Instead of giving each other the mutual respect they’ve earned, far too often, veterans put each other down. It sometimes goes beyond healthy rivalry and into incivility and insults, sometimes in person, sometimes behind others’ backs, and of course, without tact, or for that matter, even decency, on the internet.
In June of 1812, Napoleon set off to invade Russia with one of the largest armies the world had ever seen. Six months later, a mere fraction of Napoleon’s army --- perhaps as little as 5% --- hobbled home across the Niemen River.
