THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 30, 1995 TAG: 9503300002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
I am outraged by the continued appeasement and revisionist history that the so-called leaders of this nation continue to pour out to former aggressors and enemies. As the son of a deceased World War II Pacific veteran, I completely disagree with President Clinton's obvious effort to pacify the government of Japan by not reminding the Japanese of their aggressive and bloody acts of war.
My father was the son of immigrants. He joined the Navy to escape the slums of New York in the late 1920s. Growing up I could not understand my father's distaste for the water, or looks that would come over him each time he took us to the beach, or the sweat and shakes that came over him when we watched the movie ``Tora, Tora, Tora.''
After I had been in the Navy for a few years, my father and I began to talk about his experiences. He participated in 13 campaigns in the Pacific as a beach master for amphibious operations. He had three ships sunk from under him. He spent as much as 48 hours in the water awaiting rescue. He survived the relentless kamikaze attacks off Iwo Jima. He described the marking of Japanese gun emplacements around Tokyo Bay with white flags as ``hills covered in snow.'' He served in the occupation forces that remained in that country to rebuild it. During the entire war he returned home only once. He was proud of this country and for what it stood. He was willing to serve it to the end.
I was told by this man that the red stripes on our flag are for the blood that has been spilled in defense of freedom. I was told by him to remember those who fought and died against tyranny and aggression. These are things that Mr. Clinton will never understand.
PATRICK J. DOYLE
Virginia Beach, March 25, 1995 by CNB