May 1, 2008 marks the fifth anniversary of the infamous speech and flight President Bush took to the decks of the USS Abraham Lincoln, at the end of a 10-month deployment including operations in Iraq and displayed the banner ‘Mission Accomplished.’

Since the very night the speech was made and the banner prominently displayed behind the president, much has been made of the continuing struggles in Iraq and ridicule of both the president and the banner. The president stood before the crew, the nation and the world confidently declaring,

“my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”

Some, in an effort to appear unbiased, include,

“The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on Sept. 11, 2001, and still goes on.”

For many, President Bush’s words end there as they focused on the banner erected behind him that read, “Mission Accomplished.” In fact, every May 1 since 2003 major focus has been returned, not to the speech made that evening, but on the banner displayed behind the president.

2008 is no different as were shown headlines like White House admits fault on Mission Accomplished banner, apparently believing readers would read only the headline and not the entire story.

Within the article we read that use of the banner “became a source of controversy and was mocked.” To that end, obviously the administration regrets it being displayed, I’m sure.

Detractors to the Bush administration and to the fight against extremists wish us to believe that banner was erected to declare an end to the fighting in Iraq, totally ignoring the gist of the president’s May 1, 2003 speech.

Instead, we have been treated to headlines such as “Bush Remarks on Mission Accomplished Banner Embarrass White House,” “Mission Accomplished, Whodunit,” “White House pressed on ‘mission accomplished’ sign,” “Mission Accomplished: Anatomy of a Deadly Lie,” “Still no mission accomplished” and “Four Years Later Mission in Iraq Is Troubled” from various media outlets and blogsites.

And now we are told, “The White House admits fault.”

Repeating himself from 5 years ago, Democrat Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia stated today,

“I took issue with the president’s choreographed political theatrics because I believed that our military forces deserved to be treated with respect and dignity, and not used as stage props to embellish a presidential speech.”

I am fortunate enough to have a co-worker whose niece was stationed on the USS Abraham Lincoln when President Bush flew out to her and made his speech. I can assure the Senator and others that the crew of the giant aircraft carrier in no way felt like “stage props.”

But, as much as Senator Byrd desires us to believe that President Bush used the ship, crew and banner as “stage props,” it appears that it is actually the Democrat detractors who are actually creating a “stage prop” every May 1 for the anti-Bush, anti-War tirades as they repeatedly claim that President Bush declared the fighting in Iraq over.

Unlike all others who wish to focus only on the banner displayed that evening, I feel a look at the actual speech and words President Bush made are long over due. He said in part,

“We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We’re bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous.”

“The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort.”

“Our mission continues. Al Qaeda is wounded, not destroyed. The scattered cells of the terrorist network still operate in many nations, and we know from daily intelligence that they continue to plot against free people. The proliferation of deadly weapons remains a serious danger. The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we.”

“The war on terror is not over; yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide. No act of the terrorists will change our purpose, or weaken our resolve, or alter their fate.”

President Bush throughout the speech praised our Troops and coalition partners who helped in deposing the Saddam Hussein regime. Reading the speech in its entirety it is easy to see no declaration of the fighting ending was made. Listening to his praise especially of the returning USS Abraham Lincoln, it is also clear that “Mission Accomplished” referred to the ships extended deployment.

Admitting that would deny the political opportunists, who have made every effort imaginable to undermine the battle, of their repeated talking point used to manipulate voters to return a particular party to power.

To be sure, Bush is far from perfect and many mistakes have been made, as in every battle of every war throughout history. Things could always have been done better, in 20/20 hindsight. But that is the unpredictable nature of war.

The largest mistake being made are from the American people who join in with the political opportunists in their effort at undermining and calling for once again, selling out a struggling ally.

The last time they accomplished that, untold millions of innocent people died throughout Southeast Asia.

In this election year, Americans are being told we need to listen to the Democrats, the very political opportunists making every effort to once again undermine our Troops and a struggling people seeking freedom.

Perhaps it is time they listened to one of their own,

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” President John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961 Inaugural Address.

Let us not allow “Mission Accomplished” to come to refer to the abandonment of yet another struggling ally.