December 1914 on the Western Front. With morale low the allies launch a major offensive on the 19th in an attempt to bring something positive to the troops. It was a disaster. As the soldiers left the trenches and moved into "no man’s land", they were cut down by machine guns. This short battle cost thousands of casualties and gained nothing. On Christmas Eve, British troops in part of the line noticed the German trenches lit with candles and the sound of Christmas carols. As the night progressed they realized that, at times, they were singing the same songs in different languages. On that small part of the front the following day another battle broke out, a soccer game between the sides. For a day there was a truce. World War I, with all of its death and destruction, was the last war with a sense of dignity and chivalry. Jump to Christmas 2003 and another major war rages. The War on Terrorism and a worldwide war in many countries are being fought against a common enemy. Christmas Day 2003 there was no truce, no chivalry, and no sense of chivalry in war. Many of the same terrorists and enemies attacked all over the globe. A blast near Tel Aviv killed three Israelis and injured scores more. Six Air France flights to Los Angeles were cancelled due to known extremists holding tickets to America. The French government questioned some of the suspects but made no arrests, with a growing Muslim population they are not eager to fight the extremists. As U.S. soldiers tried to have a sliver of Christmas in Iraq insurgents attacked them in several places. President Musharraf of Pakistan has escaped two attempts on his life in a couple of weeks. The terrorists are upset that he is helping the United States on a small scale. All of these attacks have one thing in common; there is no limit to what the terrorists will do to kill. Women, children, and the elderly are fair game in their minds. They attack Christians, Jews, and their own people. This is why we are at war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is why we took the initiative to hunt the terrorists down and why our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines spent Christmas 2003 away from their families. They didn’t do it because they wanted to go to war; they did it because they believe in their mission. They know that fighting the terrorists on their ground means that you won’t have to live in fear of your children being killed on their way to school.It is hard to visualize living with the fear that others face on a daily basis. Imagine a car bomb detonated in front of the mall as you and your family are walking by. Seems impossible but it is not. All of the violence in the world could easily move here if we don’t confront them on their ground. That is what this war is all about, avoiding the battle lines moving to our country and into our cities.Curtis Hendel Adrian
