I'd like to think that

maybe Bush senior whispered into the ear of Bush junior at some point

and gave him the benefit of his experience. Who knows, maybe he came up

with the idea of spending Thanksgiving with the troops.

But, suppositions about our

president's motives are irrelevant. The response he got from his

troops made it evident that the effect was positive, and that the commander-in-chief

had done his duty.

And the clueless members of

the media who choose to assume the worst can take a flying leap. If they

don't get it now, they never will.

Randy Gaddo

Peachtree City, Ga.

[The writer is a retired Marine,

who was the photojournalist documenting the senior Bush's visit to

Beirut in 1983. Gaddo is director of leisure services for Peachtree City.]