Dear Editor:

Praise the Lord and store the ammunition in mothballs. President Obama has ended the war in Iraq, and the troops have returned home from that sweltering desert battlezone. After a bloody nine years of intensive fighting and over 4,400 service men (mostly still young boys), who never had a chance to live life, but gave theirs unselfishly and courageously, died in a lengthy conflict started by ex-president George W. Bush.The combat will now become another chapter in American history. Like the war in Korea and Vietnam, did these young boys truly have to die for an unnecessary cause? Did they fight for free America? Was it an Act of War that inevitably could not be avoided? Perhaps time will give us the answers to these pending questions.World War II, another staggering loss of lives during the four years of brutal fighting in Europe and the South Pacific. Der Fuhrer, Adolph Hitler, the crazed-lunatic, dictator of Germany, setout to conquer the world, hoping to overthrow the United States government and become Master of the Universe. Hitler was deranged, in a category with Attila, the Hun (406?-453), although, Attila was known to bestow mercy in some instances. Hitler possessed a heart of stone; he would have done well to remain a wallpaper hanger. He died in a bunker in 1945, as the war drew to a victory for our Nation. With the surrender of Japan and Germany, Johnny came marching home once again, that famous song from World War I.In the early 1960s, a British stage musical entitled, BLITZ, was entertaining Londoners. One of the songs contained a farce depicting der Fuhrer. The words sang like this: Who's the geezer H-I-T-L-E-R ... he's a dirty, little bas---- with a black mustache and we don't want him here! A delightful ditty based on the London blitzes during World War II.Obviously the Brits hated Adolph, as England was constantly being bombarded by anti-aircraft. But the British people put up one helluva battle against Germany's aerial bombings and were never defeated by that dirty, little bas---- with the black mustache!The fighting in Korea was referred to as a "police action." Not so, it was an all-out war and this writer lived through the thick of battle for 16 months! It was devastating and a multitude of casualties, both fighting men and Korean civilians were killed. The bombing of buildings was proof Korea looked like a war zone. Almost every structure laid in ruins. The Korean people were homeless and hungry. It this isn't an all-out war, what does it take to call the Korean conflict a full-scale war?How can our government or military bigwigs be so insensitive to call it a "police action." Go figure their reasoning!Recently viewing the ninth anniversary reruns of 9-11-01, as the twin towers came crumbling to the earth, it was still the same shocking and heart-wrenching experience as if watching it for the first time. As President Franklin Roosevelt said of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, it's a day that will live in infamy. The same can be said for those who died on that September day, nine years ago. An attack on America that will live in infamy.Wouldn't it be an ultra-heartwarming revelation if the universe could live in total peace, without further military actions, escalating into bloody wars. Sounds truly like a desirous miracle that only God could make a reality. If only North Korea, al-Qaida and all the terrorists worldwide found reformation in living a peaceful existence what a glorious global miracle every human being could look forward to, as God intended civilization to thrive.Amen.Earle E. StahlerWest Penn Township