Opinion: Message from a veteran to President Trump: One Korean war was enough

To the editor: I am a combat veteran of the Korean War. Most of my time there was spent at a place called the Punchbowl, a contentious area that the Chinese and North Korean forces wanted to seize. They did not, as we held our ground despite days of fighting and bombardment. (“North Korea defiantly attempts another missile test, but launch ends in failure,” April 15)

I bring up my service because I fear that with the lunacy of the North Korean leadership, we could be drawn into another conflagration with it. Nothing could be more disastrous for South Korea than another war.

When you juxtapose the awesome progress of the South with the despotism and economic failures of the North, you understand that our sacrifices there had value. It would be tragic to see all of that collapse in another outbreak of war.

I hope President Trump has convinced the Chinese to “persuade” the North Koreans to cease their bellicosity. American kids should not have to fight and die again on that familiar terrain.

Arnold Silverman, Laguna Niguel

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To the editor: Lost in all the saber-rattling and head-scratching about what to do with North Korea is the possibility of negotiating a peace treaty to finally end the war.

The 1953 armistice was simply a cease-fire agreement “until a final peaceful settlement is achieved.” In the last six decades, direct military conflict has been avoided, but war games and military action have steadily increased to the current level of brinksmanship.

Without a peace treaty that will formally end the war and enable North Korea to modernize and join the civilized world, war will be inevitable and millions of lives will be lost to the inhumanity of armed hubris.

Jai Rho, Pasadena

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