The Fight In The Dog

In 1977, I was with my family in Mainz, Germany. My father (at this current season of my life, is now almost 2 years deceased) was in the Army, and this was his final duty station before his retirement. I was 10 years old, and although I was a war buff (particularly WW2), I really had only begun to understand the significance of the American presence in Europe. In case you’re unaware (or too young to understand the significance of that year), 1977 was probably the apex of the Cold War, and America’s leading presence in NATO. It was also not a particularly good time politically for the military because Jimmy Carter was president, and even at that young age and state of ignorance, I was aware that Carter was a poor president. Of course, the main reason that I felt that way was because most of the adults in my life were military, and there was no great love for the Carter Administration among them. It was only later in life that I understood and agreed with their negative opinions, but I digress.

At any rate, on a rather cold, late evening, my father took my younger brother and I to the base where he worked (just for some Father-sons time), and he grabbed several old tactical maps from the office that he worked out of.  We proceeded to a rusty old barrel that sat horizontally on a spit, and the barrel had holes in it, and a large door (almost looking like a pig cooker). My father then began to light a fire with one of the old maps. Once the fire got going, he took the rest of the old maps and began throwing them in. Of course, pop asked if we would like to help throw maps into the fire, and and naturally we obliged.

I stood looking at these really cool tactical maps, wondering if maybe I could have one or two as collection pieces. My father told me that they had to be destroyed. I asked him why and he told me that these maps were now obsolete, and they did not need to fall into the wrong hands (meaning at that time, Soviet hands). Curious (and out of ignorance), I asked why, if these maps were no good any more, why an enemy would want them. My dad then proceeded to explain to my brother and I that even obsolete intelligence is still intelligence that can be exploited by an enemy. We are often unaware of what kind of information is crucial to giving an enemy an edge, or to locate a weakness.

That made sense to me, especially since my dad was big on teaching us to learn to keep our mouths shut about our personal business. Of course, my brother and I didn’t always listen, but again I digress. At any rate, I began to ask my pop about why we were in Germany, and he explained to me that the Soviet Union were a threat, and we were essentially the tip of the spear to prevent them from trying to take the rest of Europe not already under their control (I already knew about the Iron Curtain). In a fit of national pride, I said to my dad that we were probably stronger, and my dad told me flatly that the Soviets had a 6-to-1 advantage in numbers against us. I then asked him if we could beat them in a fight, and my dad in his characteristic nonchalant manner said, “We would certainly give them a bloody nose. They will know that they’ve been in a fight.” Well, that satisfied my pride to some extent, but it begged a question that I didn’t really ask my pop: If we cannot really win, why are we putting ourselves in harm’s way? I was bullied a lot as a kid, and I can tell you that I learned how to locate the potential trouble and go the other way.

Much, much later in life, I heard an expression that I have come to adopt as truth: “It ain’t the dog in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog.” I used to have a black dachshund that challenged and backed off a full grown German Shepherd, with NO fear whatsoever. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. But that German Shepherd started off with an aggressive stance, and ended up running away with his tail between his legs. There is zero doubt in my mind that the Shepherd could have eaten my little dachshund in one bite. But my little dog was not convinced. He would have torn that Shepherd and new anus, as far as he was concerned.

That leads me to a point that Bill Whittle made in several of his videos regarding the world’s cowardice toward Hitler at the opening of WW2. If there had been just ONE police officer on that bridge into Poland in September of 1939, and he had “bared his teeth” (figuratively speaking), there may have been no advance into Poland. If the British had sent Chaimberland with a stick instead of a carrot, and Chamberland himself had made demands instead of concessions, there may have been no WW2. If the French and the British had bared their teeth (they did, after all, have superior weapons to the Germans) at the rattlings of Hitler, he would have not made such bold moves. Dr. Victor Davis Hanson has made such claims that Hitler was emboldened by the weakness of both the French and the British (particularly Chamberland, whom Hitler despised).

As it’s now 2019, 42 years from that time I was helping my dad burn old tactical maps, I am reminded again we stood the old Soviet Union down. They had the teeth and claws, for sure, and they would have hurt us (at least until the full force of the US military arrived to push them back), but they didn’t. And I believe it’s because the US knew (even though I don’t think Carter did) that we were going to hurt them bad. And the Soviets knew that we were resolved, and it would cost more than what their potential gains in Europe would ever be.

I say this in light of the recent issues with Iran. It is clear to me that Iran talks a good fight. And yes, I am sure they wouldn’t just roll over in a fight. But even they understand that the US has been playing this game for a very long time, and with much bigger dogs than they are. Iran realizes (though they would never admit it in their rhetoric) that it is an awful thing to bring the might of the US military on their heads. It’s difficult to rule a country when it, well, is in smoking ruins.

I do not say this in a braggadocios manner. War, to quote Captain Kirk, is a “very messy business.” It is to be entered into only when all other recourse has been exhausted. But, once engaged, it must be fought with resolve. I do not wish to have war with Iran. But, to paraphrase an old saying, Iran wishes to have war with us. And we must be able to show them that if that’s what they wish, then they must be careful what they wish for.