[QUOT
I wasn't willing to let the military convince me that the person I was fighting against was less human than me, or that a foreigner's life was less valuable than that of an American. That other person is probably more like me than they are different. They have their commendable traits and their less than commendable ones, and they are probably also convinced that what they're doing is the right thing and for the greater good.
Fuzz, I appreciate your comments and concerns, and your question about killing is valid in point, but seriously limited in scope. Most military pilots/aircrew will not be present at the "tip of the spear", and the mechanics of "killing" are not present in their warfighting skills. I flew Rescue, Electronic Warfare, and Airlift for 23 years and never busted a cap in combat. But I did see every enemy as less valuable, less human, than myself and my countrymen, only because I had an oath and obligation to uphold, and I knew the people on "our side". Alvin York was a religious conscientious objector in thought, in reality he was something entirely different.