The letter from Thomas Johnson in the March 17 Free Lance-Star titled "The draft: Another form of government slavery" was one of the most naive pieces I have seen in years. It is obvious Thomas Johnson has never served in the military, knows very little of its mission, and is ignorant of the purpose of a nation's defense.

To begin, all of the military personnel in today's U.S. military forces are all-voluntary. The purpose of the draft registration is to create a pool of personnel for a time of national need. Doesn't Johnson realize what would happen to the United States if it did not maintain a strong military force?

If Johnson wants to abolish draft registration, is he ready to abolish the future of the United States? As a retired Marine who served more than 25 years on active duty, I am proud of my service. I experienced a very professional organization that displayed zero signs of slavery. The sad part is that I helped provide freedom to people like Johnson to express liberal comments about something they know very little about.

Johnston should remember that his freedom of expression is the result of others who believed totally in the United States of America.

Marvin F. Pixton Ill

Spotsylvania