Treatment given to military personnel

I read with interest and appreciation your Dec. 24 Column One about our Iraq veterans being treated with the respect they deserve upon returning from the war zone.

It brings back memories that many of us Vietnam veterans have of very dissimilar treatment during our service. I have often wondered if some of the people who treated us so disrespectfully have ever regretted it. I know I have never forgotten what they did, and I still am proud of my service in Vietnam and of my fellow veterans.

God bless the wonderful patriots in our military who make our freedoms secure.

DON FOLTZ

McKinney, Tex.

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Your Column One was enlightening, but let’s not get too dewy-eyed about the hardships endured by our troops.

For instance, the gift of a burger and shake to Lt. Col. Kenneth Parks by an anonymous diner at Peggy Sue’s was hardly necessary, since Parks might be pulling down more than $80,000 a year if he is an average married O-5 with 14 years of service stationed permanently at Fort Jackson, S.C. Add to that his combat pay when he’s in Iraq, and he probably has a greater income than nearly every customer passing through Peggy Sue’s on any given day.

STEVE SEMPLE

Carpinteria