It was a war like no other. One belligerent, not even an enemy of ours, attacked a U.S. Navy frigate, killing 37 sailors. Later, an American cruiser mistakenly shot down a civilian airliner, killing 290 innocents. In between, two other U.S. warships nearly sunk after striking mines.

The U.S. never even called it a war. But as then Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger admitted, it was “certainly not peace either.”