Lex comes to the aid of an old man

William Cook is confused.  I'll admit that.  In his letter he claims a hard knocks life of 82 years.  He also claims to have crawled through the tunnels of Okinawa during WWII.  WWII ended in 1945.  Do the math.  

One Aaron Myers did the math and scorched Cook in letter the JG ran with.  

Lex takes a gentle swipe at Myers and the JG editorial staff.  

Re Aaron Myers’s letter, “Writer’s claim absurd” Apr 24

Aaon Myers claims he didn’t volunteer for military service to “see children shot up in school.” That claim is absurd.  Where did Myers see that?  What school?  When?

Meyers didn’t volunteer and serve in our military for a lot of things.  That’s why the things volunteers DO NOT sign up for are not part of the oath of enlistment.  Instead the oath of enlistment clearly states what volunteers DO sign up for.

What Meyers and others DO volunteer for, according to the oath of enlistment, is to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”  

Being a millennial and likely educated in the public school system, Meyers may not be aware of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States which plainly states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

That’s pretty simple stuff.  And according to the oath of enlistment, that’s what Myers and others volunteer for.  They don't get to pick and choose what parts of the document they are supporting.  It’s an all or nothing proposition. 

NOTE TO THE EDITORS:  Yes, I know exactly what Myers meant by "see children shot up in school," but turnabout seems fair play in this case.  If he wants to dish it, he ought to be able to take it.  

Having recently studied the obituary of my 95 year old WWII Navy veteran cousin and knowing that Okinawa was the last major battle of a war that ended in 1945, at 82 years old Mr. Cook’s claim to have served  during the battle did not seem to add to up to me. Maybe 82 years of hard knocks didn't include the first 9-10 years of Mr. Cook's life. I don't know, but I'm skeptical.

So did those facts add up to the editors who decided to publish Mr. Cook’s letter?  If the facts were known to the editors, why did they chose to publish the letter?  If the facts escaped the editors, why did they chose to print a letter whose sole mission it was to embarrass an old man after the fact?

So either the alert JG editors purposefully printed a letter that didn’t appear to make sense on the surface or once their blunder was discovered by another writer decided to go ahead and embarrass the first writer. Which is it? 

Whatever the case, the JG should be ashamed for printing one or both of the letters.  Ahhh, shame that age old emotion of guilt for a failure to maintain common standards.  Whatever happened to shame at the JG?     

As time goes by stories grow.   The uncontested layup against the crosstown rival in the 3^rd quarter becomes the game winning shot from 25 feet out with three defenders hanging on the shooter 40 years later.  Tales grow.  Ask any whiter than white printer paper under a bank of 6,000k office lights senator who claims to be an American Indian for no other reason than having high cheek bones and oral family history. 

Writer's claim absurd

This is in response to the letter, “Inexperienced teens can't tell others how to live (April 11).”

First I would like to thank William L. Cook for his service. He was right about these kids. They wouldn't have the guts to crawl through the holes in Okinawa – unlike him. At the ripe age of 9 years old, this man was the weapon we needed to change the war. Had it not been for 9-year-olds, who would have bravely stepped up to save the world from the grips of the Third Reich and their Japanese allies?

If Cook is going to slam these inexperienced teens for standing up for something they believe in, he should at least choose a past war he actually participated in.

I'm a millenial and served in Iraq. I didn't volunteer and serve to see children shot up in school.

Aaron Myers

Van Wert