Published: May 13, 2008 03:54 pm            

In Your View — 05/15/08

Sailor proud he is from Ashland

I’m back in Iraq for my third and maybe final tour. But this one is memorable for reasons other than the incoming fire calls.

I get e-mails from my wife in Norfolk, Va., and my family in Ashland. You really can’t understand how great a card, letter or e-mail is to the men and women over here. Someone gets a package and it’s like children at Christmas.

I received an e-mail from my mom (Lil Leadingham) saying how her friend Jackie was in line to mail a box of “stuff” to troops here when a lady gave her some money to help with the postage. That just choked me up. I knew I was from a special town, but wow.

Since I’ve been deployed, it seems more and more people, churches and even businesses are getting involved, helping out with sending stuff to help us fight the boredom. For instance, my unit has the largst, most varied library on base and almost 90 percent of those books have come from the Ashland area. My sister, Mary Beth Patton, a teacher at Cannonsburg Elemenrary, and I have started “Project Joy” to send packages to soldiers.

We get the major network news shows here and all we see and hear are how everyone they show is complaining about the president or the U.S. troops or what we are doing over here. When I make it home to Ashland, I have people I don’t know walk up and say, “Thank you for serving.” That makes me feel really good.

It’s time someone said thank you, Ashland, for standing behind the troops like you do. When I’m asked where I’m from, I’m proud to say I was raised in Ashland, Kentucky.

Thomas Leadingham , U.S. Navy



V-E Day should not be forgotten

May 8, 1945 — Victory in Europe Day — is a very important date in the history of the United States.

Hitler’s Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, and Europe was engulfed war for six long years until May 8, 1945. After Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, the United States was deeply in war from the Pacific to North Africa, Italy and Europe. D-Day was June 6, 1944, and Germany’s final thrust, the Battle of the Bulge, led to Germany’s surrender.

Most veterans can remember where they were on this special day. I was one of 5,000 troops aboard the United States, a passenger liner converted to a troop carrier. Our ship departed Naples, Italy, on May 2, 1945, and docked in New York Harbor on May 11, three days after V-E Day.

We were the first ship to dock in New York Harbor after V-E Day. We were greeted by smaller vessels that circled our ship with bands playing. Balloons were released and there were many “Welcome Home!” signs. What a celebration!

Sadly, many comrades did not get to make this journey home. But they will remain in our memories forever. They paid the price for our freedom.

During World War II, the cooperation between the military and civilian production of food and military equipment was a unified team effort. This may have been the United States’ finest hour.

Why this letter? I searched The Independent on May 8 for a word about V-E Day and found nothing. Events like this should not be forgooten. A brief mention would refresh people’s memories.

Martin E. Kay, Ashland



His choice is person of color

After hearing people say they will not vote for someone because of their color, I wonder if they would not cash a check endorsed by someone of color? If you or a loved one needed blood, would you refuse help from someone of color?

Now, this someone of color has said he will give a $1,000 tax rebate to help with gas prices, give college tuition to students serving in the Peace Corps and other voluntary organizations, take tax credit from businesses going overseas and giving tax credit to those staying in the U.S., make people pay Social Security on incomes above $100,000, and get out of Iraq and fight the war in Afghanistan.

This someone of color is Barack Obama, who is my choice for the red, white and blue.

A.E. Westfall, Raceland



Barack Obama can win in November

The time has come for Kentucky Democrats to unite behind the candidate who will allow us to recapture the White House in November. That candidate is Barack Obama.

Senator Obama’s economic plan addresses the concerns of people in our region. He has worked with communities affected by job losses and has a plan to create jobs by investing in manufacturing and training programs. He believes that workers should have the freedom to unionize and that striking workers should be protected from losing their jobs.

His plan also addresses rural issues, supports family farmers, and encourages local agriculture — including requiring produce to be labeled with a country of origin so consumers can choose to support local farmers. The choice for Kentuckians in the May 20 primary is clear.

Bridget Gillespie Kolb, Ashland



Vote your heart, not your prejudices

Barack Obama is to this generation what John F. Kennedy was to mine. The youth and vitality, the charm and disarming smile, the sense of humor and powerful intellect are qualities shared by these men. One was white and one is biracial. We must get beyond those old racial biases left over from the 1960s. Vote your heart and mind, not your prejudices.

We know when we hear Barack Obama speak that he is special and perhaps destined for greatness. His messages of hope and change come when we need them most with our critical economic woes and our endless war in Iraq. His is the kind of leadership needed to unite the country.

Here is a unique candidate, not beholden to lobbyists and corporate America. We must seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to elect this special and gifted man to the presidency.

Cliff Cleland, DeKalb, Ill.

        

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