To a generation of young boys in search of role models, one needed to look no further than the American military heroes of the Second World War - "Loon: A Marine Story"

As the United States is currently astride with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and befuddled by nation-building, I felt it an appropriate time to examine an example of what I meant by the above quote.

We rarely hear of the extraordinary planning and tireless work done by the American military to execute the rebuilding of a dozen...