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Our article on the West Point class of '05 prompted praise of the cadets' patriotism and bravery. Some readers, however, were critical of America's sacrificing of its brightest young leaders to the war in Iraq

Thank you for the insightful, compassionate story on the U.S. Military Academy and the profiles of three graduates [May 30]. They are very different yet are terrific in their individual ways. We Americans too often forget that the military academies have a mission to prepare leaders for the future, whether we are at war or not. We take for granted that there are young people who are willing to make extraordinary sacrifices in order to become those leaders. The 2005 graduates deserve praise and our gratitude. After 9/11, they could have decided the war on terrorism wasn't what they had signed up for and left West Point without any commitment to the Army. Yet they decided to remain, even though the stakes had changed. I salute them and those who are making similar sacrifices.
John D. Wooters
Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.

Your report on the class of '05 tragically illustrates how history tends to repeat itself. Today another young, idealistic generation is being fed into a vague, brutal war machine by an arrogant, self-righteous U.S. Administration. Forty years ago, the West Point classes of the '60s were sent to Southeast Asia to fight an equally vague, brutal war, ostensibly to promote freedom in that region. Many of us who served there came back scarred and maimed, and others did not return at all. The aims of our "glorious cause" were never achieved. May fate be kinder to the class of '05.
Steve Williams
U.S.M.A., 1966
Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.

It was my honor to attend the recent graduation from West Point of my nephew, 2nd Lieut. Chad T. Fifield. Your article captured the sacrifice those young men and women are willing to make for our country. In this age of self-gratification and materialism, it is nice to see young people who exemplify the ideals that make our country great. I am sure that the U.S.'s future is in good hands with institutions like West Point producing our future leaders.
Jeffrey E. O'Neil
Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S.

I have a deep respect for the men and women in the U.S. service. But I wonder if there shouldn't be a course at West Point that allows young cadets to question or challenge authority. Is it ever a mistake to go to war? There are philosophical differences between disloyalty and healthy inquiry. We need to examine all the options before we send our troops into harm's way.
Jon Price
Pottstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.

A Controversial Death
The armed forces of the Philippines welcome the candid reporting in Anthony Spaeth's "Under the Gun" [May 9]. However, we are troubled by Mr. Spaeth's unfair use of the memory of the late Lieut. Colonel Dennis Villaneuva, a fine gentleman-officer. The article quips that Villaneuva's death is a "mystery worth pursuing," and asks, "Was Dennis Villaneuva a casualty of his employer's shoddiness?" Zeroing in on the facts, the cause of death was a heart attack secondary to massive organ malfunction due to severe loss of blood and/or bodily fluids. He died after an hour or two while in the recovery room after surgery, despite heroic efforts to resuscitate him. We believe that Lieut. Colonel Villaneuva's memory would be best served by constructively appraising the shortcomings and strengths of the Philippine military so that we can undertake meaningful reforms. That way, his death and those of multitudes of soldiers before him will not have been in vain.
Jose Angel A. Honrado
Brigadier General
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Quezon City, the Philippines

The Stem-Cell Breakthrough
"Inside the Korean Cloning Lab" [may 30] reported that South Korean scientists have created human stem-cell lines that are perfectly matched to the dna of human patients. That story gave me mingled feelings of delight and worry. Although the whole world is now one step closer to an ideal situation for studying how diseases develop, I worry about whether the U.S. can maintain its scientific and technological superiority. Many other countries have been vigorously pursuing stem-cell projects, while the U.S. government restricts the research that federally funded scientists may do in that field. I hope that, despite the roadblock, more Americans may be inspired by the successes in South Korea to get interested in science.
Junho Song
Torrance, California, U.S.

Your story seemed to suggest that foreign research labs are hungrier than those in the U.S. That is ridiculous. American medical-research laboratories, such as the one in which I am finishing my Ph.D., are also whirlwinds of purposeful activity. As I see it, the U.S. regulatory environment is the sole reason that the U.S. is ceding the lead in stem-cell research. That is not the fault of academic or industrial scientists, and the problem can be helped just so much by progressive state governments such as California's. The blame lies solely with the man in the White House, who seems to value the life of cells a few days old more than that of an 80-year-old Alzheimer's patient. George W. Bush is an idiot.
Chris Antolik
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

Women at the Point
Our article on the 2005 graduates of the U.S. Military Academy [May 30], often called the class of 9/11, belongs to a tradition of covering events there. TIME reported on another graduation at West Point, 25 years ago, when the first class to include women (62 of them) won its commissions. Here is an excerpt from that May 19, 1980, piece:

"A woman cadet works busily in her quarters, stopping to straighten her already drum-tight bunk. The door is open, not because a male cadet is visiting but because dozens of cadets keep filing back and forth from the corridor outside ... The woman is a top member of the cadet Brigade. A formation of her company is just now waiting for her outside the building. 'Hey, Mom, it's time,' calls one of the male cadets ... It's an affectionate nickname, a mark of respect for her record, which brought her a cadet promotion. Like many of the women at West Point, she admits that she likes to cook and sew ... She buckles on a curved saber, wraps a purple sash around her waist. During the inspection a male cadet giggles, and jiggles his eyebrows up and down in amusement as she walks by. Because he's a classmate she says nothing. If he were a plebe she could say: 'Mister, do you know the proper position of attention?' 'Yes, ma'am.' 'Well, you better get there!'"