Mr. Zurofsky - We are probably much closer than apart on our views. We just don't know each other well enough to fully comprehend what motivates either of us to take the view we do. So I'll confine my remarks here to Ms. Fonda. Ms. Fonda went to North Viet Nam, sat in an anti-aircraft gun seat (that fired on Americans), and visited the POW camps. Perhaps you should read what occurred there as a result of her visit. Ms. Fonda used her status as a media personality to influence how the people back home viewed those of us who fought the war. In essence assisting in blaming the warrior for the war. One of the men I came home with was murdered by a group angry at the war and our participation in it. I used to have the newspaper article documenting this but burned it as part of my forgiving the people who condemned me upon my return from the war. Ms. Fonda was quite vocal about her views on troops not actively opposing their commanders and their orders. Ms. Fonda further rendered her convictions as not one of morality but one of a reactionary to the times in an interview on this subject a few years ago. It was the only time I viewed her on the screen. I guess I, like many others, were hoping for an apology so we could begin to reconcile with this facet of the war. It didn't happen but then in my opinion the rich don't really care - in the words of Marilyn Monroe's publicity agent, "There is no such thing as bad publicity." I believe Ms. Fonda falls into this category. It's why I have not supported her over the years. It isn't going to bring down the house of the Fondas but then I never expected it to. Just my quiet way of stating I disagreed with her. So if you can see a black and white difference between my commanders in Viet Nam and Ms. Fonda's actions during the same time period good for you. It's still pretty fuzzy to me.

Whether the war was moral or not is not for me or you to judge - history and God will do that. War is a nasty business and no one goes into it without doing some soul searching. And should someone do something evil to me I would do everything in my power to prevent them from doing it again if that be their stated objective.

Rick - You and I have already covered this subject and it was with lightness that I started my remark to you. I continue to respect the work you did during the war and the music you do today. It is those freedoms I fought for.

You see Mr. Zurofsky I fought for the right to dissent, to speak freely, to hold your own view, and to support that view. My hope is that no one gets hurt in the process. And in retrospect, isn't hindsight a wonderful thing, I probably should have done more over the years to prevent war but I was busy trying to live a life that my beliefs obligated me to do in the stead of those who died for those same principles. For it is principles that we defend. For me the Viet Nam War was a just war since the principles I fought for then are still valid today.

Respectfully,
Steve