Its not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all. Lets face it history books get written about generals and war novels always have an agenda - even if its only to entertain the reader.

As I've said before on Mudcat quite recently, my Dad had a bad war (WW2) in a tank in the Irish guards. His death this year has brought home to me all the rotten stuff he went through in his life and made me wish I could have made it up to him better.

He always said if you weren't there you wouldn't understand - he added, phrases like wholesale slaughter take on a special meaning - and he couldn't bring himself to talk about it.

Perhaps veterans who find it difficult to talk would find it easier to e-mail.

I can't really understand your reluctance to tell us who you are. After all its not an indecent or illegal thing that you're proposing.

There always one or two clowns around who will sneer at pain, and belittle gallantry. You see that even with the dogbrains who say nasty malicious things about great performers, whilst they would never be brave enough to stand up on a stage as long as they drew breath. I don't think that can be avoided with an open forum.