I served in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1971 until 1975, charged with the duty of investigating misfeasance in the Army. Almost 30 years after the experience, I still wake with my memories. Others in my class of JAGs worked on the criminal cases arising out of the atrocities of Vietnam, and they have similar memories. In reviewing these cases, the one thing they hold in common is a breakdown in leadership.

Many of my fellow JAGs and I were proud of John Kerry when he spoke up against this failure of leadership back then. After Vietnam, our military was committed to never again repeat the mistakes of that era. Unfortunately, under George Bush’s watch, we now find ourselves again using an undermanned and untrained military to impose democracy upon a third-world country while our real enemy is allowed to terrorize the world. Is it no wonder that we have more than young soldiers dead and the pictures of tortured prisoners are frozen in our minds?

I urge Sun Journal readers not to listen to the slanderers. John Kerry has a history of standing up in times of need. He did it for our brothers who were subjected to Agent Orange. He did it by rooting out the corruption of the Iran-Contra affair. He did it by negotiating with the Vietnamese government for a full accounting of the MIAs and POWs. Thankfully, he has again offered his proven leadership in our time of need.

John Whalen, Auburn

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