Vietnam War veteran Kitch Kichula pays his respects at the...

Vietnam War veteran Kitch Kichula pays his respects at the Vietnam War Memorial in Philadelphia on Monday. Credit: AP/Matt Rourke

For three days, many networks flooded us with World War II films — their way of celebrating Memorial Day. I noticed no movies from Vietnam, though several excellent ones were made. Not so glamorous, eh? Since the whole idea of “memorial” is remembering, how about remembering the 58,000 we lost there? For that matter, how about remembering the thousands we’ve lost in Afghanistan and Iraq?

As long as we culturally persist in bathing only in the glory of World War II, we perpetuate the idea that war is glorious. If we, with help from the media, did more remembering of Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, it might dawn on us that war is horrendous and almost always counterproductive. We need to do some serious adjusting of who/what we remember.

Nathan Board,

Huntington

One way we can really stand together

You can barely watch TV commercials or see newspaper ads that don’t include tag lines such as “We’re all in it together” or “We’re here for you.” Unfortunately, it seems for many of these companies they’re just words without meaning. What have they really done to help the public? What has any utility, cable or phone company, or virtually any company that sends out monthly bills, done to back up these words? Have they lowered rates or lowered their bills for even a few months? I don’t mean “delaying payments without a penalty” that ultimately have to be paid. They should stop using these taglines if they don’t support in our pocketbooks what they are saying.

Harvey Miller,

Jericho

Legislation helps fight scourge of Alzheimer’s

My mom was 87 when she died from Alzheimer’s disease after suffering for 12 years. It’s heartbreaking to watch the cognitive and physical decline of someone you love. And that’s why it’s so important that our local and federal representatives develop policies to overcome Alzheimer’s and help those living or caring for those with the disease.

I’d like to thank Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) for initiating the Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act. As the number of people living with dementia rises, so, too, will their interactions with health care, social services and criminal justice professionals. As a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association, I keep King aware of important initiatives of the association, and he shares information with Congress to advance funding for research for a cure and social programs such as the caregiver programs and 24/7 hotlines.

The Promoting Alzheimer’s Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act would require the U.S. Department of Justice to develop training materials to assist law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, medical personnel, victim services personnel, and others who interact with individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Families can reach the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-272-3900.

Kathy Kottenbach,

Amity Habor

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