Award is warranted; remembering Milton; a big show; forgetting history

Award is warranted

If a fellow American soldier shot and killed troops at Fort Hood, it would be murder and I don’t believe a Purple Heart would be in order.

However, the moment Maj. Nidal Hasan shouted “Allah Akbar” it became combat for those killed and wounded.

My fellow Vietnam vets should never enter into this argument. We’ve already been dumped on when we returned.

Our parade was a day late and more than a dollar short. Those soldiers at Fort Hood will never get a parade.

I would never consider the CIB for these folks but their wounds are just a severe both mentally and physically as any grunt who walked into an ambush in a war zone and they didn’t have any weapons to fight back with. Think about it.

— Mac McKinzie, Arlington

Remembering Milton

Thirty years after Milton Hatchell was murdered in his Fort Worth neighborhood, the case remains unsolved.

December 28 marks the 30th anniversary of Milton being shot and beaten to death. At the time he died, a Fort Worth police captain described the murder as one of the most horrific he’d ever seen. Later, a detective described Milton as one of the last people you’d ever imagine meeting such a terrible end.

Milton’s murderer remains unknown and, presumably, free to enjoy life.

We, the members of Milton’s family, appreciate the efforts by the Fort Worth Police Department to attempt to solve the case. We ask that they not give up. We will never quit in our own efforts.

I remain committed because I owe a lifetime debt to Milton. He and I met as students and roommates at Texas A&M University at Commerce. In my freshman year, he introduced me to his younger sister, Candace. She and I have been a couple since that introduction. Our 40th anniversary is approaching.

At this time, every year, we remember Milton. We also keep in mind all those who have lost loved ones to murder. Let’s hope for peace for all such families.

— Kevin P. Cox, Lexington, NC

A big show

Your words to describe the Brite Divinity die-in as a performance was spot on!

They joined the crowd of promoting hatred and division with a big show.

The facts seem to take a back seat. Michael Brown and Eric Garner lost their lives and that is a tragedy because all lives matter but the greater tragedy here is the maligning of all those hired to protect and to serve. All man is sinful and in need of a savior, thus not all people are perfect whether in or out of uniform.

Instead of rallying with chants to kill and destroy property that does not belong to these protesters, could we focus on the root causes — abject poverty, joblessness, fatherless homes and disrespect for authority, to mention a few?

We must train our children that fire and police are hired to protect and enforce the laws in their communities; when we act within the constraints of law we have no reason to fear.

— Beth Kossuth, Euless

Forgetting history

The recent CIA report is a political stunt and a last act of defiance before the Republicians take control. It as if Nero is burning Rome and blaming others.

People who have been comparing the CIA to the Nazis and others are niave at best and ignorant of history.

In no way was Gitmo anything like the death camps, Gulags, Hanoi Hilton and others. In those facilities true torture, killings and physical harm were the norm. People seem to have no real idea of true torture. Waterboarding doesn’t qualify. Military personnel who went through SERE training will tell you it is unpleasant, but no permanent harm is done. I have been through this and “prison camps” while training.

We are at war and war is ugly. Sad to say in order to win you often must be as dirty/dirtier than your enemy. If only one side “obeys the rules” all you get is more casualties.

One reader cited U.S. troop conduct at the death camps, that was a basic human reaction to an atrocity, wrong but understandable. How do those who condemn Gitmo propose we get the information needed to prevent another 9-11 or capture those who wish to kill us?

Gitmo is a far cry from anything done readers have cited here.

— Richard Lilly, Haltom City

This story was originally published December 24, 2014 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Award is warranted; remembering Milton; a big show; forgetting history."