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There Are No Differences Among Veterans, All Served Our Country

To The Reader’s Forum:

I am writing this article in response to the article written by Joe Siparek, a U.S. Army Veteran, Combat Veteran, Vietnam, 1967-1968. My name is Daniel Kell. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 23 years and belong to many veteran organizations in my area and am very involved in each organization. I am very appalled of what this veteran wrote in The Post-Journal. I am also a proud associate member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 865 in Jamestown, N.Y. I am also a veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm from 1990-91.

This organization donates a lot to the community and the veterans in this county, as well as organizations throughout New York state. I might not be a Vietnam veteran but I am a veteran of foreign war. The Vietnam logo is “No one will be left behind.”

In my mind, this veteran doesn’t understand the meaning of what a veteran is and who is considered a veteran. This veteran walked into his organization, he joined as a life member, seen veterans of different eras and non-veterans with membership cards. He withdrew his membership from his band of brothers he joined with and walked away from them. He can say a veteran is a veteran and there are unmistakable differences, but in reality, there is no difference in a veteran. We all served our country and all were ready to fight for our country and our freedom, whether they were called over or not during a time of war.

This is why we joined the service — whether you were drafted or just enlisted in any branch of service to keep our country free. We all earned the right to join great veteran organizations that support each veteran in the United States and its community. I feel he needs to think about what he wrote and think about the veterans that are serving right now overseas defending our freedom and keeping this great nation free.

One last note. I would like to thank Joe Siparek for his service to our great nation.

Daniel Kell

Jamestown

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