European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes readers speak on Flag Honduras protests i am deeply concerned and extremely upset with what look place in san Francisco during the recent protest against the president s sending troops to Hon Duras. It is one thing to voice your opinion but to publicly bum our country s Flag is-3 real disgrace. In our nation s history men and women have Given the ultimate sacrifice for this great country and its Flag and we Are quite sure that there Are minions of True american who share our sentiment. There seems to be enough radicals around the world burning and defacing our hag without to called americans doing the same. So let s please act like the proud americans thai we Are and not commit such unpatriotic acts. See. Joseph e. Ujj Neteski Wiesbaden. You la Star Many versions of what the colors of our Flag represent terms like purity courage and Loy ally All come to mind. To me red White and Blu stands for blood Suchand tears. God alone knows the number of those who be died the pain and suffer ing of those left behind the Price of our precious free Dom. Our Flag represents every Battle eve cry scar every prayer. Our Flag stands for every tear Nal and Triumph that makes ours the greatest nation on Earth. I totally resent and cannot tolerate those who have no respect for inc Symbol of our country. To me. Burning our hag is an act of treason and those who participate have no Rint Lor Laim the proud Lillico american warrant officer Anthony j. Rinderer arts Bich it German 1 most of us Are very patriotic in the military an when someone shows us someone burning our Flag we become upset outraged even swear revenge against the country or persons who Are doing the burning. But what do you do when it s your neighbor or even you wife making a Public protest Send her Back to the states will the army do in for me if i were to be deployed to inc Middle East i would want support from All Over the United states especially from the family. It s like going to a football game and cheering for your learn. Somehow the More Youcheer the better your team becomes. Sol. Jorge a. Iradi sch Veinfurt Wesl German a recent article was about a riot that broke out in California Over our soldiers being sen to Honduras to top matters Oil last week Uherc was a cover Page photo of family members stationed at fan Ord who were protesting that their fathers husbands were sent to Honduras what arc they in the military for the first sentence of inc code of conduct sums it All up "1am an american fighting  if the wives of inc soldiers have a problem with their husbands going off to Honduras what arc they Gning to do when they go to combat or arc they just along far the ride -spr.4richcrisolif Frankfurt America is going through a Tough time right now and we would like to say thai we re quite disappointed at How our civilian  All just some Art reacting. We just finished looking through the paper and saw a Langjr picture of people burning the , Flag. Our first thought was that some country was angry Al us again Bui when we looked at the headline and then the line under the picture. We were extremely depressed Wilh inc people Hack Home. These arc americans burning an Ameri can Flag. Key no one wants to go to War not even us Bui when we signed on the dotted line. Our lives were Given to protect the people country god Way of Tiff and the Flag of inc Usa and what it stands for. One thing every civilian and military person Shou Drc Ali a is thai if we go to War. We re doing just what we re trained to do. If that Means giving our lives then i be it. Thai Flag Means Freedom we re willing to die fur in and we think every other Soldier is also. So for i Host who can i respect the president s decision a least respect our Flag. Spec. 4 quaint . Murtau spec. 4 Dennis w. La ulchin Kuitert Lauvern Theis in response. In particular to the dependent wives who Werc Pru Irviing along with the rest against the deployment of their husbands and i hair unit to Honduras. Their actions were a total disgrace to their Hus bands faithful dependent wives of All branches of in ice and the . Military Way of life. Lid thew win think when they married their husbands that the military was just a big kid s game did t they realize thai their husbands chosen occupation w34 to rated the United slates its allies and friends if requested to do so from enemies foreign Anil Domi Itic did i they realize that being in the . Military we mull be ready to deploy anywhere in inc world at a minute s notice to defend Freedom and a free Way of life do these protesting wives real inc that their actions could adversely affect their husband s careers 1 say to these protesting wives you better sit Down and rethink who you arc whal your husband has chosen to do and what your Basic beliefs . David g. Wildes Wrens Rechl a Netherlands. How would you feel if you came Home from a military Man Euver to find out that your family had turned against what you believed in and were fighting for would t you fed betrayed i know that you Don t want to see our military involved in any War Type situation. No one docs hut it i your duty to support your spouse if he she is sent to fight. We must Suppon our military forces in a show of Force or conflict in any of these countries. The Issue that seems to be in question is that this might be another Vietnam. You who Are protesting against Icse actions cause inc military to be unable to assert itself in the manner in which it is necessary Tobither prevent the War or to keep in Short because you lie the hands of the politicians. Therefore your protests Only make in More possible for it to become a Vietnam instead of a Short police action like Grenada Nea Ulm West Germany. As wives of  is ourselves we con Sider inc military oath to be our oath. Loo. If our husbands were sent to f Rondares or any other potentially dangerous area and word gut out that we were protesting their presence it would truly break their hearts. When our troops Are deployed the spotlight urns to those ofus who Are icel behind. We feel in very important that we stand on our own feet and be proud that our soldiers Are supporting their country. You May be a civilian but your husband is in the military and doing of warily what he promised to do when he volunteered for the service. Pcs. This is America and As americans we can respect your right for Freedom of speech and your right to your own opinion. However is the wife of a . Service member you should have the decency to limit your Public display of that opinion in support of the Man you married Maria a Mcce Marie a a Letovt Vail Iron West Germany 11 was onto stated i disapprove of what you say hut i will defend to the death your right to say  1 strongly believe in this statement because i am an american Soldier and i believe in our Constitution which gives american people Freedom of speech. I have recently seen government family members who arc College students in West Germany and Mili tary family members on television publicly protest ing United states involvement in Central America. 1 cannot personally appreciate the nature if their or chests unlike our involvement in Vietnam or some of her Remote area of the world Central America is incur own Back  if these proc sirs do not care to Aid oppressed or threatened people then at least let them listen Toth for our president who stated. People Haven t taken a Good look at a map lately. It in t Nutmeg that s at stake in the Caribbean and Central America it is the United states National Security i feel that before people begin protesting a cause they seriously need to research it. Just a footnote yesterday i asked a German National who was publicly voicing his opposition to american troops being in Honduras what exactly Het Houghl should be done about the situation. His response to me was i think that new Mexico and Texas should help defend Honduras Mil America sri. Rhonda l. Murals in my Rich it really disturbs me to Sec and read stories on the protest against sending troops to Honduras. The Pic Ture of americans burning a . Flag was the icing on the cake. It is very apparent that Man mothers wives Hus bands Brothers and Sisters View the military As Meta  1 think these ignorant fools should be. Given the option of going Home or bringing their loved ones Back from the deployment and being separated at port. Enough is enough we arc in the military to protect democracy Al All Cost. Staff set Robert i sch Inchcl a West Germany am a student presently attending inc University of Maryland Munich Campus and i am pro Keagan the recent article pertaining to the protest of University students did 1101,1 feel express the views of All the Uther students in Munich who arc for the United states troops in Honduras and feel that our involvement is mainly to help establish a better democracy for the con lots. If the students Here who Are against president  Gan s action were More informed about the present situation the protest signs in the the dorm window would probably not be there this weekend. In seemed that inc students interviewed were Only the persons who fell this Way. True this is a Liberal Type school Bui there Are a number of conservative Republican students who were not interviewed and did not get to express their views. Michil  Munich i d i Ike to address the students at the University of Maryland in Munich As Well As the citizens of the United Stales who have so vividly expressed their opposition to . Soldiers being sent to Honduras. 1 do not intend to say that you As protesters Stu dents or concerned citizens do not have a right to Freedom of speech. I do mean to say that you abuse that right every time you soil Al a Soldier vandalize a Ritu Itig station display banners defaming the Mill  or Burn an american Flag. You claim to be the intellectuals the compassionate ones but every time you attack inc military you demonstrate your Igno Rance and savagery. Many members of the military Are equally opposed to the Central american policy of the Reagan govern ment. However in is our sworn duty to uphold inc Constitution and carry out the lawful orders of our superiors yes we arc soldiers but we Are nol inc mindless warmongering drones of inc government. We Are human beings. We have opinions on foreign policy. We Haye fear of dying in Distant lands never teeing our children grow up and we arc astonished and Hurt by the incredible Lack of support we receive at Tif tar. So remember this the next time you find yourself in an anti military demonstration or the next time you Start to Torch the Flag. We do not deny you your rights under the first amendment. We the soldiers Are the men and women who have volunteered to give our lives in defense of your rights to defames. J spec4.jnhnc.toirnend Munich possibly the Only Good thing about the recent demonstrations against the , group Rammi Lenl to Honduras is their Small number of participants. I suggests among other things that americans Are be coming More sophisticated and informed than they used to be about such things. Thai s bad news for Radical leftists who Trade regularly on the ignorance and naive Good will of students and others. The rationale for these demonstrations is the same knee Jerk anti american balloon juice that s sounded every Lime the Reagan administration acts forcefully against soviet inspired provocation. Those who would draw parallels Between the american experience in Vietnam and what in Hap pening in Central America show an appalling Igno Rance of the origins of the Vietnam War and the geopolitical realities of the present situation. While one acknowledges the protesters right of dissent one must remember that their passion an sincerity lend not one Iota of credibility to their cause. The demonstrations deserve Only our com. Their participants desperately need  k. Kidney Anfe Nwihim Weil Germany. ,. It looks like i m Over Here along i nth the other soldiers defending the free world proudly so some Low Down protesters can Burn the american Flag. Turned my stomach. I Hope to never Sec another american burning an american Flag in America just because Soldier arc trying to protect the free world. We arc free be cause inc Constitution gives us that Freedom. Stand up. Jerks and help to defend your Freedom or leave the United Stales of ameritt. Fit. Brian m. Cha invt Jar Hurt. West Germany. ,. First. I am dismayed that people insist on Bur Ning flags. 1 would want them to Lake a minute an realize thai Only through the blood to a and Sacri fice of millions of americans Are they Able to enjoy the freedoms that they have. Secondly Honduras and Nicaragua arc close to Nur shores and we should be inter tied in event going on there. I personally am proud to be in tin1 service of our country and will proudly Fly t k Flag. Flag burning will not be tolerated in my Iann hag burning should nol be  of the level of popularity Ufa presiden tial decision i will continue to \ervi1 with Pride. Sgt. Timothy Diu Frankfurt