[in the Arena]

The author bases his column on a book written by Jerry Lembcke. I don't know if this has been pointed out but, although Lembecke was a Viet Nam veteran he also was a member of VVAW. I suspect his book ("The Spitting Image:)and research are biased towards that relationship, and quite possibly written to cover up the real atrocities of the war...the stigmatization of the veterans which certain members of the VVAW promoted.

I was too young to serve in your war, but not to young to understand the price it exacted from my uncle and my friends brothers and this nation.

You have all my deepest respect.

[Richard Kimball]

The column he's talking about that he claims "started the legend" was written by Bob Greene. I forget the exact date of the column, but I know that the rumors preceeded the column by years, so his claim of the column starting the myth is just historical revisionism. BTW, Democrats spit on the Boy Scouts at a convention a few years ago, also.