Mirza, in the four years I was in the Navy, I went to more countries than most people on the planet know even exists. I've seen the horrors of war, and I don't wish it on anyone. Wars really don't accomplish much, and for the most part, never will. However, when you have the opportunity to visit places such as Buchenwald, which I saw first hand, and the atrocities there, you begin to understand why some wars are fought.

In my lifetime, I have been to more than 100 countries throughout the world, and though some cultures were very interesting, the only place for me is the USA. I was among those 1,700 sailors that dug bodies out of the rubble at Agadir Morocco in 1960 when the earthquake there killed 10,000 people, a time when the French pretty much owned the place and would not go in and provide assistance. I was in Cyprus during the Cypriot revolt, where 30 sailors from our ship were killed during a police action to quell rioting on the streets. I was in Beirut when things were going crazy there in 1959, patrolling the streets with nothing more than a night stick and hoping I would survive the night without being killed by some crazy that hated all Americans.

I'm not sure which country you are talking about, but like any veteran I deplore war and those that wage it. And, that's why I'm proud to have served this nation in the capacity I did for those years.

For the past 20 years, I have performed for Memorial Day and Veterans Day at no cost to the facilities where I performed. I did it for those brave individuals that gallantly served to preserve this nation and all it stands for.

Gary