Re “700 Marines from Twentynine Palms given greenlight to deploy to National Guard in L.A.” (June 9): Incredibly, as a U.S. citizen and a retired U.S. Navy commander with eight-and-a-half years active duty, 12 years in the reserve and over 200 aircraft carrier landings while on deployment, I actually had to think twice about writing this letter for fear of some type of federal government retribution, but the deployment of active-duty U.S. Marines in Los Angeles against fellow Americans by President Trump is a line that should never be crossed. I feel compelled to speak out. Such an action is extremely dangerous and horrible for troop morale.
This is not what active-duty U.S. armed forces are trained to do. Maybe if our president had served in the military he would understand what a horrible precedent this action embodies.
Is this what we want? Is this what we have become?
— Raleigh Bouffard, La Mesa
