When I served in the US Army during World War II, we were fighting to maintain our democracy and to protect our cherished freedom of selecting political leaders in the voting booth.

This democratic principle was crushed in one evening last week by Republicans who used their political power to stop the hand recounts in Florida.

The decision of the US Supreme Court obliterated any chance of a fair result in this presidential race. We can send men to the moon but a largely Republican Supreme Court told us that they don't know how to count the votes that people cast. If you missed the dateline, you would think that all of this happened in a banana republic.

Although George W. Bush's own state of Texas adopted a standard for hand counting ballots, Republican operatives caused a near riot to end the manual recount in one Florida county.

Justice Steven Breyer put it best when he said: "The people will never trust the courts again."

Mr. Bush's victory comes courtesy of the United States Supreme Court. Now, on Jan. 20, we will have a president who lost the popular vote by 350,000 votes and probably would have come out second in a true vote count in Florida.

After I heard the incredulous Supreme Court decision, I wanted to send my three Army battle stars and combat medals to Austin, Texas. But I realized they wouldn't appreciate the gesture. It's better that I save my medals and flight log for my grandchildren. I hope it will remind them of this election fiasco.

George Rands