Goal of war should be to destroy enemy

To the edtior:

Seventy years ago on Feb. 19, back when wars were won by totally destroying the enemy, Marines stormed ashore on that sulfuric island called Iwo Jima.

It was a bloody 36-day battle that cost 6,847 Marine and sailors their lives, many more wounded. The enemy fought to the death. More than 18,800 of them died, and only a handful survived.

The Monday morning quarterbacks back then questioned the value of the victory, but America's might prevailed and many American airmen's lives were saved. We crushed the enemy and won. Iwo Jima was but another step in defeating our foes in World War II. Strangely, the Iwo Jima invasion was called 'Operation Detachment.” World War II had America and its allies mobilized and totally committed to victory. The war lasted 3 years, 9 months.

Today, a 3-year effort against an admittedly guerrilla like organization, ISIS with far fewer combatants, less capable, though equally savage and brutal 'religious idealists” has been proposed. I suggest reusing the name used for Iwo Jima for this 'operation.” Wars should be fought to totally destroy the enemy. To make them surrender. Fourteen years of these combat operations and 'nation building” are a sad statement about the times we live in.

Harvey Hop

Cedar Rapids