Disrespect in reenactments

Reenactment of Civil War battles - or any other battles - as depicted in the May 28 paper seems to me to be a disgrace to our culture and our veterans.

Sharing historical uniforms, weaponry, etc., is fine to let moderns know how things were in context during various wars. But the idea of adults dressing up and pretend-shooting each other blows me away. I can’t imagine that many, or any, of those folks have actually experienced combat. I have.

Twenty-seven months in various Army roles in Vietnam, two Purple Hearts for wounds, a valor award, a total aversion to reliving any of those horrible moments in combat, and my continuing sorrow at the loss of some of my most outstanding West Point classmates constitutes my residual collection from that war.

And I’m sure those elements are true for most combat veterans from every war. Reliving and somehow glorifying moments of man’s inhumanity to man is a disservice to everyone, especially children and video-gamers who don’t grasp the fact that young soldiers (on both sides) often scream helplessly for their mothers over and over while painfully bleeding to death on a chaotic battlefield or en route to medical care.

No one who’s been there can ever forget or want to “reenact” any aspect of that deadly chaos … nor should they.

Bob Gregson

Spokane