Interesting week historically

As of Monday, May 8th, the official death toll of U.S. Service members killed in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion has now exceeded that of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. 2,422 troops have died in the Iraq conflict. The number killed at Pearl Harbor was 2,403.

Oil was the cause for both events. In 1941, the Japanese wanted the oil in the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia) and needed to knock out the American fleet to insure it couldn't help the Dutch. Our attack in 2003 on Iraq was to insure our everlasting supply of oil to keep our SUVs running and to maintain our supply of plastic bags in American kitchens. For these needs, 2,422 of our best and brightest have lost their lives. So far.

May 10th, today, is a big day in recent military history. Winston Churchill became British prime minister because the Nazis launched their attacks on The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France the same morning in 1940. In 1942, General "Skinny" Wainwright surrendered all American forces in the Philippines to the Japanese as they landed on Corregidor. It was the beginning of over three years of brutal captivity for thousands of American airmen, soldiers and sailors. Thousands died, clubbed to death, starved to death, bayonetted, shot by their brutal Japanese captors. Please remember them this coming Memorial Day.--Walter Haan, www.war-books.com