This letter is in response to Christopher Mataka's letter "War protesters undermine the efforts of our troops in Iraq" (March 26).

Mr. Mataka, although you possess the experience of being in combat in Iraq, you cannot use that experience to establish credibility that would essentially validate your statements comparing the war in Iraq to the Civil War and World War II. You fail to realize that you and I are on equal ground regarding the evaluation of the history of past American wars.

Just because you were in Iraq does not mean you know anything more than I do about a war that occurred when you and I were non-existent. You make a comparison between the numbers of lives lost during the Civil War and war in Iraq across an equal time span of four years. You fail to understand two important aspects of our Civil War that bars you from making comparisons to the war in Iraq. The first concept you miss is that in the Civil War, Americans were fighting Americans, so the number of American casualties will obviously be staggering. Second, you fail to account for the advance of war theory and technology, and that lower American casualties in today's wars is a direct result of modern weaponry and training, and not standing in an open field shooting at the enemy. I have friends who have fought in the same war you have. Please know that I have the highest appreciation for the courage you and they are able to surmise to defend America. I just hope you understand that people with or without combat experience can be critical of the war and respect the uniform all at the same time.