[richlevy]

WASHINGTON — With the war in Iraq (news - web sites) steadily claiming American lives and the world in mourning over the tsunami disaster, planners of the 55th presidential inauguration face an awkward challenge: how to throw the traditional four-day celebration without appearing to have too much fun.

A few critics — including a Republican Texas billionaire — have called for cancellation of everything but the swearing-in because they find it unseemly to spend $40 million on shrimp, spirits, floats and frivolity while American soldiers must scrape together money for phone cards to call home.

But supporters of President Bush (news - web sites) are presenting the quadrennial pageant as an opportunity to salute American troops.

The theme is "Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service." And the result will be a spectacle that pays greater homage to the armed forces than any inaugural in recent memory.

I remember seeing The Outsider (1961), a movie about Ira Hayes, one of the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. In the movie he goes on the bond tour and sits at a table where the guests are being served ice cream statues of Ira and his buddies raising the flag.

At the White House, President Truman told Ira, "You are an American hero." But Ira didn't feel pride. As he later lamented, "How could I feel like a hero when only five men in my platoon of 45 survived, when only 27 men in my company of 250 managed to escape death or injury?"

The Bond Tour was an ordeal for Ira. He couldn't understand or accept the adulation . . . "It was supposed to be soft duty, but I couldn't take it. Everywhere we went people shoved drinks in our hands and said 'You're a Hero!' We knew we hadn't done that much but you couldn't tell them that."

Maybe it's me, but if it were Clinton's second inauguration under the same circumstances, I think it would be much more low key. For one thing, liberals are always under attack from the "patriots" on the right and would be more sensitive. Only a great warrior-king would have the confidence to celebrate while his troops were in the field.

I'm sure the guys in Iraq eating sand with their meals in mess tents guarded by MPs will be comforted by all of the food and drinks being passed around in Washington to honor them.