THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
Regarding the recent article on Robert S. McNamara's book about his role in the Vietnam War:
From my view as a veteran of the Vietnam War and as a Marine of 26 years, NcNamara is the vilest and lowest of humans. Knowing the futility of the war, he continued to participate in its management from the highest echelons of the government. At least the anti-war activists stood up for their beliefs and left the country or went to jail.
McNamara continued to reap the benefits and advantages while others died at his direction. How can McNamara live with the knowledge that 58,000 Americans and countless Vietnamese died because he was the ultimate of spineless bureaucrats?
I wonder how McNamara will spend the profits from this book? Perhaps he could assuage his ``moral angst'' by donating the proceeds to care for the American and Vietnamese citizens who still suffer some of the damage originated years ago by his lack of nerve and moral fiber. I, for one, intend to photocopy the title page of his book and mail it to him with all the disgust and revulsion I can muster.
As for the justification McNamara's book provides to those who protested the war, I applaud the moral integrity of those who suffered for their beliefs.
To those who protested the war and managed to avoid the stress and strain of their protest through political influence and phony draft deferments, I place them in the same cell of eternal damnation reserved for McNamara.
JOHN R. MOORE
Colonel, U.S. Marines (ret.)
Virginia Beach, April 17, 1995 by CNB