I would like to remind the public of the letter to the editor once entitled “Let’s not forget any veterans” written by Arthur Durrant of Albert Lea.

“How soon we forget. I do not begrudge the men and women of the gulf getting a big welcome home, but I do not think they had it as tough as the veterans of World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.

Some of the veterans from World War II got big welcomes. But most from the Pacific or the India, Burma or China Theaters were still fighting after the European war was over. World War II was a global war, fought from the air, sea and land, in jungles, mountains, desert, below zero, temps as high as 145 degrees, and also in desert sand. It lasted not six months but five years.

Then came the Korean War, with jungles and mountains, where our men lost their lives or limbs from the cold.

The Vietnam War had jungles and mountains, the natives as enemy. It was a war that was never supposed to be won. It was a war where the politicians started getting rich at the expense of our young men and women. We won World War II. It made a lot of people rich. So did the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Are the people going to forget the men and women who fought in the gulf like they did the veterans of the past wars? We, as veterans of past wars don’t want honors, we want you to remember the ones who died fighting and the ones who fought and lived so America could have the freedom we all enjoy today.

All we veterans want is to be recognized, and the things like our government promised us like medical care and compensations, even if a veteran is not service connected. If he or she fought in the past wars, then they deserve free medical care at the government’s expense. The public should lobby for veterans like they do for things like welfare, A.D.C. education, abortion and many others. In the past when there has been a cut in governmental spending, the veteran gets hit first, and welfare, A.D.C. education or whatever, gets more money.

I will give credit to the men and women in the gulf war. But I think the most credit should go to the president, the commander of the forces in the gulf, secretary of defense, Gen. Powell and secretary of state, for the use of air power and the navy. The mechanical equipment, ground forces and the tactics used saved thousands of lives, equipment and money. Remember a veteran is one who died and fought to make America great. Let’s not forget them, not only in time of war, but always.”

 

Forrie Claussen

Albert Lea