Vietnam War

Most Friday nights from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. commuters through Montrose will see Roberta Medford and a number of other citizens holding up anti-war signs and asking drivers to honk if they agree with her. Before she took to the streets of Montrose, Medford had been surfing the Internet when she came across an anti-Iraq war web site that directed people to areas of demonstration. "I organized it on the Internet," Medford said. One of the protesters, Gill Mahoney, is a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force during the conflict.

High school hosts two Veterans Day assembles to honor U.S. soldiers, past and present.Crescenta Valley High School's Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps hosted two Veterans Day assemblies Wednesday. Cadet Maj. Daniel Cheung, a senior and squadron commander, gave a speech. "Think about the place that you call home, the people that you consider as friends. Think about your luxuries -- cars, iPods, and even computers," Cheung said. "Now think about how much of that would not be there without the service and sacrifice of these veterans " Among the honored was the school's own co-principal Michael Livingston, who was a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer during the Vietnam War. Capt.

A memorable day at Memorial Park I wish to give credit to Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale for the beautiful Memorial Day service that was held starting at the Little Church of the Flowers. I've been an employee there for many years and remember the outstanding Memorial Day service we had in the park with bands, speakers and parades. I realize times changed with the Vietnam War and people weren't as patriotic, so the services were cut back. But now we've come full circle.

Jackson Bell Joel Angle plans to enjoys his day off today in a fairly typical way: lounging at the beach, sipping a beer or two and relaxing with good friends. But for Angle, a U.S. Army specialist who fought in Iraq and is now stationed in Hawaii, Memorial Day will also have its solemn moments. He and a handful of his Army buddies will get together to talk about fellow soldiers who died during the war. "There is not a day I don't think about those soldiers I served with," said Angle, a 22-year-old Clark Magnet High School graduate.

Mark R. Madler When Memorial Day services take place on Monday at the Vietnam War Memorial in the Montrose Shopping Park, it won't just be fallen soldiers who will be honored. Nora Golsh, a Gold Star mother from La Crescenta will also be remembered, although she will not be in attendance at the ceremony. Golsh lived the lonely Gold Star mother's life and attended every Memorial Day service for more than 30 years, event chairwoman Valorie DiDonna said.

World War II was the last conflict where the nation could agree that sending our children to war was a moral mandate. That concept of mutual sacrifice was not present during the Vietnam war, and it is not shared by many today in the war in Iraq. We paid the price for that great victory at a great cost that touched practically every family in America. But, our success also created the myth of our destiny -- that we could shape the world in our image to admiring throngs or protect the world from itself through the sheer force of our military, our ideals and our commitment.

Opponents to Democratic candidate John Kerry want us to know more than we care to know about his protests against the Vietnam War 30 years ago. Opponents of George Bush want us to understand his service record in the National Guard from about the same time. We have soldiers risking their lives overseas, millions of people without health insurance, enormous federal deficits, and the news organizations want us to understand what these guys were doing in their 20s. Isn't it about time to focus on what the election might suggest about the future of this country rather than what the candidates did in the '70s?

Jackie Conley With nowhere to go, the homeless gather around the missions in downtown Los Angeles. Ironically, a majority of them will find their final resting place in the surroundings of Our Lady Queen of the Angels Church, better known as La Placita, the first church established in Los Angeles, built on the very first street. But around 7 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday, they line up at the curb, anxiously awaiting the nutritious meal they know is coming.

This is a letter in response to the front-page article ("I felt so awful being there," Aug. 9) about Marine Sgt. Baleny Minas. I am fortunate to have never been to war, although my father served in Thailand during the Vietnam War, my grandfather was in the Air Force during World War II, my father-in-law served in the Navy during World War II, and many other close family members served in every branch of our military, including...

Jackson Bell Cynthia Cline-Fulton fought back tears while the city of Glendale honored her son for making the ultimate sacrifice last year. Her son, Donald J. Cline Jr., a longtime La Crescenta resident and former student at Crescenta Valley High School, died March 23, 2003, in Iraq while serving in the military. "Seeing my son's name up there makes me proud, but I'm also sad because he's my only child," Cline-Fulton said at Monday morning's Memorial Day ceremony.