Dispatches from AP reporters in the crowd.
A retired Marine lieutenant colonel handed out signs to protesters, a symbol of the growing discontent with the war in Iraq among the uniformed ranks.
Chris Case-Grillo, who said he was a proud Marine for four years of active duty and 17 years as a reservist, said political leaders have let the military down.
“In the military, we have special trust and confidence in our leaders because we don’t have a voice. We go where we’re told,” said Case-Grillo, as he passed out signs that read “Iraq Escalation? Wrong Way.”
“War has to be the last resort. It can’t be done gratuitously.”
Case-Grillo, from Orange County, Calif., said he wouldn’t want to lose his stepsons in Iraq. He retired in 2001.
I think this father would agree.
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