Yo, Punk:

You didn't defend ideals; you defended corruption, lie, trashing of US "ideals" and genocide.

My compassion is extended to all who were on the battlefield, and beyond those to all not on the battlefield. That does not require that I discriminate by dumb ideology or exclude this batch of humans and not that batch of humans. And that is what the ideal of human compassion is about: it doesn't exclude.

I note your "compassion" is limited to those who agree with your narrowness. How insecure can one be? Your "compassion" doesn't even include those you falsely assert you were "defending". Or even the ideals--such as not killing noncombatants--about which you jabber.

Drop the bullshit "patriotic" rhetoric and get an education in ethics, morality, and law of war: grandiosity is not patriotism; and defense of error implemented as terrorism and genocide is not defense of US "ideals". Unless those ideals are disregard for all humane standards and law.

Deal with your guilt: your task--not mine--is to forgive yourself for supporting, advancing, and defending corruption and lie.