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My wife's father was a United States Army Infantry 2nd Lieutenant under MacArthur. A friend in Iraq (3rd tour) is an Army Reserve snake eater. An old Okinawa Marine, since deceased, a good man, friend, said that on Okinawa the Army and Marines were closer than brothers. Old Deano would never allow any teasing about the Army. He sure did tease everybody else, though!

I did not mean to slight the United States Army. I think I did, some, and am trying to make amends.

There is a young lad I watched grow up around here, don't know if I should publish his name, call him "C". Recent West Point graduate. Rescued a cut off platoon in Sadr City last summer. Took his five tanks in. The cut off platoon said there were hundreds of them. Helicopters were driven off by the heavy fire. An ambush of course.

So, "C" went in, lost two machines, two killed, four badly wounded, through the terrorist ambush and relieved the cut off platoon. The ambush was set up for tanks, and each Abrams was hit scores of times by RPG fire, usually plunging, and holed again and again. "C" had to stick his head out enough to see targets and said that three RPGs went by close enough to touch.

I always figured "C" would make a good man. Sure didn't expect him to be the man he is.

Sorry if I went off on you and will accept this as an apology.

You caught me at a bad time as I went to a funeral at the National Veterans Cemetery (Houston) of Friday and had viewed one of the traveling Vietnam Memorial Walls in Sugar Land on Saturday. I was in no mood to have the United States Army slighted.