Mr. President: It's time to end this war

Dear President Obama,

We are proud that you are the president. I am a veteran of World War II. Like you and millions of other Americans and folks from 40 different organizations, I am against the war in Iraq. In 1944 I was working at the Newton D. Baker General Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia. That January our hospital opened. Within three to four months, our 2,000-bed hospital was filled with wounded American soldiers. This is just one reason I am against the war.

Sadly I know the economy must be your first priority. Still, cutting the defense budget by 20 to 40 percent would give you money to create jobs in the U.S. Perhaps some of the cut could be a minor Marshall Plan - Afghanistan, and Iraq need economic, not military help. We need positive leadership in the United Nations that will challenge our world leaders, government leaders and the military to find a cure for this man-made disease called war. General MacArthur once said, "The next state in the development of civilization is to stop war."

Bob Pendleton

Elk Grove Village