Fionn - A gun is the only way to settle an argument during a war. Proud of killing? I don't think I would put it that way. Rather I learned that I would rather cause someone else to die for their country while I was in the midst of the war. You read a tad caustic in your note and maybe with good right. What I learned about killing was as a youth and if you haven't had the opportunity to engage in the insanity maybe you should reserve judgement on those of us who have. I'm definitely proud of my service to country, I'm proud that as a result of my going my Son did not have to go, I believe that our sacrifice in Viet Nam was not for valor (war doesn't have much of that) but probably prevented our involvement in others because of the attitude towards those of us who fought the war, and if you are an American then we were representing "We the People" in that engagement. We who fought the war didn't have a lot of input on how, or even if, the war was fought. I'm also proud of being a member of the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War, I'm proud of being part of the underground railroad that took young kids to Canada to prevent their involvement in the war, I'm proud of being a member of the security for peace marchers in the late 60s and early 70s, I'm proud that as a result of my involvement I learned another way to resolve issues, I'm proud that I was part of the early "Rap Groups" that were being taught to Navy Corpsmen going to Viet Nam so they could help those that killed and got killed process some sense of what they did - there never seems to be a "Why." I'm proud that as a result of my going I became part of the underground railroad that brought refugees out of El Salvador when they were in the killing fields. So if that smidgen of insight into what I have done with my life for the past 35 years is an indicator of pride - I am very proud of killing and the lessons I learned. And yes I believe it did some good.

The other thing I learned is that there are no innocent people in war. Does this answer your question?