Letters to the Editor

To the editor,

Vietnam War Veterans Day “March 29”

In the last 45 years, America has lost a lot of WWII values and good leaders because the shaming of soldiers during and after the Vietnam conflict to no fault of their own. So, let’s try to come together again. A simple “Thank You for your service” would be a good start.

Brian Black

Dayton, Wash.

To the editor,

My Facebook page reminded me this week of a photo I took in 2011 of the Iwo Jima Memorial. It was a timely reminder of the hard challenges our country has faced before. That memorial is officially called the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and it recognizes all our Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States. The memorial shows our Marines working together to raise the American flag.

We can face today’s challenges by tackling them together.

I was inspired to dedicate my life to serving our country and our community by my grandfather who spent his career in the Army. He served in World War II and the Korean War. He and my grandmother are now buried together in Arlington Memorial Cemetery.

Like many of the Greatest Generation, he kept the stories of his wartime experiences close to the vest. When he passed away, we learned that he had earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. He took courageous actions and faced tremendous challenges throughout his wartime years, yet we only knew a handful of the terrible situations he faced with incredible bravery.

We are all being asked to make new sacrifices and face new challenges now. The courageous choices we make and the challenges we confront in the days and weeks ahead will not earn us medals. Most people won’t know about the sacrifices we make.

But we know that the result of all of us following the guidance of our health care professionals and making sacrifices to protect our vulnerable neighbors and family members will make a difference.

Together we will make a big difference for our families, our community, and our country.

Danielle Garbe Reser

Walla Walla

To the editor,

Regarding the seriousness of the coronavirus, here’s an interesting point:

The Italy National Health Institute recently released a report detailing that over 99% of Covid-19 deaths occurred in people who have pre-existing medical conditions, with nearly half of deaths happening in patients with three or more pre-existing medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. The average age of alleged coronavirus deaths in Italy is around 80.

How many of these deaths would have occurred regardless of the virus? Also, how many of these deaths are due to unproven and potentially harmful coronavirus treatments?

Tens of millions die of malnutrition and starvation every year. Malaria claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, and infects hundreds of millions more. There are hundreds of millions of cases of diabetes worldwide, with 37 million diabetes cases in the USA alone, and an additional 88 million Americans estimated to have pre-diabetes. Clearly the world and our own nation have far more serious health concerns than the latest coronavirus, which looks trivial by comparison.

Jordan Henderson

Dayton, Wash.