difficult for Mom to do stuff like take a shower (I guess it didn't help that I stood outside the bathroom with her hysterical baby to motivate Mommy to move with a purpose). Now, she's always right with me when I'm home, telling me she loves me. Glamour Girl, you're the light of life. Love, DaddyBenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-53445786917343698602007-08-29T23:20:00.000-05:002008-12-10T22:22:23.707-06:00He IS an American Hero, but...<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/RtZGAM5d6OI/AAAAAAAAAAU/14oP1L42sxk/s1600-h/Ike2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104344196947241186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ci9Z2Gfg-I0/RtZGAM5d6OI/AAAAAAAAAAU/14oP1L42sxk/s320/Ike2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dwight D. Eisenhower is my hero. I use that word with all due consideration of the weight of its meaning. I consciously try to emulate him in my professional life, keep a photo of him (standing with my Grandfather. How cool is <strong>THAT</strong>!?) on the wall in my office, and read anything about him that I can get into my two hands. So, when I saw Michael Korda's new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060756659?ie=UTF8&tag=lesgo03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0060756659">Ike: An American Hero</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lesgo03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0060756659" width="1" border="0" /> on sale at Barnes and Noble earlier this week I grabbed it no questions asked. Unfortunately, I'm starting to think I should have asked a question or two.<br /><br />The footnotes make reference to several other published biographies about Eisenhower, with few references to available documents or other primary sources. This may seem like a small thing, but when I read a biography I'm looking for the author's analysis of the historical record, not a rehash of the work of other researchers. More distressing, however, is the apparent fact that Korda didn't thoroughly read the secondary works he cites as sources. I've noticed two errors in his telling of the facts of Ike's career so far in my reading. In Korda's defense, both of these errors are perpetuated by other biographers as well, but that defense only goes so far. Korda repeatedly cites Carlo D'Este's superior book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0805056874?ie=UTF8&tag=lesgo03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0805056874">Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lesgo03-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0805056874" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> as a source, and D'Este not only avoids the errors repeated by Korda, he devotes considerable space in his endnotes to debunking them, discussing their origins and listing his sources. Korda's lapse makes me wonder what other oversights are in his book. I admire his effort (I haven't written a book), but find the finished product lacking.<br /><br />I'll finish the book though. It's about Ike!Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-22444716401503806742007-08-27T21:11:00.000-05:002007-09-04T19:02:05.900-05:00Punctuation, Birthdays and D + 80My wife (hereafter referred to in Army shorthand as Household 6) recommended that I add an exclamation point to the blogs title, as in "Let's Go!" She has a point as it is a rallying cry and source of inspiration for those privileged to have served, or those now serving, in the <a href="http://www.bragg.army.mil/afvc-b/">325th Airborne Infantry Regiment</a> . It's supposed to motivate you, and paratrooper motivation is ALL CAPS! All that being said, I am throwing caution to the wind and opting not to take Household 6's advice. My reason for doing so stems directly from why I named this blog "Let's Go" in the first place. When I post here, I invariably think of Dave. He lived his life out loud, skydiving, skiing, dog sledding, you name it he did it. But while Dave was a man of action, and an Airborne Ranger to his core, his intensity came from a source deep within him. Dave isn't a primal scream of "Let's Go!" He's an unblinking stare into your eyes when it's time to execute, motivating you with a quiet nod and the terse statement, "Let's Go."<br /><br />All this talk about punctuation is now making me think of my son. He's a huge fan of <a href="http://www.school-house-rock.com/">Schoolhouse Rock</a>, especially the song about interjections ("show excitement/or emotion..."). He would wholeheartedly support the adoption of the exclamation point as the capstone of this site. He's nine now. We celebrated his birthday this past weekend with about 30 of his closest friends with a party complete with a treasure hunt around the house and yard. I'd like to think that a good time was had by all, but I know he had fun. Being a soldier and a self-styled amateur historian, I find it interesting that he shares his birthday with the anniversary of the liberation of Paris in August of 1944. I can see my bride's eyes rolling at that last sentence. Bear with me here, because I'm trying to make what is, for me, a heartfelt observation of how I feel about my boy growing up. The Allies liberated Paris on what was known as D + 80 (ie, 80 days after the 6 June D-Day landings). Historians of the Normandy campaign basically agree that D + 80 marked the end of the campaign. The Allies had a long way to go to win, but a milestone had been reached. It was time for a new phase. I feel like this particular birthday was my son's D + 80. As a nine year old, he's halfway to adulthood. This is the last year his age will be recorded with one digit. He's growing and starting to shape his personality: a geography whiz, a budding golfer, a ninja turtle fanatic, and an unabashed patriot who loves America enough to trick or treat dressed as the US Capitol Building. This birthday was his D + 80. There's a long way to go, but he's reached a milestone. Happy Birthday Son. I love you.Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5714280692489112823.post-50941372721983768072007-08-25T06:24:00.000-05:002007-08-31T07:25:20.171-05:00"You should have a blog."I should? More than one person has mentioned blogging to me, but I never felt that anyone would be interested in what I have to say. I'm not sure that the people who recommended blogging to me were interested in what I have to say. My wife has an awesome blog ( <a href="http://www.kcpowers.typepad.com/">The Cabbage Patch</a> ). My sister blogs too ( <a href="http://www.sue-inforapenny.blogspot.com/">In For a Penny</a> ). Reading their posts made me aware of the fact that blogging isn't about being interesting to others, but chronicling your own journey. It's an interactive journal where you can record what's important to you, but gain insights from others as well. I want to do that too. <em></em>I <strong>should</strong> have a blog.<br /><br />So why Let's Go?<br /><br />The phrase reminds me of two of my heroes, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Major David G. Taylor. When Eisenhower served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force poised for the D-Day invasion in June of 1944, terrible storms placed the operation's timetable in jeopardy. The fate of over two million troops hung on the choice between delaying the operation to wait for better weather, or taking advantage of a small break in the skies to launch the assault as planned. General Eisenhower opted for action and announced his decision to proceed with the simple phrase, "Okay, let's go."<br /><br />Let's Go also reminds me of my friend Dave Taylor. Let's Go is the motto of the unit to which we were both assigned when we met many years ago. Over time Dave proved to be the best kind of friend, one who would tell you when you were screwing up, regardless of the fallout. He became part of our family. Dave died in Iraq on 22 October 2006. Let's Go is dedicated to his memory.Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02575503812055495929noreply@blogger.com3