Honoring Iraq veterans

Seeking a way to mark the end of the Iraq War, the Obama administration has decided to put on a state dinner at the White House for a few combat veterans and their spouses or guests.

The more than 200 guests would be representative of the 1.5 million American service members who fought in the nine-year war that claimed 4,500 lives and left 32,000 wounded.

The idea is to honor the fighting man or woman, Douglas Wilson, Pentagon public affairs chief said. “The dining room that night will look like the America that served in Iraq,” Mr. Wilson told USA Today.

The event, called “A Nation’s Gratitude,” will be a formal affair similar to a state dinner. Senior enlisted leaders are selecting those who will attend.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America have advanced the idea of holding a ticker-tape parade in New York City. The Pentagon wants to postpone that celebration until combat operations in Afghanistan have ceased.

The dinner seems to be a quiet, low-key way to thank many by honoring a representative few. Everyone who served honorably in Iraq deserves a place at the White House table, but that is not possible.

Hopefully, a more public event, or events can honor a greater number when the war in Afghanistan is over. Many Americans would like to show their appreciation publicly for the troops.