Guardsmen and Reservists Know the High Stakes

Before feeling sorry for National Guardsmen and Army Reservists serving in Iraq, one thing should be kept in mind: All of these men and women enlisted voluntarily (“Death of a Citizen Soldier,” by Rone Tempest, Jan. 30). I spent four years in the regular Air Force during and after the Korean War, including a year on a tiny desert island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. During that time, every person I met agreed that the only people who had a right to complain about the conditions of their service were draftees because they were not there voluntarily.

Your article asked if going into combat was what Patrick Ryan McCaffrey “had in mind” when he joined the California National Guard. The question is irrelevant. No one forced McCaffrey to sign up. He knew that taking the official oath was unconditional. If a person is not willing to accept these terms, he should not join.

Forrest G. Wood

Bakersfield

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The cover headline--”Who’s Dying in Our War?”--missed the target. “Who’s dying” are the left-wing liberals. They still don’t get it. The election in Iraq is one big step toward democracy--not only there, but in other countries in the Middle East.

John Krikorian

Glendale

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I was astonished to see this article, which focused on the very real sacrifices made by our “weekend warriors” in the Iraq action. Why was no mention made of the Iraqis who have died and are dying? How many can realistically be labeled “terrorists”?

How are the people of the U.S. in general, our reserve troops in particular, or civilian Iraqis better off with this continuing war?

Jim E. Davis

Laguna Woods