The Official Voice of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. ®
An organization chartered by the U.S. Congress
January/February 2005 POLICY FOR LETTERS Letters
We welcome letters to the editor for publication in The VVA Veteran. We are interested in your criticism as well as your praise. Letters may be edited for purposes of clarity or space. Regrettably, because of the volume of mail we receive, we are unable to acknowledge or return unpublished material.
A CRYING SHAME
I read with great sorrow and anger Richard Currey’s excellent article on the contaminated water supply at Camp Lejeune (August/September). To me, this represents our government’s uncomprehending unwillingness to take care of those men and women and their families who have put their lives on the line for this great country of ours.
I urge VVA and the editors of The VVA Veteran to keep up their vigilance and to continue to blow the whistle in matters of this kind. All veterans and all Americans need to know when the government’s actions jeopardize our servicemembers.
John James Karris
Detroit
MUTUAL SUPPORT
On behalf of the Vietnam War In Memory Memorial, Inc., I would like to thank Vietnam Veterans of America and AVVA for their vital assistance in making the In Memory Plaque a reality. In 1997, Piedmont Area Chapter 752 in Culpeper, Va., and Battlefield Chapter 617 in Prince William and Stafford Counties welcomed our first presentations of the concept of a plaque on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., which would offer recognition to countless veterans suffering post-Vietnam, service-related casualties who are ineligible for a place on The Wall.
The Virginia State Council and national VVA representatives endorsed the project and provided invaluable guidance and moral support, as did AVVA.
During the legislative process, VVA officials affirmed, with authoritative and effective testimony, the importance for veterans, their loved ones, and America of such an addition to the memorial. At the fund-raising stage, you provided effective communication through the The VVA Veteran, and on Veterans Day eve, you orchestrated a beautiful, respectful, and emotionally fulfilling candlelight dedication ceremony.
We are honored to have worked toward this goal and to have had Vietnam Veterans of America and AVVA as our loyal and enduring allies.
Ruth Coder Fitzgerald, President,
Vietnam War In Memory Memorial, Inc.
FULL CIRCLE
Thanks for the review by Marc Leepson of my book, Full Circle: A Marine Rifle Company in Vietnam. I also thoroughly enjoyed “The Martians are Coming” by Steve Mason, as an example of the quirky, off-beat writing by veterans that should be encouraged to a greater degree. Your providing a platform for such expression is commendable.
Bill Buchanan
Mill Valley, California
WE CAN HELP
Great article on our exhibit, “A Thousand Words: Photographs by Vietnam Veterans,” in the arts column in your October-November issue. Thank you very much for the excellent story and background on the project. The web site listing, www.sawtooth.org/vets.html was also very helpful. Hopefully we’ll get the exhibit out to a lot of new areas as a result.
Martin Tucker
Sawtooth Center for Visual Art
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
I spoke with John Kerr, the California winemaker we profiled in the December issue. Since the issue was published, he has had inquiries about his wine from all over the country. He’s thrilled.
John went into the Palo Alto PTSD in-patient program on January 4. This article, he says, has made a real difference in his life. Thanks so much for allowing his skill and talent to be presented to our membership.
Jim Doyle
Fresno, California
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