A Father Speaks About Duty

Andrew Bacevich, retired US Army colonel and thoughtful critic of the Iraq war and occupation, writes about his son's death in that war. He offers many piercing insights. His thoughts about the speeches we will hear this weekend is particularly so:

Memorial Day orators will say that a G.I.'s life is priceless. Don't believe it. I know what value the U.S. government assigns to a soldier's life: I've been handed the check. It's roughly what the Yankees will pay Roger Clemens per inning once he starts pitching next month.