Great to see Clinton's letter to that officer; brought back memories. While the details of his case were different from those of mine, I experienced many of the same conflicted thoughts around that time.

"Loathing the military" was an unfortunate choice of words, of course, much too easily taken out of context and thereby misunderstood.

The context, in case you missed it: "I am writing too in the hope that my telling this one story will help you understand more clearly how so many fine people have come to find themselves still loving their country but loathing the military, to which you and other good men have devoted years, lifetimes, of the best service you could give."

It would have been better for him to say "...loathing the current military misadventure."

Nowadays, of course, a graduate student in a parallel situation can breeze through life without giving this generation's undeclared and arguably neo-colonial war nearly so much attention and serious consideratiton. He/she can just look at the paper or watch the news, conclude that "I'm opposed," and/or "I admire the soldiers for what they have to do, but I'm glad it's not me," and leave it at that.

Why? No draft any more. I've always been opposed to conscription, for myself, for my kids, and for anyone and everyone else, but there's something to be said for its capacity to focus the public's attention on miltary policy, and on the truly life-and-death nature of warfare.