No apologies

Dear Editor,

This has taken some time to write, and is the culmination of many starts.

I am a Vietnam vet. I spent 18 months in that cesspool as a Marine. I also have friends whose names are on The Wall, like many other vets.

We all have our opinion about the people and the country and we earned the right to have them through our service there, and that includes those who became Vietnam Vets Against the War.

For my part, the whole country should have been reduced to a smoking pile of rubble with two kinds of people, the dead and the dying.

The only people I ever heard call us "rapists, murderers and baby killers" were those who, through social status, political connection or college deferment, managed to avoid service there.

Those who are serving in the War on Terrorism have my utmost respect and understanding. Their enemy, like the Viet Cong, don't wear uniforms and do strike whenever and wherever they they find opportunity.

In light of the article by Mr. Thayer, I have changed my opinion about Mr. Bush. I didn't care for him simply because I find that politicians are generally self-serving charlatans working on their own best interest. Now I have lumped him with Bill Clinton.

The brave men and women in our armed services should not be led by cowards, regardless of political party.

In closing, those who have served and those who are now service, owe no apologies to anyone for what they do to come home alive. If that means leveling a city and killing every man, woman and child, so be it, and godspeed.

To those who were shocked by the pictures from the prison in Iraq, let me say this: That was nothing compared to what the VC and NVA prisoners got from their interrogators. (They were) masters in the art of inflicting pain and not leaving marks.

Robert A. Yost

McCook