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Show "He are dedicated to the public interest, to fairness and accuracy, to innovation and growth, and to the restless pursuit of excellence." Pulitzer mission statement EDITOR: DONALD W. MEYERS 5fiy-pD)iD- Vietnam, WWII veterans earned nation's respect The campaign, which includes commercials with Tom Hanks, star of "Saving Private Ryan," stresses that there is no formal monument in Washington to World War II and its veterans. It's a valid point. World War II was one of the landmark events of the 20th century and shaped the world ever since. With 'The Greatest Generation" reaching its twilight, it's a good idea to put a lasting memorial to their heroic achievement. t But there may also be a bit of jealousy behind this as well. There veterare some World War ans who think too much attention's been paid to Vietnam veterans and their conflict. I know. I've heard a couple of them taking a few years ago about how they thought World War II vets were being forgotten as everyone was recognizing Vietnam veterans, who had the dishonor of being in America's only lost war. Also, the first monument in Washington dedicated solely to a war, and not to a specific individ- ual or battle from a war, was the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial. This wasn't a slight against World War II veterans or an attempt to steal their spotlight. It's more a case of balancing the books of history. When the warriors of World War II Finished their work, they received a hero's welcome for a job a the nation united behind them in war, it gave them a collective "atta boy" for putting an end to Hitler's reign of terror in Europe and beating back the Japanese Empire. Vietnam vets didn't get that when they get home. They were well done. As spit on, accused of being criminals and despised as agents of a dishonest government pursuing a flawed political theory. While World War II was remembered for heroes like MacArthur, Patton and Audie Murphy, Vietnam's knaves, such as Lt. William Calley of My Lai infamy, were the ones mentioned in the history books. With time, we realized they were thrown into an impossible situation and did the best they could. And the Vietnam memorial was a way to atone for our prior attitude and remember the almost 60,000 men who didn't make it back. The monument's become our version of the Wailing Wall, a place to remember national loss and recommit ourselves to being a better country. That monument, rather than celebrating victory, is a reminder that war, as Sherman said, is all hell. Anyone who walks through there is struck with the enormity of how many Americans died in that war. The president and members of Congress should be required to visit the memorial before even thinking about sending troops into battle for less than noble reasons. The Vietnam memorial does not detract from our homage to World War II veterans, but is part of our national tapestry. There's plenty of room for both monuments, one commemorating the triumph of good over evil the other a reminder of how much war, especially the meaningless ones, costs any nation. Opinions Page Editor Donald W. ' Meyers column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He can be 4 reached at or via at dmeyerheralde.xtra.com. n . matters. bythrowingout"Eat nebulous charge, it opens Senn up to countless rumors and speculation about what horrible misdeed he could have done to warrant this. It also raises questions about the motives of Senn's accusers. It's not a sign of weakness to ask for third parties to arbitrate disputes. When Springville's police force experienced problems, the city brought in a panel of police chiefs from outside the area to conduct an independent investigation. That investigation cleared the air in Springville and allowed the : department to get backixj protect-- " ; ing and serving the public. ' We think Mapleton should fol- low that route, and end this feudl before it gets too ugly and totally! undermines public confidence uri its government. ! ! Members of The Daily Herald edi- ; torial board are Publisher Kirk ' Parkinson, Opinions Page Editor Donald W. Meyers, City Editor Sharow Gholdston, Payson resident Amie Leavitt and Provo resident Scott Ellis Ferrin . employer Editor's note: The Daily Herald recently asked readers if Utah County should pay its employees their regular paycheck while on National Guard duty. Of the 725 people who voted on our Web site, 262 said no, 239 said yes and 224 were undecided. The following are the comments that were left on our call-i- n line and our Web page. I feel like a practice that was commonly used back in the 70s when I was a. member of the National Guard, was when employees were on National Guard leave, they received their paycheck, but they signed over their guard check, which was always smaller. So, in essence, they received their full pay, but the employer was only paying the difference between their pay check and their guard check. Terry Jones Spanish Fork retain their paid status and be paid while they're on National Guard or military reserve duty. Service to the Treat them right country should be supported. Douglas Kelly Mapleton they should receive their county paychecks when they go off to National Guard duty, along with their guard pay. If you pay people properly, then they'll help defend the country and do whatever they have to do. I believe Guardsmen at risk Bryson insults men . think definitely that guard people should be paid while they're on active duty. It sounds to me like Kay Bryson has never been in the military. If he had, he would know that it is no picnic. It's not necessarily a lot of fun. These guard members are doing a very important service for all of us when they are on active duty. To withhold their pay while they are performing their duty would be a slap in the face to those people. I . rewarded for doing so by receiving pay from my regular job as well as my guard pay. These employees always serve with risk. Don Liddiard Springville I think the guard should be paid when they go out on duty. I was in the military. When you leave your home and your family, and go out and support other people, I think you need to have the support of the county when you come back. Kay Bryson has complained about the people getting their extra pay. He would sure like to have them if he had a riot or something like that to help control it and have people trained. Donald Rowlings Orem Guard protects us I believe that the National Guard members should be paid while they're out serving in the National Guard. It's important to have people that have the courage to be prepared in case of natural disasters. Aria Mitchell . Provo price to pay These people need to be paid because it is very small compensation for the time away from their families, plus a lot of them have to take vacation. I feel like anybody who is spending weekends all year long learning the skills that need to be learned to fill these positions should be compensated that much because the guard pay is not all that much. I think it is very little for the government to pay them for that service. Sue Johnson Spanish Fork Encourage soldiers I do believe they should receive some compensation while they're gone on military leave, as state and federal organizations offer that same compensation. It is an incentive for people to stay in the guard and maintain thejr commitments there. Cody Marsh Bountiful Support service I definitely think they should Don't discourage Utah County should pay its employees to be gone for military duty. It's only 15 days a year, and an occasional weekend and a Friday occasionally. It's the least we can do to pay these people. They usually get less pay in the e military than they do on their jobs. We need to support our military. We need to defend our freedom. These people are willing to make sacrifices being away from their families and work place to do this extra duty. Why discourage them? Why deflate them and not support them? full-tim- Brent Wade Manti Guard a great asset Throughout our nation's history, Americans from all walks of life " have joined the ranks of serving their country in both civilian and military capacities. Guard members are a great asset to the community. That's why over 500,000 men and women serve today as "citizen soldiers". We need to offer them our thanks for protecting our freedoms. Mark B. Harrison Spanish Fork "citizen-soldiers,- Bryson shortsighted Sweed Ligman Provo A small think county employees should get their regular pay while on National Guard duty. Of course, I'm biased; I'm a member of the Utah National Guard, and I serve always with the possibility of being activated. I serve with pride my nation and my community, and I should be Yes, I David Campbell Spanish Fork 344-254- i too hot in Mapleton for a fair, unbiased investigation and decision in this matter by city authorities. And the public may not have the confidence in the city officials eededttrenBurera-BatiB- f resolution. As we've pointed out before, Mapleton's council attempted an end-ruaround the public to phase out the police force, and now it's using the state's Open Records law to drag Senn's name and reputation through the mud. City officials have said Senn is on administrative leave pending a hearing on charges of personal misconduct, but they won't elaborate more, saying they are prohibited from discussing personnel : We think the political tempers are too hot in Mapleton for a fair, unbiased investigation and decision in this matter by city authorities. And the : public may not have the confidence in the city officials needed to ensure a satisfactory resolution.' Give guard checks to . 1 MAY 28, 2000 y ; II-er- IfEttALD EDITORIAL department, and resolve the matter once and for all. We think the political tempers-a- re e fund-raisin- g ago. f only to face serious public opposition. Thwarted on that front, the city considered making Chief Brett Barney a part-timemployee, with City Administrator Keith Morrey sharing the administration of the police department. So far, all this has resulted in is an overwhelming suspicion about what's really going on here. Frankly, we think a totally independent arbitrator needs to come in, sort out the issues between the city and the police The nation is in the process of honoring its sons who fought in World War II. There is a national campaign under way to pay for a memorial in Washington, D.C., to honor the soldiers, sailors and airmen who vanquished the Axis powers more than a SUNDAY, irDftDin)slftiDp oneedls MM se Mapleton's government needs some serious help in its relationship with the Police Department. In the latest installment of this virtual soap opera, the city has placed Police Sgt. Chuck Senn on -administrative leave, purportedly stemming from a phone call Senn made to a member of the City Council. This comes after the council Donald W. Meyers half-centur- A6 THE DAILY HERALD (www.HarkTheHerald.com) 344-25- MYTvocoar7j : OPINION a good , investment Because of the cuts in national defense, we need to do all we can to support guard and reservists who work other jobs. Less than 50 percent of our military right now is This means that more than 50 percent is made up of National Guard and reserve. I understand the law does not allow government entities to give taxpayers' money unless they can quantify a return for that gift. employCertainly a military-traineee brings back to his employer some valuable assets to the business. Dean S. Allan Mapleton full-tim- e. d Send Kay to camp The county employees who have the guts to show their patriotism shouldn't be penalized for their dedication to their country. Mr. Bryson should spend nine weeks in basic training to gain an understanding and respect for the job they have to do. It's hard enough for us to leave our families without our employers riding us like a bald mule. Steven R. Bauer Salem Leave no vacation Despite popular belief, military leave is not a vacation. It is training to prepare these soldiers and their units for when they are needed. Those that complain that their counjob" terparts get paid for a "part-tim- e and have a "why can't we" attitude are obviously not qualified for guard service, have no sense of morality for what is right and just, or are just plain spineless. Chris J. Nowell Tooele Think of war dead If people in the county (Mr. Bryson) have a problem with sol- diers receiving additional money while serving their country, they should join the Guard or move to a country where military service is mandatory. If you disagree, I invite you to do a little research this upcoming Memorial Day about the people who were willing to serve and while doing so gave you the right to disagree. Joe Baird Orem Don't drop their pay I find it distressing that in a time of such prosperity and growth in our nation that we fail to appreciate the h importance of out national defense. Guardsmen give up one weekend a month to train as well as two weeks a year. The wages they earn during such periods are normally less than what they would otherwise receive. To take away a benefit of member- ship in the Guard for county employees would further damage recruiting and may in the long run hurt both organizations. .. ". Stewart Peay Springville -- Guard benefits all The two week period that National Guard members are required to attend every year for training makes them better employees no matter what occupation they are in, Utah County needs to pull their heads out of the sand so they can see what benefits are afforded them by having their employees belong to the National Guard. Clyde W. Johnson Spanish Fork Help defend country The question Mr. Bryson is really asking is, should the county take the privilege of military leave away from county employees? This question is asked as though military leave is intended only as a benefit to the county employees who are Guard members. This is not the case. Military leave is a benefit designed to contribute to the defense of our nation and the protection of our freedoms. It does this by See GUARD, A7 L LETTERS POLICY JJ The Daily Herald welcomes your letters to the editor. Please remember to Include your full name, address and phone number where you can be reached. Only your name and the city in which you live will be published. All other information will be kept confidential. Anonymous letters will be discarded. Letters must contain 250 or fewer words, approximately one page, typed and double spaced. Your letter will be better read if It concerns one central theme or idea. All letters will be edited for length, accuracy and clarity. The Herald encourages community discussion of issues in a responsible man-- ; " ner. ',. Please send your letters to: Editor, The Dally Herald " .i P.O. Box 717 N. Freedom Blvd. ', Provo, UT. 84603 Letters may also be faxed or The fax number is 373-548The address Is: ldeanheraldextra.com. If you have questions, call Opinions Page Editor Donald W. Meyers at 344-254- 1555 |
