Interestingly, Koppel said in answer to critics accusing him of anti-war propaganda that he was NOT opposed to the war. He just felt it appropriate to acknowledge this cost. A few minutes later, after the broadcast, it occurred to me that he did not specifically say that he FAVORED the war either.
You could take this whole presentation a lot of ways, much like a Rorschach inkblot. 400,000 Americans died in WWII, 58,000 in Vietnam, and now around 750 in Iraq. From my perspective, we're fortunate to have had few enough deaths that we could individually recognize every single person in one simple half hour broadcast like this.
At some point though, it doesn't matter what ABC's special secret agenda was. They told the truth, and quietly publicly acknowledged the individuals who have given their lives in service of their country in Iraq. That is a key part of the costs of this war, and the public needs to know that in order to make an informed judgment.
Spin that how you will. I call it good patriotism, and also good journalism.
By rights, they should show video of this broadcast at every VFW in the land on Memorial Day.
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