that eluded him his entire career.

[GoodTaste]

An American in Ukraine Finds the War He’s Been Searching For
For an unconventional former Marine colonel, Ukraine represents the morally just war that eluded him his entire career.

An American in Ukraine Finds the War He’s Been Searching For​

For an unconventional former Marine colonel, Ukraine represents the morally just war that eluded him his entire career.

Source: NYTimes

Does "that eluded him his entire career" mean "that was hidden from him his entire career"?
The precursor phrase "the morally just war" seems to imply that the previous wars he fought were not morally just and that is why the headline of the article is that he "Finds the War He’s Been Searching For".
The problem in my understanding this is that one of the definitions of the word "elude" is that "to escape the perception, understanding, or grasp of". So "eluded him his entire career" might , have meant "made him confusing his entire career". It is less likely, but I am not absolutely sure.

 

[5jj]

Does "that eluded him his entire career" mean "that was hidden from him his entire career"?

No. it means "it escaped his perception, understanding, or grasp".

 

[GoodTaste]

No. it means "it escaped his perception, understanding, or grasp".

That is, "Ukraine represents the morally just war that eluded him his entire career" means he doesn't understand whether the war presently in Ukraine is morally just or not?

If so, it appears to have contradict the meaning of the headline "An American in Ukraine Finds the War He’s Been Searching For".

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[Tarheel]

@GoodTaste I'm puzzled. It's not that complicated. It simply means it's the war (in a sense) that he never got to fight in but would have if he could have. (It's fairly clear cut who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.)

 

[GoodTaste]

@GoodTaste I'm puzzled. It's not that complicated. It simply means it's the war (in a sense) that it's the war never got to fight in but would have if he could have. (It's fairly clear cut who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.)

I am sorry. I even don't know how to understand your reply correctly. The part in bold is confusing to me.

 

[5jj]

That is, "Ukraine represents the morally just war that eluded him his entire career" means he doesn't understand whether the war presently in Ukraine is morally just or not?

No.
I have no idea how you came up with that thought.

He had neen looking for a morally just war throughout his whole career, and been unable to find one. Then the Ukraine war came, and he found his morally just war.

 

[Tarheel]

I am sorry. I even don't know how to understand your reply correctly. The part in bold is confusing to me.

I have edited my post.

 

[jutfrank]

I wouldn't say it really means that he had been looking for a just war and couldn't find one. As a marine, you don't choose which wars you fight in. It just means that he hadn't until this point in his career been assigned to fight in a conflict that he considered morally just. The choice of words 'searching for' and 'eluding' are a bit distracting here, I think. They're used somewhat metaphorically.