WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: ROTC Comes Back To The Ivy League. “After an absence that dates back to the Vietnam War era, and 11 years to the day after 9/11, ROTC is finally returning to Harvard, Columbia, and Yale. At a time when everybody is talking about how polarized America has become, it’s worth noting this sign of reconciliation between elite academic institutions and the U.S. military. . . . Much of the credit must go to the military leadership. Military thinkers have been deeply worried about the gulf between civilian and military elites that opened up in the Vietnam period. They have taken great pains to build links between the military and civilian professionals and leaders. Organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations have also played a part by creating fellowships that allow military officers to spend time with civilian counterparts. Bard College, where I teach, and West Point work together to build close contacts between their students.”