“ You will be future leaders, leading soldiers on the battlefields.”  These words are just a few of the motivating phrases that 1SG Spisso beats into the minds of future Lieutenants, training in the OCS program of the Army National Guard.  I am part of this magnificent program that trains officers, and every time I hear that I feel inspired and yet remorse.  While training I have no time to think of anything else but my mission and ways to succeed. When I get home I think of school and succeeding in my civilian life.  Then the war touches a little closer to home by one of my closet friends being sent to instill peace in the Middle East.  This led me to do more research on why my friend went to Iraq to kill.  I came across some interesting points on how this war mirror’s the war my father fought in, Vietnam.            

There are many concerns for our country as it attempts to bring democracy and tranquility to Iraq.  Many believe that our country is making the same ‘mistake’ it made over three decades ago in Vietnam.  The similarities are too abundant to ignore. I have done research on the views of Americans towards the war and the subject on everyone’s mind is a sense of déjà vu when it comes to the Iraqi War. 

          Journalists everywhere dare not to compare the two ‘police actions’.  Instead they call the protestors “nostalgic hippies”, for what?  Rep. Charles Rangel introduced a bill to congress to reinstate the draft.  The draft is not needed at present because we have not lost 1/3 of our army, as it was in Vietnam when men were dying by the hundred per week! 

          Perhaps at least one politician did their History H.W. and saw how the Vietnam War impacted America. (blackamericaweb.com) Rep. Rangel saw how minorities, particular blacks had lost their lives in combat. He proposed a draft proclaiming that this war should be contributed equally among all races.

          The Vietnam War has been considered to be fought by the lower class.  This is one of the political factors involved in reinstating the draft during the 60’s.  The same cries of this being the lower-class war are being heard.  In fact, the proportion of minorities dying in Iraq right now is much greater than any other war.