It's a nice saying, but, alas it is untrue. Perhaps the other people in the room realized the statement was untrue, and were awed by Mr. POwell's willingness to use our honored dead in a sentence that was obviously a lie,
perhaps , but I don't think the silence was due to their "awe" for the reason you sited . One could also note the Black Hills of the Sioux , or the glacier bays of the Aleutians & NW Mexico as well ...but I think Powell was referring to Europe , N Africa and the Pacific primarily and relative to the deep threats to what was mostly an isolationist America during those times , the sacrifice of many soldier's blood and courage created those parcels post-conflict for future war's deterrence .
This is not yet a completely tamed world X, and since the establishment of those bases in Japan , Germany & Guam those regions of earth and their proximities have enjoyed a fair stretch of peace , stability and larger prosperity.
de·ter·rence (dĭ-tûr'əns, -tŭr'-)
n.
2. Measures taken by a state or an alliance of states to prevent hostile action by another state. |
