I would like to thank Will Bardenwerper ’98 (Letters, March 19) for his service to our country and for his thoughtful response to the Jan. 23 letter from William Mettler ’51. What a difference there is between the comments made by Mr. Mettler and Mr. Bardenwerper.

One person sits at home and makes statements about a country and our volunteer armed-service personnel that he knows nothing about. The other has experienced what it means to volunteer to be in the nation’s service. He has been “boots on the ground”; he has seen and experienced what our all-volunteer military is doing, and he is proud of who he is and of what is being accomplished in Iraq. My hope is that those who sit home in safety can learn from the real-life experiences of people like Mr. Bardenwerper. Then and only then should they share their opinions.

Hugh Scott ’61