Soldier, soldier

The needs of British ex-servicemen may not have been well served by Rick Brunwin's letter (16 May, page 22).

He may like to think that British military personnel involved in recent Gulf hostilities have "served their country", but many people consider that they have merely, and for money, obeyed orders. That may not make them a deserving cause.

Many people consider the war to have been immoral, unlawful and counter-productive, and British military participants to be war criminals.

The British government, unlike the American government, has signed up to the view that obeying orders is not a defence against a charge of war crime.

If some British military personnel involved in recent Gulf hostilities have suffered physical or mental damage, that may be insignificant when compared with the damage inflicted on the people they attacked. How many of those people have been made unemployed, homeless and socially excluded?

However, perhaps we should not consider whether ex-servicemen deserve support. Perhaps we should remember the example of Nelson, turn a blind eye to how some ex-servicemen come to be in need, and expect every person to do his or her duty.

And our duty is to care for those in need, whatever their background.