To the editor:

This is in response to “Officers in charge” (Public Forum, May 18). I, too, served as an enlisted man in the U.S. Navy Seabees. I, too, am shocked about the abuse of the Iraqi soldiers. I do agree the officers should be investigated, although, I do not agree that these accused soldiers were just “following orders.”

Don’t they have morals? They (the accused) do still have the right to say no, if they were ordered to or not. What could happen? Court martial? Then there would still have to be an investigation. The truth would eventually come out. The days of flogging are long gone.

According to the photos they looked like they were having fun to me. I believe they made their choice of right or wrong and they should be punished for it. They have disgraced our military and our country. It’s bad enough that other countries don’t like us because we are over there, but now this! All I am saying is, it’s too bad that these type of people are over there representing us.

Bob Pitts,

Lawrence