A sign in World War II’s Anglo-American Supply headquarters in London displayed the adage that begins with “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.” It quickly marches through several increasingly larger military problems, each triggered by the one that came before. It ends with “For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.”
While the crash of a $318 million Rockwell B-1 Lancer bomber last August 19 in Montana has no parallel to that war, the sentiment—that a little military snafu can quickly mushroom into a series of ever-growing disasters—is spot on.
Come along, if you dare, for the ride…
For the complete story by Mark Thompson of Time, click here.
Photo by U.S. Air Force
