hillside, then air strikes were launched. No attempt was made to pro- tect civilians in the area. Finally, a platoon of soldiers moved out through the scrub to try to outflank the enemy. Was the commander right to use such heavy firepower to protect the lives of his soldiers?
In both Korea and Vietnam, U.S. commanders, trying to get at a hidden foe while keeping U.S. casualties to a minimum, often ordered massive bombardments-despite the increased risk to civilians. Dubik, an Army captain, weighs...