Cancellation of Sgt. York Weapon

I must commend Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger for canceling production of the Sgt. York air defense gun.

He has made a decision one normally only hears about in the private sector, namely announcing an executive decision to end financial waste and inefficiency.

I am, of course, sorry to hear about 1,900 employees of the York facilities in Orange County losing their jobs, but that is far better than 1,900 men and women losing their lives in battle by depending on this weapon.

To have a program canceled after many people put their minds, hearts and much sweat into it is a bitter pill to swallow, however it appears that F.O.R.D. still stands for Fix Or Repair Daily.

The bottom line that Ford management must face is the simple truth that if they had put more mind, heart and sweat into producing a quality product that performed correctly the first time they would still have a contract and those 1,900 employees would still have a job.

BRUCE G. BAILEY

Anaheim