For experienced American combat troops, the Red Cross symbol is associated with the sights and smells of your friend being blown to pieces and his shredded uniform draped high in the branches of a tree, or someone shot through the eye socket.  A Red Cross on a helicopter evokes memories of dusty landings to pick up wounded, dying, or dead.  Others will say that helicopters with Red Crosses and no machine guns leave wounded on battlefields due to ground fire.  And this is sometimes true.

Recently, there was a blood drive in a shopping mall.  The organizers displayed big Red Crosses, evoking memories of Iraq and Afghanistan.  Yes, the Army Generals pretend that troops cheer at the vision of the Red Cross, when the Red Cross, like raw ground beef in the market, means something else.

Watching the Army drag the Red Cross into battle reminds us of how backwards the Army mindset really is.  We have gone through nearly a century of wars while the Army continues to display the Red Cross, and the symbol still draws enemy fire.  How many more wars must we undergo before someone says enough?