Has everybody forgotten there is still a war going on?

Published 7:34 am Monday, April 7, 2008

By Staff
To the editor:
Did everyone forget that there is still a war going on, and that there are many soldiers from our hometown in the Middle East, fighting for our country?
I was back home in Dowagiac a couple of weeks ago. During my visit I took the time to drive around Dowagiac to see how many homes and businesses still displayed any support for our troops.
I am heart broken to say that not one business downtown had any type of display for our soldiers!
I know it is a big letdown for our heroes who are fighting for us, to return home and not see any display of support.
On my drive to Michigan from Texas, I passed several little towns and cities with yellow ribbons painted on windows and tied around trees, signs saying support our troops hanging down off bridges and flags hanging off many light posts.
I am not sure if people from Dowagiac realize that there are more than a handful of their own local soldiers overseas as we speak. A couple of years back I wrote a letter to the editor about the flag displayed downtown in front of our City Hall building. It was torn and faded during our Memorial Day services. I was embarrassed and angered that my hometown would show such disrespect to our war veterans and to our current military at such a fragile time in our country. I offered to purchase a new flag if it was a monetary issue. I don't know what it will take for people to step up and show the support they did following 9/11. The saying in the military is, "If you can't stand behind our troops, then feel free to stand in front of them!"
Please, as a military spouse whose husband is leaving for Iraq the first week of June for his third tour, hang those flags back up, tie those yellow ribbons back around your trees and stick the support our troops magnets back on your vehicles! Show our soldiers that their friends and family in Dowagiac have their backs! It's such a small thing to do for those giving their all!
Killeen, Texas