George W's WAR

(please read until the end........)

No one likes war. War is a horrific
affair, bloody and expensive. Sending our men and women into battle to perhaps die or be maimed is an unconscionable thought.

Yet some wars need to be waged, and
someone needs to lead. The citizenry and Congress are often ambivalent or largely opposed to any given war. It's up to our leader to convince them.
That's why we call the leader 'Commander in Chief.'

George W's war was no different. There was lots of resistance to it.
Many in Congress were vehemently against the idea. The Commander in
Chief had to lobby for legislative approval.

Along with supporters, George W. used
the force of his convictions, the power of his title and every ounce
of moral suasion he could muster to rally support. He had to assure
Congress and the public that the war was morally justified, winnable
and affordable. Congress eventually came around and voted overwhelmingly to wage war.

George W. then lobbied foreign governments for support. But in the
end, only one European nation helped us. The rest of the world sat on
its hands and watched.

After a few quick victories, things started to go bad. There were many
dark days when all the news was discouraging. Casualties began to mount.
It became obvious that our forces were too small. Congress began to
drag its feet about funding the effort.

Many who had voted to support the war just a few years earlier were
beginning to speak against it and accuse the Commander in Chief of
misleading them. Many critics began to call him incompetent, an idiot
and even a liar. Journalists joined the negative chorus with a vengeance.

As the war entered its fourth year, the public began to grow weary of
the conflict and the casualties. George W.'s popularity plummeted. Yet
through it all, he stood firm, supporting the troops and endorsing the
struggle.

Without his unwavering support, the war would have surely ended, then
and there, in overwhelming and total defeat.

At this darkest of times, he began to make some changes. More troops were added and trained. Some advisers were shuffled, and new generals installed.

Then, unexpectedly and gradually, things began to improve. Now it was the enemy that appeared to be growing weary of the lengthy conflict and losing support. Victories
began to come, and hope returned.

Many critics in Congress and the press said the improvements were just
George W.'s good luck. The progress, they said, would be temporary. He
knew, however, that in warfare good fortune counts.

Then, in the unlikeliest of circumstances and perhaps the most historic example of military luck,
the enemy blundered and was resoundingly defeated. After six long
years of war, the Commander in Chief basked in a most hard-fought victory.

So on that historic day,
Oct. 19, 1781, in a place called Yorktown , a satisfied George
Washington sat upon his beautiful white horse and accepted the
surrender of Lord Cornwallis, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

WHAT? Were you
thinking of someone else?

Writer unkown.........thanks, Priscilla....Great find!