Honoring veterans

By the time this letter is published, the citizens of this nation will have freely and democratically elected the man who will lead them for the next four years. Their ability to accomplish this is in large part to the millions of men and women who have honorably served in the U.S. Armed Forces since the nation's inception and who will be commeorated on November 11th.

In keeping with the Veterans Day theme, it would be well to remember the words of President Abraham Lincoln while touring a Civil War hospital. "A Nation which does not honor it's warriors will not long endure.".

Grant County (Moses Lake) was the home of America's most decorated soldier of the Vietnam War, Joe Hooper. Unlike the heroes of WWI and WWII, Joe has had very little official recognition for his acts of bravery, and even though he stood on par with Audie Murphy (WWII) and Sgrt Alvin York (WWI), few know his history. There has been no VA Medical Center named after Joe as with York and Murphy, no movies, and the only real memorial is the small one in McCosh Park.

I am going to the Port Commisioners with a request that they re-name the facility the Joe Hooper International Airport. I will be bringing this forward at their meeting on November 14, 2012. Would appreciate if any of my veteran friends could be their in support. Thank you.

W. Michael Sallis

Moses Lake