Jenny Thompson

The length of a war does not necessarily translate into its severity. And any war, to my mind, is a terrible waste and an assault against humanity. Diplomacy should always be the goal--settling disputes without bloodshed.

But throughout the 20th century, diplomacy failed time and again; and wars of varying lengths were fought.

World War One spanned a period of four years, with the US involved for about 18 months.

World War II lasted six years, with the US involved for nearly four years.

The Korean Conflict lasted just three years, although it did not end with true peace.

The US involvement in Vietnam--not "officially" a war--extended over a period of roughly 12 years, depending upon how one calculates American involvement. (The larger conflict in Vietnam spanned many decades.)

The Vietnam conflict was often called an "Endless War."

And now in the 21st century, we have what journalist Dexter Filkins has called "the Forever War." As of this writing in 2009, the US is now in its sixth year of involvement in Iraq, and approaching the eighth anniversary of its involvement in Afghanistan.

The Endless War did end, of course. And we can hope that the Forever War will not last forever.