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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTony Cook 673 Seal Rock Road MAY 2015 Port Angeles, WA 98363 Hm Phone: 360-928-9477 CITY OF PORT ANGELES Email: tbcook @hughes.net CITY CLERK April 26, 2015 Dan Di Guilio, Mayor Port Angeles 321 E 51h St. Port Angeles, WA 98362 Subject: No draftees allowed in a public Port Angeles Veterans Memorial Park Mayor Di Guilio: The Port Angeles, WA Parks Department rejected both of my attempts to honor our invisible thus forgotten military veterans: draftees. Parks refusal is discriminatory given that our Veterans Memorial Park is a public place and its name implies that a memorial for any honorably discharged military veteran would be welcomed. What happened is that CCVA (Clallam County Veterans Association)vehemently dislikes veterans who served because of compulsory service (the draft)) and the Parks Commission blindly followed their recommendation twice. So now "real" veterans are determined by a majority vote of the Port Angeles Parks Commission who accept the opinions of bigots as factual. As a foot note: CCVA spends our tax money so the Clallam County Commissioners don't care if CCVA supports discrimination against their fellow veterans. Your Parks Department has no written criteria on who can be memorialized in Port Angeles public Veterans Memorial Park. However they have an established a policy that bans the word draftee from being included in a memorial. The only criteria needed is clear: Any individual or group of veterans who were honorably discharged may be honored in our public Memorial Veterans Park. Is this type of discrimination, against military draftees, a situation that you and the 6 other members of the City Council condone? If not, I request that City Council direct Parks to allow my proposed plaques, honoring draftees, and have them installed ASAP but no later than November of this year which marks the 50th anniversary of my being drafted into the US Army. Sincerel , 1i Wm. Anthony Cook a Tony Drafted Nov'J6 —Vietnam 1966/67 Enclosures: 1 page showing the proposed wording for both plaques; 1 page (both sides)with CCVA's reasons for rejecting my first proposal with my response on the reverse side. Proposed Memorial Plague aL Port Angeles Veterans Park on Lincoln St at 3rd St IN HONOR OF VIETNAM WAR ERA 1 A DRAFTEES 1 A THEY DID NOT NEED TO BE PARDONED ON JANUARY 21, 1977 WM-ANTHONY COOK DRAFTED NOV 1965--VIETNAM 1966/67 Port Anizeles, WA Veterans Park on Lincoln St at 31!d- St IN HONOR OF AMERICA'S 1-A MILITARY DRAFTEES 1-A WHO SERVED DURING OUR WARS WM. ANTHONY COOK DRAFTED NOV 1965-VIETNAM 1966/67 f CLALLAM COUNTY VETERANS ASSOCIATION 216 South Francis Street Port Angeles, WA 98362 November 12, 2014 Cory Delikat, Parks &Recreation Director City of Port Angeles 321 E 5`h Street Port Angeles,WA 98362 Dear Mr. Delikal; The undated formal request of Mr. Anthony (Tony)Cook for placement of a plaque in the Veterans Memorial Park that honors the veterans that were drafted during the Vietnam War was received by the Clallam County Veterans Association. The matter was placed on the Agenda and presented during the meeting held on November 12, 2014. This letter is the formal response of the Clallam County Veterans Association as required by the Veteran's Memorial Park Monument Placement Policy PK-0401. The Clallam County Veterans Association does not condone any plaque,statue, memorial, or object that tends to divide and/or separate the various patriots and veterans that served in all of the wars and actions upon foreign soil. There may have been some hard feelings of some of the draftees,as evidenced by Mr. Cook's letter, but it certainly does not purport to speak for all or even a majority of those that were drafted. There have been draftees that have served in all of the various historical conflicts up to and including the Vietnam War. There are no monuments or plaques that memorialize their service as any different than all who served during those conflicts in any veteran's memorial park anywhere that has been brought to our attention. Mr. Cook's request has an overall negative tone and is not, in our opinion, the image that we think the Veteran's Memorial Park should project to all who visit and read the various memorials that are present. Mr. Cook seeks to separate out the"draftees as well as reluctant, draft-induced volunteers." All who served and earned the Vietnam Service Ribbon and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, both of which Mr. Cooks seeks to disparage,do not need to have their awards diminished by this action. The Clallam County Veterans Association recommends that Mr. Cook's request for placement of his proposed plaques be denied. Don Stevens, American Legion Post 62, moved to deny the request j from Tony Cook, Bill Hughes, American Legion Post 29 seconded and the motion carried. There j were thirteen members at the meeting with twelve supported the motion and one abstention. ! I Respe5ully, a I Ga` lie / Pr den , Clallam County Veterans Association CC. City of Port Angeles Parks, Recreation, and Beautification Commission l 14,2015 This'fs my analysis of CCVA's President Gary W.Velie's letter to Cory Delikat dated November 12,2014;his letter is on the reverse side. I attended the November 12,2014 CCWA meeting.It was obvious that the decision to reject my proposal to honor Vietnam War draftees,in a public park,had been made before I spoke.My fellow veterans opening discriminated against another group of military veterans-shame on them. 1st Reason: "CCVA does not support anything that"tends to divide...the various patriots and veterans that served in all of our wars..." Whatl I laughed when I read his contradictory statement.The letter head on that letter had,in color,five emblems that represent the five branches of the United States military;within the Army,Navy,Marines,Air Force and Coast Guard there are many smaller units with their own emblems.The fact is that our country has a military with many functioning components. 2nd Reason:"There may have been some hard feelings of some of the draftees,as evidenced by Mr.Cook's letter, but it certainly does not purport to speak for all or even a majority of those that were drafted." Wow.Now he suggests that honoring veterans who were drafted need a majority vote to be honored in a public Veterans Memorial Park.Also, my research indicates that a majority of veterans do not belong to any organized veterans group.After WWII,President Harry Truman did not need a majority vote to desegregate the military.In 1946,1 was born in a racially segregated Sothern State,so I can assure you that there were many unhappy white members of the military;President Truman was on the right side of history 3`d Reason:"...draftees...have served in all of the various historical conflicts...There are no monuments or plaques memorialize their service..." Well that does appear to be true for two legged draftees but there are numerous memorials in America honoring four legged inductees:war horses and war dogs.Normally Americans want to be first in everything but President Velie seems comfortable ignoring human draftees and he is on the wrong side of history. 4th Reason:"Mr.Cook's request has an overall negative tone and is not,in our opinion,the image that we think the Veteran's Memorial Park should project....". What?Was he a lawyer in the military?He doesn't understand that Veterans Memorial Parks exist only because of WAR which,so far, has been the most negative experience of my life. CCVA, under the leadership of President Velie, represent the epitome of negative in the veteran's community:They justify and accept blatant discrimination against fellow military veterans. 5th Reason:"Mr.Cook seeks to separate out the"draftees as well as reluctant,draft-induced volunteers"." Review 3rd Reason.Actually I'm using terms found in The President's(Nixon)Commission On An All-Volunteer Armed Force and The Gates Commission Report: "Conscription is a tax and The Levy of Taxes-in-kind;Men forced to service in the military"are words that CCVA members seem to find repulsive but facts are facts. 6th reason:"All who served and earned the Vietnam Service Ribbon and The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon...which Mr.Cook seeks to disparage..." What?President Velie has confused my other project to honor Vietnam War Draftees with my proposed Plaque wording:In Honor Of Vietnam War Era Draftees They Did Not Need to Be Pardoned On January 21,1977.