SFNamVet@aol.com
Hi, all. I thought I'd send you the following. It's unbelievable. I'll let
you judge for yourselves:
Jim Valley(SFNamVet) called me this morning. He tried to get vanity plates
for his motorcycle to commemorate his Vietnam service and was turned down.
They told him that "any plate commemorating Vietnam was offensive and
politically incorrect ". What a load of crap! He was pretty upset and
called several senators who were equally appalled and they in turn called the
Florida DMV and protested. The DMV said they would approve the plates. The
following is a letter that Jim asked me to write for him to send to the
papers and the cc list at the end. If you have any suggestions to the letter
or would like to write your own, please forward them to Jim with the Subject:
Red Smoke - DMV.
Letter to the Editor:
Dear Sir:
I am an honorably discharged, highly decorated, multi - tour Vietnam
Veteran. I have served my country honorably and with pride. I recently
tried to obtain vanity plates for my vehicle that would commemorate my
service to my country. Instead of approval, I received a letter that said
"...any such plate commemorating Vietnam Service is both offensive and
politically incorrect." I was appalled. Since when is duty and honor to
one's country politically incorrect? I placed phone calls to Sen. Robert
Smith ( New Hampshire ), Senate Armed Services Committee and Sen. Bankhead (
Florida ) and they couldn't believe the insensitivity and callousness of the
letter. Both Senators took the time from their busy schedules to personally
call the Florida DMV and protest this action. When Mr. Tom Joyce, assistant
director DMV, heard this, he too was appalled and said the plates would be
approved.
Why should I have to go to these extremes, to call our Senators, to obtain
something as simple as a license plate to commemorate my military service?
Why after all these years do people in government continue to act in a
prejudicial manner towards Vietnam Veterans? There are over 52,000 reasons -
whose names are written on the Wall in D.C. - to thank Vietnam Veterans for
their service to their country. People seem to forget that " THE PRICE OF
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE - IT IS WRITTEN ON THE WALL ".
I hope that after these calls by the Senators to the Florida DMV, that other
Veterans, of any conflict, will not be subject to the humiliation of being
told that their honor, duty and courage is now " politically incorrect ". It
is a day of shame for our country when the principles that founded our great
nation are now held in ridicule and contempt.
Sincerely,