Recent New York Post cover:

From the letters page of the Houston Chronicle, where this picture also appeared:

Smoking is more likely to kill

I was shocked to see the large photograph on Nov. 10. A tired, dirty and brave Marine rests after a battle — but with a cigarette dangling from his mouth! Lots of children, particularly boys, play "army" and like to imitate this young man. The clear message of the photo is that the way to relax after a battle is with a cigarette.

The truth is very different from that message. Most of our troops don't smoke. And most importantly, this young man is far more likely to die a horrible death from his tobacco addiction than from his tour of duty in Iraq.

DR. DANIEL MALONEY
The Woodlands

Marines' gear includes cigs?

I opened the Chronicle this morning and got slapped in the face by a huge picture of a "battle weary" Marine with a fine looking cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

I respect everyone's rights, but do we really need to encourage our young people to think that this is part of required military gear?

MAYNARD HOVLAND
League City

And from the letters page of the Post:

How many kids trying to emulate heroic U.S. soldiers in Iraq will choose to slowly commit suicide as a direct result of your ill-conceived Marlboro pandering? Be a responsible part of the community instead of simply leeching off it 25 cents at a time.

Terry Craw
Stamford, Conn.

How much did Phillip Morris pay for the front cover advertisement? Thank you for continuing to encourage the development of cancer.

Mark Leininger
Manhattan

Your cover is a disgrace. War is not a video game. Actual people are losing their lives. At least 10 U.S. soldiers died early in this battle, not to mention many innocent Iraqi civilians who hadn't left the area. This man is not a cartoon character. He is a real man who has just been through some of the most trying moments of his life — moments that will most likely haunt him forever. Yet, there you are exploiting him and promoting cigarettes. It's disgusting.

John Keenan
Manhattan

I was shocked to see the front page of your newspaper. Showing a GI smoking and portraying it as being cool is disgusting, to say the least. First of all, you are promoting smoking, even though it is a health hazard. Secondly, our brave men and women are fighting a tough war in Iraq, and to show them as you did does not do them justice. Maybe showing a Marine in a tank, helping another GI or drinking water would have had a more positive impact on your readers. Smoking should be outlawed, not endorsed.

Ali Mahdi
North Brunswick, N.J.

To be fair, the photo also received positive responses, which can be seen at the links.

Another portrait of the real soldier, courtesy of the late, great Bill Mauldin: