Liberate us is nothing more than, "I surrender."

We are fighting a new war against the corona virus, the unseen enemy, our self-described war president calls it. We all want to win this war, and win it as quickly as possible, and with as little suffering as possible.

Battles are being fought on two fronts—in our hospitals where doctors and nurses are fighting the disease head-on, and deserve all the honor and respect we can give them, and in our neighborhoods where our businesses have closed and many of us are sheltering in place, attempting to limit the spread of the disease.

How does this war compare with other wars we’ve engaged in?

My father, assigned to the 1^st Infantry Division (The Big Red One), was fighting in Tunisia in 1942-43. This was the first real test for American soldiers and sailors in the war that was going into its fourth year. He kept a log that amounted to little more than a date and where he was or what battle was being fought that day: 8 Nov – Invaded Africa (Oran), 18 Feb – Kassarine Pass, 16 Mar – Gafsa El Guetter, 13 May – campaign ended, 10 Jul – Invaded Sicily (Gela).

Ralph Ingersoll, a journalist/soldier also attached to the 1^st Division, wrote a 200-page book, The Battle is the Payoff, describing one day and one battle—Gafsa El Guetter. He didn’t depict a full-blown shoot-out lasting days on end and culminating with one side finally crying uncle. Instead, he talked about boot camp, the days leading up to the battle, the preparation, relationships, how units are organized, plus the differences and purposes of the various units. His lesson was that a lot more than firepower goes into winning a battle.

Even in the few pages where he described the battle, there were times when some units were not only not fighting, but they were sleeping while bullets flew over their heads. The groups that were fighting tooth and nail would, at times, stand down themselves, and it’d be their turn to catch a few much needed minutes of sleep.

The battle called for everyone to do their part, but everyone’s part was different.

He closed the book, written in real time, by questioning the dedication of both the combatants and the folks back home. The soldiers were prepared to give their all and were giving their all, but even they, Ingersoll noted, didn’t have the same drive that British, Russians and other allied soldiers had. Germany hadn’t bombed American cities or invaded our shores or imprisoned our citizens.

Whether the war would be won and how soon came down to each individual battle and everything that went into winning them. Each battle, in itself, was a payoff that would in time bring victory.

A time for celebration in our current war will come, but clearly, we are still fighting the battles, which call on all of us to endure suffering unlike most of us have ever experienced.

The general population, fighting the battle of mitigation to limit the spread of the virus are fighting valiantly, but are losing momentum. Just as every soldiers at the battle of Gafsa was vital to the final victory, regardless of what they did, so also, the battle in our hospitals will not be won if the battle in our streets and neighborhoods are lost.

Ingersoll questioned the dedication of his generation. He needn’t have. In time, they came to be known as, “The Greatest Generation” because they answered every call to duty.

Our current generation—WWII survivors, their children and grandchildren—are charged with fighting today’s battle to contain the enemy. Some of us are beginning to show our soft side, becoming impatient, worrying that we might win one battle, but question whether we will lose the battle to save the economy.

They don’t appear to have the same drive to win this war because, like Ingersoll said about Americans in WWII, maybe they haven’t directly experienced the brutal impact this invisible enemy is inflicting on us like doctors and nurses have, and like many families have. They want to win. Sure. They're just ready to let others do the heavy lifting.

Sadly, we are not the nation of our parents and grandparents, shouting, “Bring it on.”

The message from protesters in the streets is, “I don’t know. I don’t think I can do this any longer.” Carrying weapons and waving flags do not make protesters more convincing or patriotic, or their  message any less pathetic.

Frankly, we haven’t had the training, the importance of which Ingersoll couldn’t stress enough, that would enable us to fight a battle of, "sticking to a plan." We are impatient now because, for too long, we have been a nation requiring immediate gratification.

“Give me what I want, and I want it now.”

Our current war demands that baby boomers and the me generation hunker down, not throw in the towel.