When President Bush sent our troops to Iraq, I wrote him a letter, which supported the action that he took. The letter that I wrote to him is as follows:

April 12, 2003

Dear President Bush:

The action you took with our troops in Iraq makes me proud to be an American; and now I feel that the sacrifice my father, Leon Aaron Rutberg, made as a Chief Pharmacist's Mate in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II has not been wasted. I was only seven years old when my father lost his life in Okinawa on April 20, 1945, but I'll never forget him.

The medals that my father earned include the Bronze Star, Presidential Unit Citation & Ribbon Bar with Star, American Defense Service Medal, WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Purple Heart. My mother framed the original medals, but I proudly wear duplicates of all the medals on Memorial Day.

The certificate signed by Harry S. Truman, as a tribute to my father, is enclosed and also enclosed is a picture of my father's first grave in Okinawa. Although I always missed having a father, I'm proud of the sacrifice he was willing to make as a patriot who dared to die so that freedom might live, grow, and increase its blessings.

I encourage you to continue your efforts to bring peace and justice to all people in the Middle East and around the world. May God bless you and your family always.

Sincerely,
C.S.

The answer that I received from President Bush dated July 29, 2003 included the following:

After thanking me for my letter regarding Operation Iraqi Freedom, the president wrote that the goal in Iraq was to remove a threat to our security and to free the Iraqi people from oppression. The president also wrote that Saddam Hussein's regime was ended and the Iraqi people were gaining control of their own country and future, but pockets of resistance still remain. The letter included that American and coalition forces are helping to restore civil order and providing critical humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people. Iraqis were already meeting openly and freely to discuss the future of their country.

I was very impressed when I read in the letter that the coalition forces have made every effort to spare innocent civilians from harm and continue to do so. The president wrote that we respect the Iraqi people, it's rich culture, and religious faiths and we will continue to bring food, water, medicine, and other aid to Iraq. He

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