Marine responds

Dear Editor,

I am distressed by the (Open Forum) from a highly decorated combat vet such as Mr. Thayer; that criticizes the current government policy on Iraq.

This war is just as much a fault of the United Nations as it is anyone's. If the United Nations wasn't such a toothless old dog that needs to be put out of its misery, then we wouldn't have this problem. The resolutions that were approved and put into place should have been enforced.

He does make a point about the last 52 years of the North Korean government. If I am not mistaken that was a mistake of his own generation and the United Nations to allow that government to continue in such a fashion.

As for the last major campaign into Afghanistan; does anyone still remember September 11th, 2001? You know the thing that everybody put a flag out in their yard for; that immense show of patriotism that lasted maybe a month? I wonder how the people of the late 1930s and 1940s felt after Pearl Harbor was bombed, oh yeah we went to War!

A little retribution was gotten from toppling the Taliban government. This conflict with Iraq is just another chance to strike a blow at a government that has been in some way or another sponsoring terrorism.

The civilians that have been killed by our bombing -- that is a tough thing to live with. I have sympathy for those people but, you cannot make sure an area is completely clear of everyone except the individuals you are bombing. That would defeat the purpose of bombing, to keep individuals safe from retaliation while inflicting maximum damage to a target.

On the other hand, I have seen in the news Americans willing to go to Iraq to volunteer as human shields. At least these people are willing to give their lives for a cause. Are they innocent? If any of them get injured or killed by an American bomb being dropped by and American plane, I am sure they or a family member will try to sue the government for damages.

I am one of those peons whose life depends on those suits. As Mr. Hendrick's son might have been right now. I am a Navy Corpsman serving with a Fleet Marine Force Infantry unit forward deployed to the Persian Gulf.

I volunteered for this job as all of us did, because I owe the country something. Remember there is no draft; we all signed on that dotted line. I received the training and now I might have to put that training to use.

I worry about my gear all the time, if you are in this line of work, you have to. If they find that the suits are faulty then I hope the individuals that overlooked the problems and still issued the suits pay in much the same manner as those of us that put our trust in those individuals.

The bottom line of all this is; we the members of the American military do as we are told we can gripe about it, we can cry about it but; in the end we do it. That is what we get paid to do!

HM2 Tyler Hayes (FMF)USN

2nd Battalion 2nd Marines Golf Company

2nd Marine Division