To the editor: President Trump stated the Iran battle is “small potatoes” in comparison with the Vietnam Warfare (“Vance says Iran fight isn’t a ‘war.’ Trump says it’s ‘small potatoes,’” Sept. 4), during which we misplaced hundreds and hundreds of U.S. troopers (Robert McNamara, who served as secretary of Protection throughout Vietnam, would later admit that the U.S. was “wrong, terribly wrong.”) For those who’re going to cut back our bodies to only numbers, really, we misplaced nearly 60,000 American soldiers in comparison with the Vietnamese shedding 3 million people.
Didn’t Trump say early on that he was in opposition to getting concerned in international wars? However he simply couldn’t resist attempting to be a hero. Tina Turner sang the reply: “Out of the ruins, out from the wreckage, can’t make the identical mistake this time. … We don’t want one other hero.”
I don’t suppose the greater than 150 youngsters and academics who had been killed in February in an Iranian faculty by one among our missiles would name it “small potatoes.” I’d name the college tragedy Trump’s My Lai Bloodbath, during which our troopers killed round 400 civilians (principally unarmed ladies, youngsters and aged) within the Vietnam “battle.”
John Densmore, Los Angeles
The author was the drummer of The Doorways.
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To the editor: It seems Vice President JD Vance has been hanging round Trump for too lengthy. Usually, Vance is coherent. Although I disagree with many issues he says, he doesn’t come off as feckless as some on this administration.
Nonetheless, Vance’s assertion that the Iran battle isn’t actually a battle ranks up there with the president’s denial of local weather change, and the administration’s claims that Trump isn’t profiting off his official actions. It displays both a profound misunderstanding of the dimensions of the battle or a severe erosion in integrity and credibility.
This battle was ill-advised. It’s led to assaults on U.S. allies, deaths of tons of of harmless Iranians, pointless depletion of U.S. weapons stockpiles and disruption of the world financial system. It’s comprehensible that Vance needs to downplay its results. Nonetheless, pretending it’s not a battle is disingenuous. He ought to know higher.
Richard Leman, Honokaa, Hawaii
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To the editor: It’s not battle: On March 4, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legal guidelines criminalizing public statements in regards to the army. Journalists who publicly name the “particular operation” in Ukraine a “battle” or “invasion” proceed to face extreme fines and lengthy jail sentences of as much as 15 years.
It’s battle: Trump signed Executive Order 14347 on Sept. 5, 2025, authorizing the Division of Protection to make use of “Division of Warfare” and “Secretary of Warfare” as secondary, symbolic titles, signaling a stronger give attention to deterrence and fight readiness.
It’s not battle: Vance acknowledged throughout a White Home press briefing on Thursday that he rejected the usage of the phrase “battle” to explain the U.S. preventing with Iran, saying, “I wouldn’t name it a battle.” Thousands of deaths are apparently not sufficient to be thought-about a “battle.” “Small potatoes,” chimed in Trump the subsequent day.
Michael Backauskas, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Absolutely the gall of the president and vice chairman to decrease the last word sacrifice that Libby Klinner’s husband made for his nation is outrageous (“Widow of airman killed in Mideast is upset she was told Iran wasn’t a war while sorting out benefits,” Sept. 4). How can this administration examine lives misplaced to “small potatoes” and make a ridiculous remark of “we love ya”? Unbelievable.
Alice Colacino, Redondo Seashore
