Philip Caputo, a Marine officer in Viet Nam, recounts this exchange:

“Sir,” said a lance corporal, “if we pull out now, then all our efforts up to now would have been in vain.”

“In other words, because we’ve already wasted thousands of lives, we should waste a few thousand more,” I said. “Well, if you really believe that ‘not in vain’ crap, you should volunteer for a rifle company and go get yourself killed, because you deserve it.”

—A Rumor of War

Happy fucking anniversary.