FREEDOM'S ANYTHING BUT FREE.

Byline: Steve Vlasich Local View

AS another Veteran's Day rolls by, Americans pause to honor those who served in the Armed Forces, particularly those cut down in the springtime of their lives. Millions answered America's call to arms and were sent to foreign killing fields where they fought and won the right to live free for all Americans.

Last year at this time, American troops had not yet been committed to Iraq, but were hard at work chasing down the elusive Osama Bin Laden and knocking out the Taliban in Afghanistan. President Bush and his advisers were equally busy building the case for a historic pre-emptive strike against Iraq. In the end, Iraq was invaded by largely American forces aided by a smaller British force.

Members of the U.S. military lived up to the soldiers' creed - loyalty to the commander-in-chief. Entering Iraq, America's sons and daughters put themselves in harm's way against an enemy reputed to have weapons of mass destruction, including chemical weapons. Wearing bulky protective clothing and loaded down with heavy weaponry, American troops suffered in the searing desert heat, but amazed the world by rolling over the Iraqi army. U.S. troops fought hard and, in a series of bold strikes, captured Baghdad, where the war ended with the loss of 138 killed and hundreds wounded.

On May 1, when President Bush declared major combat operations in Iraq ended, GIs did what they have done in every war to date - they began to dream of home and prepare for rotation to America, secure in the thought that their pain and suffering had earned them a one-way ticket back home. Sadly, such was not to be.

As GIs settled into the uncomfortable role of occupation duty, the festering rage of the Iraqis exploded into massive discontent. Provoked by fanatical religious leaders and using weapon caches hidden by the defeated Iraqi army, shadowy guerrilla forces began murderous assaults on the highly visible Americans.

Defense Department figures show that as of Sunday, 389 men and women service members have been killed - the majority after May 1, when the president declared major combat operations ended. In effect, more troops were killed after the war ended than before.

And American GIs will continue to slug it out pretty much alone. Without additional coalition forces, Army and reservists have been told that their tours of duty will have to be extended. There has been some private grumbling among troops and their spouses, and families have been highly vocal in organizing protest groups. They point out that failure to secure additional U.N. troops will result in their loved ones suffering more casualties.

As the politics of war muddy up the water, one thing is clear - those who wear the uniform and bear the hurt of war deserve our support and respect. While civilians can never know the loneliness and danger of military service, the daily images of wartime and post-wartime Iraq give us a vivid glimpse of the suffering and horror of war.

Down through her history, when America needed help, her sons and daughters came forth willingly to risk life and limb by putting their lives on the line in the name of freedom.

America's defenders included those of differing religious faiths, national origins and skin colors. The war in Iraq brought death and grievous injury to many who were noncitizens of our beloved land - diverse as they might be. America's fighting men and women are united in the belief that while freedom is precious, it is not free and that it takes people of great courage to secure it for all.

On Veteran's Day, pause for a moment to thank all those who served the flag for the freedom you enjoy today.

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Photo:

Holly Richey, 3, leaves the Dallas Forth Worth National Cemetery after visiting her grandfather's grave with her family.

Allison V. Smith/The Dallas Morning News