Veterans Day

The conflict that came to be known as World War I started with bad planning and confusion. The so-called "Blank Check" Germany gave to find the killers of the Archduke Ferdinand was initially supported by the European community, but an unaccountable (albeit probably reasonable) delay in acting on it led to, in the ees of some European Nations, but not others, and expiration date on the Blank Check support. (Sound familiar?)
Hence, when Austria-Hungary, backed by this authority, did what they felt they had to do against terrorist actions, the Russians did a total mobiliazation. Okay, TECHNICALLY that total mobilization was not an act of war. However, due to the time-table and train plans they had, those mobilizations meant the soldiers would cross the border and war would start. Kind of an undeclared Declaration of War.
Then all the treaties and alliances kicked in. Boom, a world in flames.
The end was much the same. Germany was in slight retreat but certainly not prostrate and helpless. When the cease-fire started, the army sort of self-demobilized whereas the Allies did not. Thus, when the peace talks took place months later, the Germans had no negotiating strength. As a side note, it is interesting to note that U.S. soldiers invaded Russia in an attempt to influence the outcome of that war. This was done on moral grounds (allegedly, and dependant on point of view) but still, by rules of war, was an act of war.
Of course, the terms laid Germany were similar to the ones they laid on France 50 years previous after the Franco-Prussian war, including reparations and war-guilt, so don't cry too hard for them. That is the thing about war...it does not matter who starts it, only who wins it. They then decide retroactively who started it. And as Will Rogers noted, regardless of why you think the war started, the real war aims are best determined by seeing who gets what.
Now, history being history, there is some debate about WWII. Many people call it a continuation of or conclusion to the first World War, while others see it as a separate event spurred by the rise of totalitarianism and effects of the Depression. Either way, things happened in that war that demonstrated all that is worst about mankind. Racism in the Pacific and in virtually every nation involved (and yes, the U.S. was definitely one of those).
No need here to go into who did what and why to get into Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, etc...war followed war and none of them is clear-cut, above board, totally moral, fought on moral grounds with total righteousness of action by all involved.
But on the ground level, every one of them was fought by scared kids who may or may not have the overview, intellect, education and/or training to understand who and why they are fighting. No, they are expected to go fight "the enemy".
I seriously doubt that when bullets are whizzing over their heads, artillery shells bursting nearby, tanks rolling over the hills, etc., that they are thinking "This is an unjust war and so I am not going to shoot that guy who has right on his side" or "This is a totally just war so I can't get hurt and I am going to kill more of those evil smurfs". No, I have never fought, but I suspect their thoughts have more to do with survival, with doing their job, with protecting their buddies and getting home in one piece.
The morality or immorality of a war means a lot less when the guns are blazing. The death of a soldier, the crippling of a soldier, the wounding, the hearbreak, the mental anguish, the fear, the living with horrors...those all happen regardless of why the war is going on or what the war is called.
And those men who watch out for their buddies, who overcome the fear and do what they are sent to do, who give of their lives and sometimes their lives themselves...them I have nothing but respect for. I salute you all and wish you safety and an end to war and circumstances that lead to war. While I may hate war and seldom if ever see a justification for it, nevertheless I salute you and honor you. Come home safe.