Monument volley

I am a decorated combat veteran of WWII. The article in the Calendar section (“A Memorial to Forget,” May 23) is unforgivable. I can’t believe your editors would permit three full pages to denigrate the new memorial. I would wager that the author never served in the military.

There was obviously no effort made to contact representatives of the designers of the memorial or any veterans’ organizations to get their opinions.

Joseph Mark Klein

Pacific Palisades

*

Thank you for the eloquent article regarding the ghastly memorial. Your words have captured what many of us feel. Your descriptions and comparisons not only emit feelings [but also] give voice to those of us who feel powerless and voiceless regarding the artistic merit of such an expensive blunder. What happened to the common men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country?

I am a Japanese American who was born in a concentration camp during this war. I still feel that all Americans who sacrificed for our freedom should be memorialized in an honorable way.

Susan Soto-Tenario

Los Angeles

*

Why couldn’t this critic wait for those who fought the war to give their opinion? Theirs is the only critique that counts.

He is hypercritical in every respect. He reminds one of the critics of the French Impressionist painters and the Eiffel Tower. He fits right into their company.

We spent $174 million to honor the veterans. So what! It is a small price to pay to honor these men and women. Most of the money was donated.

My suggestion is that Mr. Knight find another line of work for which he is better qualified.

Walter J. Scheiderich Jr.

Simi Valley