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Letter to the Editor

By Douglas Nelson

My heart is breaking, guys. I work near the Wall in DC, and go there once in a while to visit Capt. Casey, Chris and Lance. If our country did not learn from our Vietnam experience, then these good men died in vain. That really hurts.

My country did not learn that there are consequences for foreign policy decisions. The results of our Vietnam involvement and 9/11 are consequences.

We did not learn that military technology is never a substitute for diplomacy and making the effort to understand the other guys' thinking. Don't we know by now that the technology that makes atomic weapons, global positioning systems, Stinger missiles, and AK-47s possible is very easily transferable and copied?

Finally, it is the soldier who suffers. Many of us bought off on the big lie — that men fought and died in earlier wars to pay for our freedom. It may have been true of the American Revolution, and certainly of World War II, but to apply this thinking to any confrontational situation is ludicrous. It is as monstrous a lie as the obligation to jihad among Arabic people.

It will be interesting to see if those who have egged on this war are as enthusiastic about taking care of the scarred and maimed veterans. My son is a disabled vet (not in war) and cannot use the vocational rehabilitation to which he is entitled because his family cannot go without health insurance while he's in school.

Tying this war to 9/11 is the cheapest of political tricks. I would have expected as much from W, but I am extremely disappointed in our elected representatives. Is Tom Daschle the only one willing to speak the truth? Senator Kerry, get up and open your mouth; your fellow vets want to hear from you.

We need to do all we can to see that the spineless do not take over our country. We need to take back our flag. It will not stand for neo-fascism and international injustice. Also, we will not allow them to use the name of God and to usurp religion to support their madness. We do this by taking any opportunity to be heard. I look forward to joining you good people.

Douglas Nelson
371st Radio Research Co, 1st Air Cav VN 1968