QUOTE OF THE DAY: "There are places on Earth where "police" can arbitrarily arrest and torture whom they like, and ask for bribes not to do so. And some people in the United States, sheltered from such things, will tell you that American soldiers are no different from such fighters.

"It is their right to think so. But the children know. The children of those tortured lands laugh and play with American soldiers, wave to them, speak a few American phrases, ask for candy and treats or simply give a shy smile. They crowd around us when we walk the streets, cluster around our bases and safe houses, run out into the streets to wave to passing convoys. They thank us.

"They do not do the same for the other soldiers. They vanish when they see them about their business, hide when they sense the trouble coming, run before they can get chased away. They understand the difference, even if our pacifists do not."

Reminds me of a passage toward the end of Citizen Soldiers (details or compare prices) contrasting the reaction of civilians to a squad of G.I.s with their reaction to a squad of soldiers wearing any other uniform. The quote is from a letter by Sgt. N. J. Todd, USAR and is worth reading in its entirety. (Hat tip: Photon Courier.)