From One Veteran to Another: The End of War, Our War

“Only the dead have seen the end of war.” This is a powerful and blunt truth.

The quote is usually attributed to Plato, although the reality seems to be that it was George Santayana who said it in 1922. He’s also the same guy who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” How appropriate.

To my fellow veterans, and especially those who are trying to make sense of everything happening in Afghanistan right now, I offer a slight revision:

“Only the dead have seen the end of war… in Afghanistan.”