Posted by Eugene Volokh:
"Rethinking the Iwo Jima Myth":
[1]Max Boot, who has written on military history, has an op-ed on this
subject, which struck me as interesting, both for its historical
substance and its conclusion:
No [criticism of the decision to take Iwo Jima] was heard at the
time, in part because of the rah-rah tone of World War II press
coverage but also because Americans back then had a greater
appreciation for the ugly, unpredictable nature of combat. They
even coined a word for it: snafu (in polite language: "situation
normal, all fouled up"). It's a shame that so many sentimental
tributes to the veterans of the Good War elide this unpleasant
reality, leaving us a bit less intellectually and emotionally
prepared for the trauma of modern war.
References
1.
http://www.latimes.com/la-oe-boot10mar10,0,6018382.column?coll=la-home-utilities
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