John Ehrlichman

In fairness to John Ehrlichman, who died Feb. 14, people should know that in 1970 and 1971 his leadership was instrumental in the enactment of the Clean Air Law and Clean Water Law, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Council on Environmental Quality and indeed the beginning of a strong role by the federal government in environmental protection.

President Nixon delegated these matters to John and it was at his direction that the Nixon White House championed these measures. I know all this to be true because I worked with Ehrlichman until July 1971, when I resigned. Ehrlichman did some very bad things, but in all fairness to him, people should know of his crucial role in environmental protection.

S. DAVID FREEMAN, General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

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John Ehrlichman’s death saddens his many Southern California friends.

As a teen-aged bombardier/navigator over Germany he earned his wartime medals. He once said, “The flak was so thick you could have walked on it.”

At UCLA he was a witty, highly intelligent activist, notably at the University Religious Conference. He loved to plan and scheme and had a bit of the rascal in him; it was no surprise to see him rise to national prominence.

As the current saying goes, “he wanted to win too much” while in the Nixon atmosphere. He paid the price. He showed his remorse by public service with American Indians. Ehrlichman was a very good human and always the best of companions.

PORTER EWING, Van Nuys

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Henry A. Kissinger thinks that Ehrlichman “was a victim of the Vietnam War.” Perhaps Kissinger, the major architect of the war, should visit the Vietnam War Memorial to count out loud the names of 58,200 fallen U.S. soldiers. Kissinger should also know that there were over 2 million Vietnamese killed during the war.

Is it now novel to reserve the term “victim” for a slain soldier, a mourning mother or an orphaned refugee? Calling Ehrlichman, a government official convicted of obstruction of justice, conspiracy and perjury, a “victim” is to present a grossly distorted view of the Vietnam War and to pervert the English language.

BRUCE E. TASHOFF, Encinitas