But the Falklands conflict of 1982 was a mere skirmish compared to the war that sealed Churchill's claim on a state farewell.
Women trundled by with coolers and baskets and pots and wooden spoons, as if they were on their way to a church picnic; there was an endless procession of duffel bags and suitcases and nylon sacks, a rush of porters heaving bags on to their shoulders, parting families in hysterical states of farewell.
We thought the best way to do that would be a two month, 23 states, 25 cities farewell tour.
Hillary Clinton, as Secretary of State completely understood the nexus between gender equality, economic growth and political stability when she stated in her farewell remarks: "... the jury is in, the evidence is absolutely indisputable: if women and girls everywhere were treated as equal to men in rights, dignity and opportunity, we would see political and economic progress everywhere.
Following the announcement, Mr Panetta described North Korea as a "rogue state" during his farewell speech at the Pentagon.
"The loss of mental control over my life was an undignified condition, which I decided to counter decisively," he stated in a farewell note released to the media by his family.
The danger of summoning the full "non-political" panoply of the state to bid farewell to a Prime Minister – albeit a hugely successful one who certainly changed Britain as only Clement Attlee did in her lifetime – is that it suggests a Conservative prime minister has a place in history "beyond politics".
After failing to persuade her Turkish counterpart, Ismail Cem, to give a little ground, Madeleine Albright, the American secretary of state, told her farewell meeting with fellow NATO ministers that all sides should try a bit harder to be nice to each other.
What did he say?" CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the KISS farewell tour concluded in 2011 rather than 2001.
When George W. Bush enters the resplendent chamber tonight for the eighth and last time during his reign, shaking a hundred hands with a smile, the political theater will be as thick as it's ever been since 1861 as senators from the Confederate states bid teary farewells on the floor.
