Not with a bang but a band, a few speeches and a lowering of a flag. And with that, the war in Iraq came to a close after eight years and nine months.
What will be said of it?
When it began in early 2003, the discussion was primarily about Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction, weapons that never materialized.
Later the justification for the war became about combating terrorism and waging war against those who seek to do America harm.
More recently, it has been a discussion about amounts, painful numbers. The total: 4,487 American lives lost, 32,226 wounded in combat. For Iraq, more than 100,000 lives lost.
Total cost to the United States: $800 billion.
For the North Coast, the losses come with names such as Mike Ottolini of Sebastopol, Jesse Williams of Santa Rosa, Joshua Kynoch of Santa Rosa and Army Sgt. Jason Buzzard of Ukiah. Fifteen 15 North Coast service members in all gave their lives doing their duty in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002.
Thursday's ceremony in Baghdad was appropriately low-key. No "Mission Accomplished" banners. No grand speeches staking claims to long-term achievements. Only the solemn acknowledgment of what has occurred.
"To be sure the cost was high .
.
." said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during a ceremony on the edge of Baghdad's International Airport. "But those lives were not lost in vain: They gave birth to an independent, free and sovereign Iraq." The question that remains in the echoes of the final speeches is how long will that free and sovereign Iraq hold? Will the country, once again, be allowed to become a safe harbor for America's enemies? And what will become of those Iraqis who have helped American forces over the past eight-plus years?The signs are not encouraging.No senior Iraqi government officials were in attendance at the ceremony Thursday and many questions remain about the capabilities of Iraqi forces to maintain security and of political leaders to forge enough of an alliance to allow the government, and public services, to properly function.Here at home, we can be thankful that the war is winding down and American troops are coming back. Most Americans have long been opposed to continuing the war efforts in Iraq. Nevertheless, it's incumbent on the nation as a whole to properly welcome the troops home and see them through their transition back to civilian life. That includes ensuring adequate veterans benefits, medical care and assistance in their search for a job in a time of high unemployment.This won't be an easy process.Meanwhile, we must continue to support those still in combat in Afghanistan as we look forward to the day when the nation celebrates the end of combat operations there as well.For now, the trial known as the Iraq war is over, although the verdict on the outcome and whether it was worth the cost is yet to come.
The question that remains in the echoes of the final speeches is how long will that free and sovereign Iraq hold? Will the country, once again, be allowed to become a safe harbor for America's enemies? And what will become of those Iraqis who have helped American forces over the past eight-plus years?
The signs are not encouraging.
No senior Iraqi government officials were in attendance at the ceremony Thursday and many questions remain about the capabilities of Iraqi forces to maintain security and of political leaders to forge enough of an alliance to allow the government, and public services, to properly function.
Here at home, we can be thankful that the war is winding down and American troops are coming back.
Most Americans have long been opposed to continuing the war efforts in Iraq. Nevertheless, it's incumbent on the nation as a whole to properly welcome the troops home and see them through their transition back to civilian life. That includes ensuring adequate veterans benefits, medical care and assistance in their search for a job in a time of high unemployment.
This won't be an easy process.
Meanwhile, we must continue to support those still in combat in Afghanistan as we look forward to the day when the nation celebrates the end of combat operations there as well.
For now, the trial known as the Iraq war is over, although the verdict on the outcome and whether it was worth the cost is yet to come.
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