President
Donald Trump characterized the rescue of a weapons service officer (WSO)
from a downed F-15E in Iran as an "Easter Miracle" after various U.S.
forces recovered him following a high-risk mission behind enemy lines. Trump
told NBC host Kristen Welker, "The rescue was an Easter
Miracle. The enemy was large and violent. The rescuers were
brilliant, strong, decisive, and as cool as anyone can be,” adding that
"Such a rescue has never happened before in so violent an enemy territory.
It is usually not done because it is considered not doable."
One’s
heart swells with pride at this news. It hits home personally for me. One of my
uncles was shot down in the south pacific during World War II. The navy sent a
ship to pick him up. Rather than calculating the cost-benefit ratio, they
called an audible and made the decision to rescue a single man. I’m glad they
did. He was a remarkably charismatic man with a great sense of humor and an
equally great appreciation for a glass of beer and life in general. We had a
number of great conversations over the years as I was morphing into a man.
(After he was shot down…and fished out…he wrote to his parents back home in
northern Minnesota, saying that he “Took a little dip in the ocean.”)
Two
posts on ‘X’, pertaining to this rescue, struck me as particularly relevant.
An
Iranian woman, @__Injaneb96, stated: “As an Iranian watching this rescue
mission unfold, I was praying the American pilot would make it out alive, not
just for him, but so the Islamic Republic could not use him as a bargaining
chip or claim some twisted ‘victory.’ At the same time, I felt a deep envy.
Your government sent elite special forces, million-dollar aircraft, and moved
heaven and earth to bring one American home. No hesitation. No excuses. In Iran,
the regime uses human shields and recruited child soldiers to clear minefields
during the Iran-Iraq war. They treat their own people like disposable tools.
They are now recruiting child soldiers as we speak. The Islamic Republic has zero
regard for human life. That's the brutal difference.”
Another
X poster, @shortmagsmle, wrote, “I’m Noticing a lot of foreigners who seem
to not understand why we'd risk hundreds of lives, spend millions of dollars,
and sacrifice several aircraft to rescue one guy. And the reason they don't
understand is also the reason people can't be made American by a piece of paper.”
Just so…and well written.
Historically,
the American military has cared about the individual, not just the
masses. And that is a very American thing indeed.
The phrase "leave no man behind" is a core principle of the United States Marine Corps, emphasizing the commitment to recover fallen comrades and ensure that no Marine is abandoned in combat…no
matter what.
Seems
to me, greater love hath no man than this, that a man be willing to lay down
his life for his brothers in arms.
Apparently,
the CIA worked to delude the Iranian forces as to where the downed American
was, and Seal Team 6 aided in his recovery, the same group of Seals that
eliminated Osama Bin Laden.
So
let us pray that we can wrap up operation “Epic Fury” without getting caught up
in a protracted ground war.
And
that we can somehow find the will to fight the twin evils of ubiquitous fraud
and Muslim invasion back home. That would be a true miracle.
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