Another e-mail:

I was a Marine infantry commander in Vietnam, a United Methodist minister for twenty-years, and a volunteer chaplain to veterans for ten years. This story does not surprise me at all. Our troops need to know that what they are doing matters, and they need to see tangible results from their sacrificial efforts. A common expression in Vietnam was “‘Don’t mean nuthin’” And it was that sense of futility and purposelessness that sapped morale and unit readiness more than anything else. It hurts to see this happening among our brave warriors in Afghanistan.