Remember POWs on Memorial Day (05/27/06)

To the editor:

On this, our country’s Memorial Day, memories of glories achieved and sacrifices made are honored. Please take a moment to remember an often overlooked person — the American prisoner of war.

No American understands freedom and the sacrifices necessary to maintain it like one who has had freedom taken away. POWs pre-date the United States as men captured in the French and Indian War and American Revolution were often taken into bondage and forced to hard labor like rowing the large ocean-going ships. These men who were strapped to the oars of those boats were literally worked to death then discarded overboard. No records exist of how many brave Americans were lost this way.

One Jay County man that served in an Ohio unit, Sherman Rueben, found his eternal rest at the largest Civil War prison camp in Andersonville, Ga.

The graves at the National Cemetery are very close together with the headstones only three inches apart because of the overwhelming starvation and disease that took nearly 13,000 lives in about one year. Sadly, Andersonville’s 24 percent death rate was not the highest of that war. Mr. Rueben died of scorbutus.

The Geneva Convention was enacted before World War II, but the men captured on Bataan did not have it as a protective shield with their Japanese captors. Americans were denied food and water for many days, and were killed for asking for water. Medical treatment was non-existent. Failed escapes resulted in immediate death of that man and ten other prisoners. About 50 percent of the Americans captured at Bataan did not survive the infamous Death March and imprisonment.

On this day, thank a veteran who was willing to risk his life and something worse than death, becoming a POW, to serve us and our country.

If you are ever in Southwest Georgia, go to the National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville.

I’m sure seeing it and Sherman Rueben’s grave will forever redefine your patriotism, as it did mine.

Jeff King

Emigsville, Pa.

A former Jay County resident

Not to be mocked

To the editor:

God will not be mocked. I wonder how many young men and women will accept “The DaVinci Code” for what it is, an abomination against our Lord Jesus Christ!

Or will they be convinced that the Bible is just a lie and continue on their way to hell?

Where are the great movies that Hollywood used to produce, that left you with a good feeling that all was still right with your world? Are they so financially hard up that they must stoop so low? Or have they too become so jaded with life that they no longer believe?

I hope that nothing will happen to any of the cast involved with that piece of trash. We must never forget that God will not be mocked.

Jack Earl Lindley

Portland

Positive experience

To the editor:

I am a high school teacher during the school year and in the summer I own my own business installing playground equipment.

Every summer I travel all over the tri-state area visiting towns and installing equipment for their schools and parks. Some of the towns have been very friendly and helpful to my crew, while other visits have not been too nice.

I just want to take this opportunity to let you know that your city is No. 1!

While in Portland last summer and this spring installing playground equipment, we didn’t know a single person.

Mayor Bruce Hosier and street/parks department superintendent Jeff Harker stopped by and introduced themselves.

Mayor Hosier made arrangements for me to purchase concrete locally and suggested other local businesses that would also be willing to work with me. Jeff Harker coordinated the pick-up of the equipment and the disposal of all of the waste.

This spring, while installing equipment at Sportland Park, we had a field tile problem that would have taken at least a week or more to repair in most towns.

Much to my amazement, several departments came together to get the problems corrected for your kids. Repairs were completed in little more than a day! That is sure better than a week or more in any other town.

During the construction of both parks, I found Mike at Mike’s Rental and Rick at Ernst Concrete to be very helpful. They did whatever they could to make my time in Portland pleasant.

Thanks to Mayor Hosier, Mike, Rick, Jeff, and all of the city employees who worked so well together to make a stranger’s time in your wonderful city a positive experience.

Thanks so much,

Dan Shaw

Fort Wayne[[In-content Ad]]