Helicopter crash

The following was posted by a friend on Facebook. He lost a friend in the crash in Afghanistan:
31 lost, 31 unwanted visits, 31 doors receive that dreaded knock, 31 families with shattered hearts, 31 pairs of boots lined up with rifles and dog tags and helmets, 31 comrades remembered and grieved for, 31 funeral services, 31 names on newly made grave markers, 31 empty places at the table, 31 souls who gave all, whose lives leave a void, so let's take 31 seconds to pause and reflect on such a sacrifice as 31 gone forever... Honor all those you fight for freedom !!
I thought this was well put. I don't know who the original author of it was, but I would like thank him for it.
I have some thoughts about our involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, or any where else we may be. If we are going to fight a war, we need to fight a war. The hell with being politically correct. That chopper was attacked. We lost good men. Why don't we just go in and blow the hell out of everything. Can you just imagine what Patton would have done if he had been told he couldn't attack somewhere or someplace because of collateral damage. I am not a war-monger, but dammit why is it ok for anybody to attack us, but sometimes retaliation is clamped down on. The rattlesnake was used on the Gadsen flag because of its nature. It can be calm until threatened, but then watch out! It will strike back!
By pulling a few people out at a time, we are just endangering the lives of those who remain. the area that the attack occurred in had been turned over to Afghanistan a couple of weeks ago. It will not get better. Once again I say--if we are going to be then lets fight. If not bring-em all home. We cannot fight terrorism half-assed. It just won't work.---johnnyb