Soldiers of the Army's Special Forces, as my U.S. News & World Report colleague Linda Robinson writes in her riveting book, "Masters of Chaos," are very much aware of "the tradition of their military history." On the eve of a difficult mission, "more than one soldier went to sleep hoping that the next days would prove him a worthy member of that lineage." One reason the military maintains the names and numbers of old units is so soldiers will be motivated to match the deeds of those who came before and prove worthy to those who come after. Similarly, one...