The article – “I Don’t Want to Go Back” (March 16) – about my son, Spc. James Kuritz, which headlined the cover of the Sun Journal, began with my attempt to inform the Sun Journal that our local state representatives had recognized James at the Maine State House in January.

The Sun Journal story could not have been more opposite to that original account.

The transformation began with a call from reporter Daniel Hartill, who said the State House recognition was too old to be newsworthy. He asked about James and, because of Mr. Hartill’s sympathetic tone, I put him in touch with my son.

Mr. Hartill called for more information: What did I think of James’ bleeding ears? Shouldn’t he get the Purple Heart? Did I want my son to return to Iraq? What did I think of the war? (I silently wondered what this had to do with James in Augusta, but the reporter continued to present himself as wanting to recognize James’ accomplishments.)

James and I were stunned to read the story. We were sad that he had been misquoted, had statements taken out of context, and had qualifying and clarifying statements omitted. We also noted plain errors of fact.

For example, I can hear my son saying, in response to a question, “Do you want to go back to Iraq?”- “I don’t want to go back – not until I receive further medical attention!” or “I don’t want to go back. No one does. But I’m a soldier and I keep my promises.”

But I cannot imagine my son (who privately and reluctantly to me compared his battlefield experiences to “the Alamo every night”) ever uttering the unconditional statement attributed to him. Had James said what was attributed to him, he would stand by those words, just as he stood by his fellow soldiers in combat. He is not a coward.

The sensationalized picture of James was neither accurate nor fair.

Let me tell you the facts, following St. Paul: “Therefore having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

James proudly enlisted in the U.S. Army because he wanted to help the war against terrorism. He has never expressed any regret for his military service. In fact, periodically he has considered re-enlisting. James has earned awards for the quality of his service. While, like any soldier, James often wonders at the big picture, he has never intended to do anything but continue to serve his country to the best of his ability. He is proud of his comrades, his officers, and the United States’ efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

That the Sun Journal would distort this reality into a tabloid journalistic picture of a whining, frightened malcontent, questioning the wisdom of his leaders to further an anti-war political agenda is disgraceful.

The weekend following the story had been designated as a time of local and national anti-war protest, commemorating the 40th anniversary of the march on the Pentagon. The newspaper had had James’ story for weeks, and there was no urgency in running it when they did.

The article was strategically placed adjacent to a story about a war widow to enhance the anti-war message. It seemed the reporter had a political point of view and used both of us to find material to make it, regardless of whether his point lined up with the facts.

Even though the State House recognition of my son was the purpose of my original contact with the Sun Journal, Mr. Hartill totally neglected to mention this in his story. “An oversight,” we were told.

The timing of the article with the weekend protests is to be thought of as a “coincidence,” the distortion of James’ views is to be thought of as accurate reporting, and the omission of the recognition bestowed on James by the State House is to be believed to be simply an “oversight.”

James and I want all to know that we do not appreciate his service and sacrifice being used for political purposes antithetical, we believe, to the best interests of the United States.

An account of Spc. James Kuritz’s recognition at the Maine State House appears on today’s page B2 in all editions.