I am a veteran of the Vietnam War, where I served in Army aviation as a crew chief/door gunner in 1968-69. We flew in Hueys and supported ground operations all over South Vietnam. I was actively involved in the Tet Offensive and was proud to have flown more than 800 combat hours.
My mission was to protect my fellow soldiers while helping the innocent victims of a thankless war.
I survived my military experience with no physical damage, yet I still feel the burden of the huge responsibility we had as we did our jobs as U.S. soldiers. My heart swells with pride as I remember how difficult it was to go back into battle day after day, yet we knew the need to do so.
Our servicemen and women are always in harm's way, and they may sometimes question if Americans at home are doing the right things today. Many of us know all too well that our way of life still depends on the capable military people who are doing so many amazing jobs.
Our children's future depends on the positive outcome of the critical job they are doing. God bless them always.
I salute the project the McNair High School students are doing with war veterans. By talking with World War II vets, they can grasp a piece of history. To talk with a member of the greatest generation is an honor.
These brave men and women gave up their youth to fight a war against oppression, genocide and fascism. They are proud and a humble group. Like all veterans who served in war, some will share the horrors of war, some will not. God bless all veterans. This is the land of the free because of the brave.
A May 22 letter writer suggests raising taxes on the rich to employ the poor. That sounds a lot like "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." Now, who said that? Oh, yes, that would be Karl Marx. In case you don't remember, he was the primary inventor of communism. It would be better if Congress would review the Constitution and stick to those things it's supposed to do, and leave other things to the states and the people.
On the same page, another letter writer scolds Republican candidate Brad Goehring for his Facebook slip and advises that the District 11 House representative must represent us all. I applaud her position. I just hope she'll communicate it to the current representative, Jerry McNerney, and also to Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein. I have sent them dozens of letters and e-mails expressing my conservative views, and all I get back from them is correspondence telling me, effectively, to pound sand.
The slow collapse in Europe and its ramifications should not be lost on America in general and California in particular.
In Greece, we have public employees and people who have become accustomed to public largess, burning banks and refusing to acknowledge that there just isn't enough money to sustain a nation living off of public goods and not working enough to pay for them. Many believe there is some rich man out there hoarding money, and if they could just find him and steal his money, all will be well.
California suffers from the same self-denial. Our public pensions, Medi-Cal and our welfare state can no longer be sustained without driving companies out of state or out of business. Still there is the clamor of some using the same tired old clich� that business and the rich are not paying their fair share. No one ever says what their fair share is.
Hold on Europe, we're right behind you! Better start learning some Chinese or become accustomed to the cultures of India or Brazil, as they will become the new economic powerhouses.