One of the best known poems of the Nineteenth Century was the “Charge of the Light Brigade,” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It captures both the courage soldiers display when facing certain death and the foolishness of war.
The Light Brigade had been ordered to charge the front, and although that meant charging into certain death, that’s exactly what they did, and they all died. Had they asked, “Which front?” before charging, the outcome might have been different. The Light Brigade suffered one of the worst losses and highest casualty rates of any soldiers in any war.
The Fog of War became a common expression after the publication of Robert McNamara’s book, but as Tennyson’s poem makes clear, those who fight the battles have known about the concept for a long time. Soldiers (and that includes all branches of the military and those who play similar roles in civilian life, such as firefighters and police) are the ultimate “faithkeepers.”
It is, of course, easy to keep the faith when the challenges are few and small. Most of us make it through most days without ever feeling especially challenged. An expression from the military is, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” The concept also applies in civilian life. Some days are easier than others, the question is what do we do on the days that aren’t so easy–and what do we do on the days that are serious challenges?
In modern America, most of us don’t very often have days that present serious challenges. Fires, floods, and earthquakes occur from time to time, and auto accidents are fairly common. Even so, most of us make it through most weeks without experiencing a major problem. And that’s a good thing. And for our relative ease in life, we can thank our ancestors. Most of us probably recognize that our parents faced more difficulties in life than we have faced, and their parents doubtless faced even greater challenges. Some of my parents older relatives fought in the U.S. civil war (and on opposite sides at that). My parents’ generation endured the “Great Depression” and WWII.
How far back in your family do you have to go before you encounter a relative who fought in a war? I don’t have to go back far: I did a tour of duty in Vietnam, and my father and his brother both fought in WWII. My mother’s brother-in-law flew combat missions in Korea. I suspect that most of us have a “Light Brigade” connection in our not too distant past.
Many of us have friends and relatives who are still “doing battle,” whether as soldiers, construction workers, or tax accountants. Most jobs are neither glamorous nor lucrative, but someone has to do them. A long time ago, the Rolling Stones dedicated a song to the “hard working people.” They are what is often called, “The Salt of the Earth.”