Letters: Oct. 23, 2006

On a quest for a story meant to define an already stellar career, Michael Weisskopf lost a hand but reclaimed his life and family. Readers sympathized with Weisskopf and with the countless soldiers who are also nursing physical and psychic wounds received while serving their country

My commendations Michael Weisskopf for the great excerpt from his book and for his courage in facing tragedy and in becoming stronger as a result [Oct. 2]. I say that as a doctor who has seen many amputees. Weisskopf's position as a senior correspondent for a major magazine meant that he got the best care. But what happens to the soldier with a high school diploma who never saw a doctor before his injury and who may return home to a setting that is ill equipped to get him to even the nearest wheelchair vendor? Our soldiers also deserve top-quality care for their injuries.

STUART J. GLASSMAN, M.D. Concord, N.H.

Weisskopf is a hero. I'm a retired Veterans Administration clinical social worker who treated war heroes for 40 years. I know what they are made of. Besides the valor he demonstrated by saving lives, he is putting his life back together after a horrific trauma. Like the great war correspondent Ernie Pyle, Weisskopf chose the heart of the battle zone to profile the armed forces. Anyone who has read Weisskopf's story should be able to appreciate the heroism of our armed forces and veterans.

PHILLIP L. ELBAUM Deerfield, Ill.

I wept when I read Weisskopf's account of losing his hand in Iraq. In coming to terms with his loss, he realized that he had actually won a prize: the rest of his life. But his story revealed that he won more than that. By summoning the courage to undergo painful introspection after his injury, Michael Weisskopf has reclaimed his soul and his spirit. I too suffered a loss, 15 years ago, when my young husband died of brain cancer. By addressing sometimes unendurable pain and grief, I won the same prize.

MARALYN FARBER Bethesda, Md.

I was riveted by Weisskopf's story of horrific pain and soul searching. It made me think of the soldiers who have died in Iraq and the more than 20,000 Americans who have suffered terrible physical and mental wounds there. Weisskopf's story brought attention to thousands of soldiers who left their youth, limbs and peace of mind overseas. They will never forget their government's deception in leading them into an unnecessary war.

FLORENCE GRAFF Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Weisskopf said he asked his psychologist why he had grabbed the grenade, and the answer was that it was an act of self-preservation--"That's what all heroes are made of." I disagree that heroism is rooted in self-preservation. The soldier who throws himself on a grenade to save his buddies and the citizen who pulls a stranger from a burning car knowingly reduce their chances of survival to increase those of another. It is the willingness to risk one's life for a noble purpose that should define an act of heroism, not the instinct for self-preservation.

BRADLEY J. HARTMAN Havana, Fla.