"It is simply fatuous to sit in high moral judgment on the split-second decision-making of some 20-year-old in the middle of such combat."
This is true, but these 20-year-old US Marines are showing a hell of a lot more restraint than 50-year-olds (like me) would. Once one hits middle age one becomes more risk averse ... I don't think there would be very many prisoners at all if the Marines were comprised of middle-aged men.
A double tap to the torso followed by a still head shot is far more humane than a live beheading with a butcher knife, which is how the terrorist prefer to process their prisoners. The terrorists need killing, and want to die anyway.
These 20-year-old Marines are men to be admired for their remarkable self-restraint and willingness to take prisoners.
I dont think our age has to do with it.
I havent seen too many references to it, but this is just like fighting Japan.
In the Island Wars, there were not too many prisoners taken, and that is because of Guadalcanal, where the Japs played some tricks on our troops and got them killed while pretending to surrender.
Not too many Japs taken prisoner after that.
on any island.
And not a peep out of the media, because back then, they understood the risk.