D-DAY AND IRAQ: DON'T DRAW TOO MANY PARALLELS

D-Day and Iraq: Don't draw too many parallels
Ceremonies today in the province of Normandy, France, will officially commemorate the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the largest maritime military action in history that paved the way for the liberation of Europe in World War II.
On this anniversary, it seems tempting to compare the Allied invasion of occupied France in particular and World War II in general with today's U.S.-led campaign in Iraq.
One should resist such temptations.
Some key differences
First, the coalition of Allies leading the charge in 1944 was larger and more cohesive. Today's coalition in Iraq is dominated by the United States with active ground-force help from only a handful of nations. Our broad-based coalition of allies in World War II actively sought our assistance in the combat mission; many allies in 2003 actively urged the United States to extend attempts at diplomatic solutions.
Second, the nature of the enemy differs starkly. "D-Day was a big operation against a very well-disciplined and entrenched enemy," Gardner Botsford, a veteran of Omaha Beach, said. "The division I was in, the 1st Infantry Division, is in Iraq right now having a terrible time because they don't know who they're fighting really."
Third, the impact on the home front was much more tangible. Civilians were directly affected by the severe rationing of butter, sugar, milk, gasoline and other commodities that were a part of the war effort.
Today, "there is no sacrifice. None of us has really had to change our lives at all because of [the war in Iraq]," said Botsford.
Despite such differences, the heroism, fighting prowess and valor displayed among D-Day participants serve as model behavior for today's generation of soldiers fighting less well-defined enemies.
We add our voice to today's international tribute to those courageous role models.