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If you want the truth about battle, listen to a combat infantry soldier. They see it first hand. They are the eye witness and do not have second hand information or distorted gossip as a reference.

God bless all of our military. Thank you for my freedom.

Danny "Greasy" Belcher, Executive Director
Task Force Omega of KY Inc.
Vietnam Infantry Sgt. 68-69
"D" Troop 7th Sqdn. 1st Air Cav

10 JAN.2006

Dear Sir,

Since the beginning of the "War on Terror", contrary to the assertions made by politicians, many in the media and letter writers to your paper, US and Allied military actions have been an amazing feat of arms. Much was made when US casualty rates rose above the two thousand mark. Yet you would be hard pressed , in the history of war , to

find an instance when two belligerent nations were taken off the enemy ledger , low intensity guerrilla action aside , with so few casualties.

The single day attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the World Trade Center / Pentagon in 2001 , each produced more American deaths than the combat casualties suffered by the US military in all theatres of this war , due to hostile action.

To give some insight on the current state of battlefield affairs versus history , I offer a first hand perspective. In a two and one half day battle in 1972 , at Loc Ninh , the Vietnamese Forces , I commanded , suffered nearly one thousand casualties . The opposing commander, Lieutenant General Tran Van Tra , told me in the early nineties ,he had lost nearly ten thousand soldiers in that battle. This in a battle for one small town! In the seven months after the Loc Ninh battle, many more thousands died on both sides in the battle for An Loc, just to the south. Two major wars have been fought in two entire countries with far fewer casualties than suffered in one single province during seven months in 1972. "Military failure"? You people know nothing of war.

Kippling gave voice to some British frustrations during past history in one of the theatres of this present war ; " When wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plain and the women come out to cut up what remains , just roll on your rifle and blow out your brains and go to your God like a soldier." One will not see that level of frustration in British and American forces today. Though it is rather evident in many of the letters from "experts" to your newspaper.

Major Mark A Smith

US Army ( Retired)

7/192 Vipavadi-Rangsit Rd

Soi 36 , Bangkok 10900

Tel;02-513-5166, Mobile;01- 828-8405 , FAX;02-939-4952

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