Waterboard has functional role

I would like to shed some healing light on the current discussion of "torturing war detainees."

The much-talked-about "waterboard" was experienced by me and thousands of other United States Naval aviators while prisoner of war training.

It was terrible and it was functional. It was part of our training syllabus that set an objective of allowing us to be able to understand and cope with the fact that you will ultimately break your code of resistance.

We hated the waterboard and deeply feared confronting it in our training The setting was a simulated prisoner-of-war camp that transpired after a week of escape, starvation and evasion training in the wilderness. Seven days of hunger followed by interrogation, restricted confinement and yes, the waterboard.

The training was thorough, professional and tough. It prepared flight crews for the real possibility of being shot down and being a POW. None of us would have argued differently. Now that we are using this procedure successfully to extract useful information from war detainees, I am awash with amazement that this is a safe procedure that has been used on our own troops by our own commanders and it has not been talked about.

I hated the waterboard. I got the treatment twice. I survived. I would have told them anything. For those who want to just discuss new terrorism options with the enemy, good luck.

Bruce Hendricks

Bartlett