Free Republic

John Kerry’s 80 Day Cook’s Tour August 24th, 2004 The proper duration of individual front line troop deployments in wartime has been debated since the Revolutionary War without any clear conclusion. Our nation’s first Commander-In-Chief frequently despaired over perilously anemic troop strengths as enlistment contracts expired. Sometimes, battle plans were hastily drawn up and launched just in time before waves of militiamen and continentals were to shoulder their rucksacks and head home. WWII deployments, for all practical purposes, were for the duration. US Army troops, Marines and sailors posted virtually anywhere, but especially on the line, could look forward to...