Over the last year, I've seen a number of good people, like Scott Koenig, Bill Quick, Dr. Weevil, and others attacked as "chicken hawks" or "chicken bloggers." Their crime? They favor war, but haven't served in combat, and are ineligible for service now.

On the one hand, I respect the mentality which says that if you haven't experienced it, you shouldn't be quick to send others. But another part of me says that's too easy; what does the military exist for in a democracy, if not to fight when we need them? The thought of war makes me sick, but I would go myself if they would take me (too fat, too old). But that's easy for me to say, right?

I decided to to ask my old partner Gary Utter what he thinks. He is a truly civilized human being--he's a blunt, stubborn son of a bitch, mind you, but very civilized. That is something I don't say about everyone. I'd entrust my wife or my son's safety with him under almost any circumstances, and without reservation. There are, perhaps, two or three living people about whom I would say such a thing.

I don't like bugging veterans to talk about combat; in my experience, most of them don't like to discuss it. Still, these are serious times, and I wanted to know what he thought about "chickenhawks." He wrote me a response, for publication. One thing you'll note is that he didn't say whether or not he favored war with Iraq. I didn't ask that question, you see, and, being Gary, he therefore did not answer that question. ;-) But this is what he did say:

Once upon a time I was in a war. I wasn't there because I wanted to be.

I wasn't there because I had to be. I could have gone to Canada. I could have gone to Sweden. I could have claimed to be gay.

But I didn't. I was drafted, and, instead of fighting it, I enlisted in the US Army.

Eventually, I wound up in what I refer to as Beautiful Southeast Asia, known to those who haven't been there as Viet Nam, and known to those who have been there by many names loaded with meanings the rest of you wouldn't understand. I spent 1969 with the 1st Signal Brigade and went back for a second tour in 1970 with the 101st Airborne Division.

I saw things nobody should have to see, and I got off better than a lot of people. Certainly I got off better than the people I saw killed or horribly maimed (on both sides). Certainly I got off better than the people who came back all screwed up mentally because they couldn't handle what they'd seen. But still, I came back a different man, and, I would argue, a better man.

I learned a lot about people, a lot about myself, and a lot about reality. There is something about being absolutely, positively convinced that you will die within the next minute, about being completely helpless, and reconciling yourself to the end of your life, making peace with what you are, and what you have been, that makes you different.

There is something about watching a man die while he is lighting your cigarette, about watching men die all around you, that makes you different.

There is something about watching a man coming at you with a satchel charge while you put round after round of non-lethal M16 rounds into him, knowing that the last thing he wants in this world is to take you with him into hell, that makes you different. There's something about blowing a 16 year old sniper into dollrags with a .50 caliber machine gun that makes you different.

This is stuff that I generally try not to talk about. This is stuff I usually manage to not even think about, because thinking about stuff like this is bad. Thinking about stuff like this makes me different.

You survive in a combat environment by being aggressive. Even when you are laying low, exercising due caution, HIDING, you're being aggressive. You're thinking aggressive, planning aggressive, maintaining an aggressive attitude. Bringing it back, even in memory, brings back the attitude as well. So right now, I'm feeling pretty aggressive. Pretty hostile, in fact.

Now, here's the thing. I really dislike people who have the balls to call someone else a coward when their own courage has not been tested. It's a cheap shot. It is what we used to call in my Army days, CHICKENSHIT.

Look here, we have an all-volunteer military these days. They are in the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force because they want to serve. They don't want to serve in Fort Bragg, or Pensecola, or Camp Lejeune. They want to serve where it matters, in the face of America's enemies. They chose this life. They worked hard to learn combat skills, and they practiced many long hours to perfect those skills.

In the process, they pretty much put themselves outside society. WAY too many people treat the military like second class citizens. Our own government does the same. An awful lot of these people could make four or five times as much money on the outside as they make in the military (even considering the "free housing and medical care"). Instead, they live in substandard housing, and often feed their families with food stamps.

These people want to fight for their country. It's the payoff they get for all the crap, all the lousy food, the lousy pay, the disdain they are often treated with.

Sure, there's risk. There is risk in fighting fires, but I don't see anyone saying that encouraging firefighters is a bad thing. There's risk in policing our streets, but I don't hear anyone suggesting that we shouldn't do it.

I have nieces and nephews in the military. I have a lot of friends in the Reserves. Every single serving member that I have spoken with about this has said substantially the same thing: that they are ready to go kick some Iraqi ass. This is not to say they want war, but they are ready, willing and able to fight one.

If you want to argue against war with Iraq, then argue against war with Iraq. To argue that anyone who supports the war is a coward because they don't have to go is an argument with no merit, and exposes the weakness of your reasoning skills. There are plenty of good reasons to oppose war with Iraq. Our military does not need some lameass blogger to protect them from the rabid Republicans. They are quite capable of taking care of themselves.

And by the way, a "chickenhawk" is a perv who cruises juvenile male prostitutes. It has not a thing to do with war.

Gary Utter spent a chunk of his youth in the Army. He served in the Intelligence Command, 1st Signal Brigade (44th Signal Battalion), 1st Infantry, 4th Infantry, 25th Infantry, 1st Calvary and 101st Airborne. After his second tour of combat duty in Vietnam, he he was offered a direct commission as warrant officer, but turned it down. He mustered out as an E-5 Sergeant. For his troubles, he got what he calls "a bunch of 'I was there' medals, some Presidential Unit Citations and a Bronze Star."

Today he works for the Rochester, New York Police Department.