The following is in response to Doug Lambert’s letter in Tuesday’s Daily Egyptian.

Mr. Lambert, did you serve in a war? If you served in Vietnam, you should know that we cannot repeat those homecomings. So you feel local soldiers (clerk-typists in particular) are not deserving of the all-out homecoming for their part in the Bosnia mission?

I served in Holland with the U.S. Air Force and worked for Armed Forces Radio and Television during desert Storm. I volunteered to serve my country in Kuwait, but in our field they were only taking E-5 through E-8. However, in my own way I helped, by picking up the duties of those serving from our station. Does this make me any less deserving of recognition because I was not in a tank?

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If you think the clerk-typists job was undeserving, I can only imagine what you think of me spinning records and reporting the news. But, we all serve in some capacity and it is a team effort to go to war or a peace mission. It does take typists to prepare orders and process information. It is the lesser known people who are giving 110 percent to the mission too.

During Desert Storm, we were doing more with less and service members often performed tasks outside their normal job description. Why shouldn’t everyone receive recognition? Yes, combat Controllers, SEALS, Rangers, etc. are doing the brunt of the fighting, but let us recognize everyone serving our country in war or peacetime. A homecoming is a celebrated event for service members and instead of jeering the practice, perhaps you should attend one.

Sophomore, radio & television