Every one a hero

I have just finished reading The Blog Of War by US Army Major (retired) Matthew Burden. This is a anthology of blogs created by US Servicemen and their dependants during the Iraq War.
Burden ran his own blog and that was one I kept up with. There are a number of others that I read and are included in his new collection. It was only when I read these in a volume which gathers them together that I realised a major difference between those of US origin and blogs maintained by British forces. I suppose I would describe this by saying that the American ones were very much more sober or serious in tone than ours.
There are considerable references to God and to duty. The authors are more open in telling us their innermost thoughts. We get the full text of messages to wives and loved ones. Where action takes place, it is described fully. Thoughts after action get considerable detailing.
I read a fair number of British war blogs. In the main, these reflected that sort of black humour that our soldiers have always shown. Religion does not play a large part in any account. Emotions do not 'all hang out'.
The American accounts give greater detail of the carnage that results when highly developed weapon systems engage human flesh and bone. In the main, they are uncritical of their superiors. Another difference between our two nations.
There may be some explanation in what the security controls were. Our guys work was closely scrutinised right from the start but it is only recently I felt that controls were being put on the US work that I read.
Whether you, dear reader, have any feeling for matters military or not, I would urge you to get hold of a copy of this book. Amazon USA have it; my link to Amazon UK is above. The fortitude and courage displayed is just amazing. My initial feeling as I read the past paragraph was how sad that all that devotion to duty, disruption of lives and death has been for little good result and the manner in which the respective individuals – can one call them leaders when they are so disconnected and far away? - have brought matters to a close.