Free copies of

War Lessons

are provided to teachers who wish to use the book in class or incorporate it into the curriculum. Teachers may also request free copies for each student in the class. The purpose of this program is to assist schools in making books about war available to teachers and students.
The first institution to take advantage of this program was John Jay College in New York City where teachers and students used the book in a course taught jointly by a philosophy professor and a history professor.

John Merson speech from John Merson on Vimeo.

Now in its ninth year, the armed conflict in Afghanistan began as a U.S. war against Al Quaeda and has morphed into a U.S.-led NATO war against Afgan- and Pakistan-based Taliban forces. Like the war in Vietnam, it is an asymetric war against guerilla forces. More than 200,000 Afghan, U.S. and NATO troops, supported by planes, helicopters, unmanned drones, artillery, and U.S. Navy ships, are fighting against an unknown number of guerilla fighters. Guerilla forces may be receiving support from Pakistan and other foreign governments.

U.S. casualties have totaled fewer than 1,000 men and women, yet civilian casualties have probably exceeded military casualties by a factor of five, due to the inherent inaccuracy of soldiers’ fire, artillery, bombs, and missiles fired by drones. Some civilian casualties have been caused by the guerillas’ use of suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Civilian casualties have also resulted from the fact that villagers leave their homes to escape the fighting; women, children, and old men are often unable to withstand the rigors of living on the run, exposed to the elements, disease, and shortages of food.

Outside of the Afghan cities, most territory is controlled either by Aghan government forces or by the Taliban. When one side attempts to wrest control of a village from the other side, civilian casualties mount. While some villagers may have a preference for one side or the other, most would probably choose to be left alone by both sides. Yet they rarely have such a choice.

To minimize harm to civilians, U.S. and NATO forces should withdraw from Afghanistan. Afghan armed forces would have to choose which areas to defend, leaving the rest to the other side or to neither side. The withdrawal of outside forces would not end the current state of armed conflict, but it might help to reduce the level of violence. If the U.S. and NATO continue to augment Afghan forces with troops, weapons, and supplies, the current state of war could easily continue for another five to ten years.

The U.S. goal in Afghanistan is to make the U.S. homeland safe from attacks by terrorists based in a failed state. There are many areas around the world that offer terrorists the protection of a failed state: Yemen and Somalia have recently been mentioned as offering terrorist basing opportunities. It is simply not possible or affordable for the U.S. to mount military campaigns around the world. Instead, we will have to improve our domestic land, air, and sea defenses.

Across the U.S., schools are facing budget cuts as property values decline. Property taxes based on assessed values are the primary source of funding for local schools. Additional funding from Federal and state sources could offset the drop in property taxes, but this funding is unlikely to be provided. Why?

Defense spending, already more than a half trillion dollars, will increase by four percent next year. On top of this, spending for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will exceed $300 billion this year, an amount that is projected to decline only slightly in future years. These two wars continue a trend stretching back over 100 years that has left the U.S. with more than 770 foreign military bases.

As long as our government continues to spend so heavily on war and preparations for war, schools will face inadequate budgets. What to do? Military budgets suggest an answer: programs are ranked in importance so that funding goes first to those with the greatest contribution to the mission of the organization. Schools will need to do the same.

When schools rank their programs, athletics will necessarily be assigned a lower priority than teaching academic subjects. And athletic programs are expensive: coaching salaries, travel, equipment, and maintenance can range from three to five percent of school budgets. As a result, schools and colleges are cutting athletic budgets by eliminating teams, reducing travel, and cutting the number of coaches for remaining teams.

But providing opportunities for physical exercise is important to the health and well-being of students. In addition, athletics provide entertainment for students and their families. One solution is to develop a program of intramural athletics with participation for all students. Intramural programs can be operated with volunteer coaches and without travel between schools.

Each students can be randomly assigned to a Red, Blue or Green team for the duration of his or her school career. In every intramural sport or activity, these teams can practice and compete on as many levels as are needed to give every student the chance to participate.

Before schools cut any academic teaching positions, we need to find creative solutions that will first apply cuts to non-academic programs. This process won’t be easy, but over time we’ll learn to do it well.

John Merson, March 4, 2009

Some have proposed that soldiers with psychological injuries should receive the Purple Heart. While many have supported this proposal, it has also generated such strong opposition that the Pentagon currently does consider these injuries in awarding the Purple Heart. This decision should not be surprising because most people — soldiers and civilians alike — still have a hard time seeing psychological injuries as real. Earlier known as “Soldier’s Heart” and “Combat Fatigue,” psychological injury is slowly making its way into popular consciousness as an illness worthy of treatment. The many names used for this condition suggest the difficult time we have in according it a status equal to wounds that result in bleeding. Psychological injuries have also been called “post-traumatic stress disorder” (PTSD).

Consider for a moment some of the other complications involved in awarding the Purple Heart. The signature wound of the Iraq War is traumatic brain injury, or TBI. This injury is sometimes difficult to diagnose and often goes untreated until long after it has occurred. When TBI happens together with other physical injuries that cause bloodshed, there is no need to consider TBI for a Purple Heart. But if TBI happens without other injuries, the Purple Heart is awarded without the need for visible proof of injury. We accept TBI as a physical wound even though it may lack an obvious physical manifestation.

Injuries caused by so-called “friendly fire” often involve bloodshed but are not caused by enemy action. Victims of these injuries receive the Purple Heart because it is often impossible to trace the cause of the injury.

A soldier sickened by exposure to Agent Orange or chemicals used during the Gulf War has a physical ailment, but it is one that often does not become apparent until long after the wound has been inflicted. With increasing exposure to uranium-tipped, armor-piercing ammunition used by US forces during the Gulf War, it is likely that more and more soldiers will suffer illnesses that are not immediately traceable to combat action.

What soldiers care about is that all injuries — psychological as well as physical — receive prompt treatment. Most soldiers would rather have proper care than all the medals the military has to offer. Yet often the soldier’s reluctance to ask for help is among the obstacles to treatment. In the idealized Hero Culture that surrounds military service, heroes don’t need help and don’t ask for it.

We understand that psychological injury is just as debilitating as a physical wound. Yet we denigrate psychological injury when we make it ineligible for the Purple Heart. In this way we contribute to the problem of soldiers failing to seek help for psychological injury. We need to look at the big picture. Society’s understand of psychological injury has evolved substantially since George Washington awarded the first Purple Heart.

John Merson – January 29, 2009

“War should always be a last resort for many reasons. John Merson’s vivid and compelling description of war from an infantryman’s perspective reinforces that rule with its clear and raw insights into the impact it has on those who fight. This is a must read for those who make war decisions so that they truly grasp what they are unleashing and for those who want to understand what combat soldiers face as a result of those decisions.” General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Retired)

“This memoir by a former Marine foot soldier in the Vietnam war is a vivid account of that war as seen by a young man (old soldiers do not forget). It’s also a mature reflection on the responsibilities of soldiers in war, and those of American leaders in committing troops to armed conflict. It’s a moving and beautifully written book that shows exactly how bad decisions in Washington lead to bad decisions in the field — and tragedy for soldiers on the ground.” Frances FitzGerald, author of Fire In The Lake

“Just as War Lessons is timeless in its exploration of the horror and excitement of war for individual soldiers, so too does it show how war scars the soul of its participants. The book is one that should be read by everyone who cares about the fate and future of our nation’s defenders.” Jan C. Scruggs, Esq., founder and president, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund