John Gavin’s Criticism of a Times Editorial

Is John Gavin for real? He writes: “I challenge The Times to cite one country where U.S. troops are stationed to protect regimes friendly to our nation from being overthrown by internal opposition.”

Does Gavin’s map of the world include South Korea? In that unpopular dictatorship we have 50,000 troops and our general commands the South Korean army. Sixty-thousand demonstrators recently shouted, “Down with dictatorship! Down with Chun Doo Hwan! Down with America!”

And who are all those Yanks in uniform down in Honduras these days? Boy Scouts? Is Gavin too young to remember a place called South Vietnam?

It is of interest that the ambassador neglects challenging anyone to cite U.S. involvement in the overthrow of duly elected and recognized regimes, an even more serious offense. There was Guatemala in 1954 and Chile in 1972, and currently we are working on Nicaragua. Yes, Mr. Gavin, in addition to our creating, funding and arming our murderous Hessians, the contras, it was CIA personnel who planted mines in Nicaraguan harbors.

ROGER LESLIE

Torrance