Victory in Iraq should be celebrated

It is with great pride that I reflect upon the marvelous victory that our brave men and women of the military have achieved in Iraq. I am sure that none of the military members coming home expect a victory march down Main Street or banner headlines in the newspapers, but it would be appropriate at some point for our nation to recognize the victory our military has achieved under the most difficult conditions imaginable.

The military returning from Desert Storm/Desert Shield after the liberation of Kuwait received, and I can speak from experience, a warm welcome from our country and the service members and their families were surely moved by the many expressions of appreciation.

But, that was in an era before the onset of Bush Derangement Syndrome. In that previous time, congressional leaders did not declare defeat on a regular basis, the president was not afraid to use the word "victory" and there were no special interest groups that took out full page newspaper ads changing the name of a commanding officer to "General Betray-Us."

Everyone knows that Iraq could return to its prior condition; but for now Iraqi people have the freedom to choose their own leaders. Those that are not opposed to "everything Bush" will acknowledge that Iraq has truly been liberated by the U.S. military. Our military, President Bush, and especially those that gave the ultimate sacrifice and their families, deserve our highest honor for a job well done.

No one expects the mainstream media to give any recognition or respect to the military or President Bush, but why is it so difficult for President Obama to show that he at least has noticed? President Obama is continuously whining about the economic "mess" he "inherited" from President Bush, but he can't bring himself to acknowledge the Iraq victory he was handed by President Bush and our military.

We also should not forget the vital effort and sacrifice of those individuals in the Central Intelligence Agency and other agencies who are working undercover and behind the scenes around the world to obtain information that will keep us from being surprised by another terrorist attack. They risk their lives every day so that we can be safer and, when they are killed or captured in the performance of their duties, we often do not even know their names. Rather than give these dedicated individuals the support and honor they deserve, the Democrat leadership, many liberal members of Congress, and the Obama Justice Department want to put them on trial for making some terrorists uncomfortable. All while the liberal media is looking for secrets to reveal or some incident that they can write about in an effort to embarrass them.

Col. (Ret.) Kelley C. Smith

Long Grove