Given the enormity of the Nazis’ crimes, Germany’s disavowal as it attempted to reestablish its military after World War II is understandable. I worry that if our own military sets itself too stridently against its complex history, it might unleash similarly malicious forces. But I am convinced that a much broader erasure of controversial figures and chapters of American military history would be a mistake. You cannot understand war by understanding only its moral exemplars. Suppose we cast Lee’s story outside the pantheon of American military history, following the German model?

Source: New York Times August 08, 2020 15:00 UTC