LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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Thank you Clovis

Editor:

I read with great compassion USA Today's story on "Beneath Calif. town's grief, a sense of duty persists" about Clovis.

I am a veteran from the 1960s era and do everything I can to support the troops. During Vietnam I was a volunteer at the USO in downtown San Francisco. I am retired and now live in Palm Springs and am a volunteer at the new USO at Palm Springs International Airport. I am also a part time resident of Honolulu and have volunteered there for the past four years when in Hawaii. At these USOs I see thousands of young men and women who come from small towns across America like Clovis. We do everything we can to help our traveling military.

Most of the Marines we see at the Palm Springs USO are going to and from Twentynine Palms USMC Base. There they go through their final "desert training" before deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan. Most are from 17 to 20 years old, barely old enough to vote but are dedicated to serve their country even in wartime.

There are 130 USOs around the U.S., Europe, Asia and even in the Middle East, including a new one that just opened in Iraq. Most of the domestic USOs are staffed with volunteers, thousands of them. Many are veterans, retirees, or just plain folk who have their heart in the right place and support our military wherever they are around the world.

I grew up in a small rural community in Nebraska so know small town life and patriotism. I can relate to the sense of loss that Clovis has experienced. In the USA Today's article it mentions Clovis had more deaths than Boston or San Francisco. I lived 30 years in San Francisco and know it well. Ironically they are lucky to have a few hundred turnout for a Veterans Day parade to honor our veterans. They can easily muster a couple hundred thousand protesters for a myriad of causes including anti-war. Gay pride parades in San Francisco and many major cities attract a half million celebrants. To many Americans, Memorial Day or Veteran's Day are mostly a sales event at the malls, with lots of flags waving for the wrong reasons.

Thank you Clovis for your support of our military -- we will never forget your sacrifices.

Richard Stelk,

USO Volunteer

Palm Springs USO