I loved the recent letter that described Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan bounding down the gangway of the battleship Wisconsin as a backdrop to their political event.

For years, I have been struck by the fact that the loudest, most strident voices calling for us to flex our military muscle are politicians and radio talk show hosts who have not served. I was particularly enraged when President George W. Bush pranced around the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln as if he were a returning warrior. That was when he thought he had done something wonderful in Iraq.

We all know Bush, as a younger man, did what he could to avoid serving during the Vietnam war. As president, he kept thousands of sailors at sea, for a couple of extra days, to use them in his photo op. The sailors had been away from their home port for 10 months.

And yes, I served at sea in the Navy.

Rory Ferguson

Moss Creek