COLUMN: Celebrate U.S. soldiers as men, not supermen

From Andrew Exum's, "Perilous Orthodocy," Fall '99 From Andrew Exum's, "Perilous Orthodocy," Fall '99In May 1945, one month after American troops liberated Dachau, a Nazi cargo train carrying gold and jewelry belonging to Hungarian Jews was intercepted en route to Germany. The news came as a shock, especially after all those tributes to American GIs during World War II that arrived on the heels of Saving Private Ryan. But while it may be nice and convenient to see the men and women who defend our country as being exempt from wrongdoing and transgressions, the truth is that they do err on occasion, sometimes spectacularly. In fact, for every 10 acts of valor and heroism, there's almost always a corresponding act of cowardice or vice. As we observe Veteran's Day this week, perhaps it's time we free our veterans of the superhuman standards we set for them. Perhaps it's time we laud them for simply being human and not asking them to occupy some moral high ground. In other words, perhaps it is time we dispel the myth that all of our nation's wars are fought by Superman. Today, we see the American soldier as a being separate from society, immune from our opinions, feelings and flaws. In other words, we view the soldier as a heroic but unthinking machine, laboring to execute the decrees of the state. But the American GI has been, is and always will be a reflection of society, not an exception. Like it or not, the American GI is a human being just like us. In fact, that's what makes him so special in the first place. The idea that a human being, living among us, would find it in himself to answer the call from his country and go to battle is the one thing -- the only thing -- that distinguishes him from society at large. But rather than accept the good and condemn the bad, our society continues to be confounded by the American GI's propensity to both accomplish much at one moment and sin greatly at another. On the one hand, you have feats of extraordinary heroism and sacrifice -- everything we've come to expect of our soldiers. On the other hand, you have shameful acts that disgrace both the military and the country as a whole. The actions of General Collins and his soldiers are one example. But there are others, as well. Take the following: Event One: September 1950. U. S. troops under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur conduct one of the most daring and courageous invasions in history, charging into enemy territory at Inchon, Korea, and stemming the aggressive campaign being waged against South Korea. Event Two: July 1950. Just a few months earlier, fighting for their lives in South Korea, American GIs brutally massacre hundreds of Korean civilians huddled under a bridge near No Gun Ri in South Korea. Could it really be the same men who fought in those battles, just under different circumstances or with different motivations? Come to think of it, given juxtapositions like this one, who in their right mind wouldn't be confused about what to think about the American GI? Hero or coward? Liberator or monster? But why not both? Why must we believe that those who perform the greatest acts of heroism did so without any inner flaw? The fact remains that human beings committed those sins in WWII Hungary and No Gun Ri. But human beings of the same generation and culture also summoned the courage to liberate Dachau, land at Inchon and serve every day in America's military. So as we pause for Veteran's Day this Thursday, observe the holiday as a celebration of humanity, not as a holiday for fallen superheroes. Sure, the American GI has faltered occasionally over the course of the nation's long history. But he has also triumphed in ways we can't imagine from the safe confines of our Ivy League campus. Those triumphs alone should warrant a celebration this week, and I encourage you all to show your support. Because most Americans really would like to honor our soldiers. We need heroes, even if they are just like us in many ways. We need to learn, however, to look for our heroes among our fellow men and not among some breed of supermen we've created to give us comfort.