THE TEMPTATION OF TOM DOOLEY

I was pleased to read, finally, a well-written and accurate portrayal of Tom Dooley, for which I was interviewed (“The Temptation of Tom Dooley,” by Diana Shaw, Dec. 15). With respect and appreciation to the millions who willingly donated in good faith to Dr. Dooley and his foundation, MEDICO, I wish to add that a cache of arms indeed existed at the original Laos clinic site. But I can testify that six subsequent MEDICO hospitals did not have caches of arms.

As to my remarks about the radio tapings, I should explain that no deceit was intended in the faked background jungle noise. This was the era before portable tape recorders.

I have never before disclosed this publicly, but there was an investigation of homosexual activity at the Naval Hospital at Yokosuka, Japan, at the time of Dooley’s tenure. I was also stationed at Yokosuka at the time. Dooley knew he was a suspect. The hospital command, embarrassed and knowing proof of the activity was hard to come by, simply transferred the suspects; Dooley to Operation Passage to Freedom in North Vietnam.

Dooley’s humiliation was overwhelming. But it was a personal tragedy that he tried to overcome, perhaps overcompensating. From Operation Laos to MEDICO, he established one clinic, six hospitals and raised millions of dollars in two years!

TED E. WERNER

Rancho Palos Verdes