Marine Sniper

Re “A Sniper at Peace With His Duties,” Jan. 22: Finally, a great story about a former grunt. Not emotionally disturbed, not suicidal, no politician calling them boys and girls. A guy who joined the service to do one thing, kill--the enemy. I just knew there were other grunts out there who were like me. Thanks again for a great story.

PHIL “MICK” COHEN

Chatsworth

* While reading your article on Chuck Mawhinney, I remembered my time translating for journalists in Guatemala in the early 1980s. During those years government-supported right-wing snipers would pick off one or two (or more) journalists, professors, labor organizers or religious workers as a way to threaten a much wider circle of professionals, organizers and workers. This terrorist plan of “kill one, silence many” was the same that Mawhinney served.

The victims of such terrorism are many: the killed, the people terrorized by the killings and a whole society paralyzed and devastated by this brutal tactic.

PHILIP HOFER, Director

International Student Center

University of La Verne