Somehow, Wolfie, your story makes me very sad and angry. But not really sure how my anger should be directed; likely I'll just remain sad. I lived through the Viet Nam era, and did never really understand how we could abandon something that once seemed so important, including support for those who gave everything. I was touched by the memorial in Washington D.C., knowing what a sacrifice it represents. I did not understand what the first Gulf War accomplished, nor what this current war is supposed to accomplish, only that poor souls are suffering on both sides. If it preserves our freedom to make photographs of a national monument, perhaps it is worth it. But if those freedoms are going away, I guess I'll just remain sad.