Letter: Column fitting tribute to vets

Friday, June 9, 2000 | 9:56 a.m.

I enjoyed Mike O'Callaghan's terrific Memorial Day column.

When I was a small boy in the 1960s in Ohio we had Memorial Day parades in our small town where the World War I, World War II, Korean and Vietnam vets would march in four separate formations. I remember vividly the age differences among them and their vastly different uniforms. On our small street lived veterans of all four wars. One would be hard pressed today to find a street with a single war veteran.

My father fought in Korea, he drove a Sherman Tank in the 70th Heavy Tank Battalion -- attached to the 1st Cavalry Division under General Gay. He never talked about the war, but made a special effort to see the Korean War Memorial in D.C. before he passed away. I have retraced his unit's path across Korea and now know why he never talked about the experience. I also had four great uncles who fought in Africa and France during World War II.

While I grew up in a time of relative peace, my career has taken me overseas a great deal and I have taken time to tour many battlefields.

My father would have enjoyed your column.

MICHAEL BROWN Washington, D.C.