Marine Deployment

“In one shop, the clerk said the deployment of Marines is of little consequence to the business because ‘we don’t take their checks. Marine checks usually bounce.’ ”

This is the gratuitously insulting closing paragraph of your story headlined “Oceanside Economy Shaken as Marines Flock to Mideast” (Aug. 19).

The writers display considerable hostility toward the military in general and the Marines in particular by including the quote, which is quite probably from some bubble-gum-chewing teen who caught their eye in a jewelry or clothing store.

Even a cursory check with any financial institution of the writers’ choice would probably highlight the untruth of the clerk’s quote. As a matter of fact, military personnel, as a class, probably write far fewer bad checks than most civilian employed groups because of the relative stability and reliability of their pay, and because of the very unpleasant attention they receive from their superiors. Civilian firms still try to use military channels as collection agencies, which doesn’t happen in the civilian corporate world.

They also get a lot of training on the importance of being good “ambassadors” for the country. It stresses the need to assume full financial responsibility for themselves and their families.

You owe the Marines an apology.

ROBERT T. HEDER

Col. (Ret.) U.S. Army

San Diego