I can not answer your question in any way that I think would edify, satisfy, or persuade you of anything. I have never disparaged anyone's honest, honorable service in any military branch during any time of peace or war, and I can't imagine that I ever will. (The aberrations of crimes and atrocities, including but not limited to desertion, suicide, treason, self-imposed wounds, etc, deserve condemnation in their own rights, and I don't consider them "military service," honorable or otherwise.)
I can neither imagine nor explain why so many people have heaped scorn and abuse on military men. I came in for some of it after the Korea war. After more than fifty years since then, I still don't know why honest, logical, honorable men feel compelled to judge military service with malice and hostility. (Maybe the limiting adjectives in my preceding sentence shed some light!)
Even Kerry, whom I regard as anything but honest, logical, or honorable, with his very obvious agenda, had to fabricate a multitude of reasons to denounce and renounce his fellows in Viet Nam to make his betrayal of them seem logical and justified, even "honorable." That, in itself, is a very telling commentary, IMO.
