WILDER, DON'T FORGET THE BLACK VETERANS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 5, 1992                   TAG: 9201060198
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: D-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
WILDER, DON'T FORGET THE BLACK VETERANS
I'M A 74-year-old combat-disabled, honorably discharged, retired World War II Southwest Pacific veteran. Also, a retired Baptist pastor. I've served the Starkey and Vinton communities for 25 years.
New York University School of Religious Education is my alma mater; not Howard Law. I'm not Gov. Wilder's law-school classmate or fraternity brother. Nor am I a member of the "black middle-class elite." Simply a plain, ordinary fellow, who has worked hard to rear, educate and support a family.
Millions of black men across the nation have done this. Most aren't doctors, judges or lawyers. Just plain folks.
In Mr. Wilder's run for the presidency, there's nothing basically wrong in seeking broad economic support from law-school classmates, fraternity brothers, the "Black Elite" generally. It's a formidable reservoir of strength for Doug Wilder.
Our church and affiliated churches in the 6th District worked tirelessly to help elect Gov. Wilder. I've already told him that to focus on one black group and omit black veterans is a gross oversight.
Black veterans have notably served our country from the Civil War, to the Persian Gulf. Since Mr. Wilder is a Korean War veteran, he may consider himself one of us. CORDELL A. DICKEY ROANOKE

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB