I'm the "old" guy who's remembers the day my father came home from Europe
   after being an Infantryman during WW II. I joined the National Guard
   in my senior year of High School in Saratoga Springs, NY and trained
   every Tuesday evening and for two weeks each summer. I held dual
   status in the National Guard while simultaneously training for a
   Commission as an Army 2d Lt while serving in ROTC at a Catholic
   college.
   I went immediately on active duty upon graduation from college,
   graduated from the Artillery School at Ft Sill and Paratrooper School
   at Ft Benning, and subsequently served in various assignments in
   support of freedom; after two years with an Artillery Battalion
   assigned to an Infantry Division, I was assigned 102 miles behind the
   Iron Curtain in Berlin shortly after the Wall went up, where among
   other duties I was assigned to periodic patrols behind the Wall
   separating freedom from communism.
   Then, after a brief stint as a Brigade Adjutant at Ft. Bragg, I
   volunteered to go to South Vietnam where I served as the Personnel
   Management Officer for the 4th Infantry Division and later as a
   Company Commander where I spent many a night dodging relentlessly
   incoming rockets and mortars, as well as being targeted during
   ambushes and patrols while undergoing the North Vietnam's Tet
   Offensive.

   Upon return to the United States and after various assignments,
   I spent two years assigned to pre-Gulf War Saudi Arabia as the J-1 
   Director of Personnel for Department of Defense, followed by four
   years on the Staff Faculty at West Point. I've been the Adjutant
   General of the Defense Nuclear Agency's Field Command, and of the
   Army Communications Command/Information Systems Command.
   I've seen oppression, sadness, death, and destruction, as well as
   freedom and happiness.

I've had tears of happiness for example, when our American military and
   civilian hostages were freed from Iran and were transported to West
   Point for two days of "private time" with their families prior to the
   official press conferences, and public displays in celebration of
   their return to freedom.
   Because the hostages had missed their family Thanksgiving Day dinner
   a few months earlier, the West Point Cadet Mess Hall held a belated
   one for them, and since I was part of the group organizing and
   assisting the hostage stay at West Point I was there when the hostages
   walked into the mess hall whereupon 4,000 cadets, spontaneously and
   without any prompting by anyone, started chanting "USA, USA, USA...".

   The chanting lasted for at least five minutes, and everyone in that
   famous building had tears of happiness in their eyes. America was
   smiling and happy, and the hostages were being warmly welcomed back
   to the Land of the Free!

   Like that moment when we all teared up, I cry/tear whenever I tell
   anyone about witnessing that great American moment---I have tears of
   joy even now as I write this! However, I had previously had tears of
   sadness, indeed I privately cried, when the earlier military attempt
   to rescue these same hostages disastrously failed and caused American
   casualties.

When America was recently attacked by terrorists, I again teared for
   our Country, for the victims and their families, and for FREEDOM. Like
   so many of you, I tear when I watch the television reports of this
   terrorism and it's effect upon the United States and all Americans and
   freedom-loving countries!
   It's appropriate for sensitive people to shed tears during this
   tragedy. It's understandable to be upset, worried, and sullen at
   what's happened.

At 7:30 AM PDT on the morning of the terrorist attacks upon New York
   City and Washington, D.C., I received a call from the local ABC
   station in San Diego asking me to go to their station again----I 
   had previously assisted them during the Gulf War with anti-terrorism 
   interviews during the days of worry (needlessly, thank God!) about
   possible terrorist attacks ensuing from the expected American Desert
   Storm attack into Iraq to liberate Kuwait, and again during the
   bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building----this time, I felt
   like and suggested that they could be better served by asking for
   help from the military's experts who were surely more current and
   better informed than me. At the same time, I expressed my thoughts
   to some folks about my worries that there might still be other
   terrorists hiding out and waiting their opportunity, one's who might
   have temporarily aborted their attempts due to traffic delays getting
   to airports, or perhaps concern over the presence of a policeman who
   might have been chatting with airport security personnel at the same
   time that these additional terrorists were about to go through the
   security point checking hand luggage.

   These concerns have since been echoed by others. I worried, and still
   do, that these type terrorist activities were/are looking at symbolic
   targets, and could well have been planning to take out other structures
   in New York and/or Washington, or even something symbolic like the
   Sears Building in Chicago, the Golden Gate Bridge, The TWA Building at
   the Los Angeles Airport, or an aircraft carrier at one of our Naval
   bases.
   I still worry (and, am communicating this to a Congressman who is an 
   influential member of the House Armed Services Committee---for years,
   I sat on his Congressional Board to select applicants for Nominations
   to West Point, Annapolis, The Air Force Academy, and The Coast Guard
   Academy; and, I've briefed him and others about Saudi Arabia during
   the Desert Shield troop build up) and I have concerns about the West
   Coast needing Naval/Coast Guard/satellite/air protection again possible
   future "germ warfare" being released at sea or from the air by
   terrorists into our westerly-blowing winds. I worry likewise about our
   countrywide municipal water supplies. These terrorists have no regard
   for human life, and "worries" that might have been taken only lightly
   prior to the recent attacks, now need to be taken seriously---including
   "germ warfare".

What now? My personal opinion is that we need to plan carefully to insure
   that any military attacks we might launch are pin-pointed against
   terrorists and their supply lines and equipment, AND  (contrary to
   what these terrorist did to American men/women/children in their
   cowardly attacks) with every effort made to prevent unnecessary
   injury to civilians and innocents that we need to unrelentlessly go
   after all forms of terrorism, not only in a military way, but also
   economically, politically, socially, etc.

   Let's not militarily strike out quickly but perhaps haphazardly just
   for the sake of revenge rather, let's make certain that American and
   "Coalition" military strikes have the right targets and every
   probability of success. Prior to launch, have all the needed logistics
   and equipment ready, and our targets effectively selected.

Yesterday I was on the Miramar Marine Air Station, and today I was on
   another San Diego Marine Base. Though the troops are in a high and
   enthusiastic state of readiness to do the job, I sensed that many
   people on the bases seemed as sad and subdued as I felt.
   America has been wounded, but America has a spirit and a unity that
   will prevail. America will not allow this invasion of our Homeland
   and the injury and deaths of our citizens to go unanswered. For our
   part, as difficult and upset as we are with the terrorist attacks,
   we need to make strong efforts to get back to our usual routines.

   I personally think that we need to totally support our Government,
   to pray for and support the victims and those who have been affected
   by this invasion and challenge to our American freedom and way of life, 
   we need to be alert, we need make certain that we recognize that
   non-terrorist Arab-Americans and other non-terrorist Arabs are fellow
   human beings, and we need to always remember, applaud, and support
   America as the Land of Freedom!

We've been victimized by inhumane terrorists, and we've shed tears and
   it's OK to shed even more of them. We now need to respond in a wise
   and effective way, to be alert, and to support our great Nation.


God Bless America!

Dave Cummings
LTC (ret), U.S. Army