Letter: Iraq is haunting reminder of Vietnam War

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2003 | 9:01 a.m.

We are sinking -- stupidly -- into another Vietnam. I'm a disabled Vietnam veteran who is still fighting the horror of political blunders committed by politicians. I support our troops, but I do not support the half-hearted and half-witted way the war in Iraq is being waged.

I was a medical corpsman with the Marine Corps in Vietnam. You will never know what war is until you have to do what I had to do, and what I have to remember: Looking into the eyes of a wounded teenage boy, watching his eyes, seeing that one split second when the young, innocent eyes turn from life to death.

I am old now, tired and feeling hopeless. But, in my mind, those young men I couldn't save are forever young. God bless them. And shame on us for doing this all over again.

JIM ARMBRUST

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