Vietnam and Korea

* It is ironic that “Vets Still Conflicted Over Korea” (Jan. 19) makes so many inaccurate comparisons between the Korean and Vietnam wars and their veterans. The majority of men serving, bleeding and dying in Vietnam were volunteers. Most of us were the sons of WWII and Korean veterans who hero-worshiped our fathers. Stories of Pork Chop Hill, the Chosin Reservoir and other places were our motivation to keep moving forward during some terrible moments. If you look at the casualties suffered during 1967, 1968 and 1969, you’ll see that those three years were very comparable to Korea.

The present craze to pay homage to the people who got us to where we are appears to be initiated by people who suddenly feel guilty for not saying thank you to our parents. For some of us, standing tall even when it wasn’t popular with some of our contemporaries was our way of saying thanks. The Vietnam Memorial is not just a monument to those who served in that war, it is a memorial of our endeavors to honor those principles taught to us by our parents. So long as we breathe they are not forgotten.

DAVID F. HEWITT

Santa Monica