I was disappointed with the portion of the letter that the man from Guffin Bay wrote about John McCain and his problem in Vietnam.

I was in a convoy in July 1944, leaving from Wales to what I thought was southern France. In the Mediterranean one night, our ship was struck by another ship. We were running without lights. The order was given: Prepare to abandon ship. We never got the final order to abandon.

Morning came, our ship was all alone. I was thrown from my bunk and my spine was injured. We limped into North Africa and I was on rest and recreation from July to November 1944. Then I went to the Pacific on a destroyer and served there several months. I was transferred to a hospital ship to be operated on; this was about 14 months after I was hurt and I was in some discomfort and had malaria.

What I am saying is that what some people are proclaiming isn't always correct. We as a nation should be forever grateful for what our servicemen did throughout the 20th century without exception.

Our country seems to be collapsing from within. Seek the truth — it will set you free.

Clarence Benware

Black River