Letters to the Editor

THANK YOU

RED SOX

Dear Editor:

I was fortunate enough to be on the field of Fenway Park for last Saturday’s Vietnam Veterans event.  I want publically thank the Red Sox for this past weekend’s Vietnam Veterans “Welcome Home” event which preceded the Red Sox – Yankees game.

On behalf of myself and the other thousand or more Vietnam veterans that were present in Fenway Park this past Saturday, I want to thank the Boston Red Sox Foundation and the Home Base Program for the tremendous pre-game “Welcome Home” ceremony. I also came across another six or eight Vietnam veterans from Winthrop, who had also been invited to attend the pre-game ceremony.  Let me tell you, when I walked from under the stands out to sunlit field with my wife(who saw me off to Vietnam at Logan Airport in 1969), I was overwhelmed with emotions that I haven’t felt in long time. I thought to myself, this is the way servicemen returning from WW ll must have felt.

I was in awe, the bagpipes playing, 30,000 fans all standing, applauding, the National Anthem, the jets flying overhead, it was an emotional overload. Both my wife were all the verge of tears. And then in the outfield, my wife spotted my daughter Christine and her homemade sign, “Welcome Home, Dad!” It was the frosting on the cake

When we were leaving my home in the late morning, I was wondering if this would be another uncomfortable, “Welcome Home . . . . . thank you for your service” type of program. Sometimes I think it’s awkward and hard for people to be sincere in thanking you for something that happened during that period of bad history from 50 years ago.

I misjudged, I was completly wrong, the Red Sox Foundation hit a home run with this event. To stand with so many smiling, teary eyed Veterans and their spouses in the middle of Fenway Park was awesom. Although the scars from the 1960s will never heal completely, for many of us, you took away some of the pain that many Vietnam veterans still feel today.

Fenway Park has hosted many great events over the years, American League Championships, World Series Championships, world-class musicians, the Grateful Dead, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Neil Diamond . . . . . . . . . . but, as far as I’m concerned, this event topped them all. Since posting several of my photos and videos on Facebook, I have received thousands of sincere comments from all over the world. Everyone was so impressed with this commemorative program.

Again, thank you, very, very much!

Sincerely,

Richard D. Honan

U.S. Army – Vietnam – 1969

 

DISTASTEFUL DEMEANOR

Dear Editor,

My name is Dennis McLaughlin, I am writing in response to the Town Manager’s distasteful editorial in the the May 25th edition of the Winthrop Transcript, where he compared my son-in-law, Councilor Richard Boyajian, to the North Korean’s murderous, dictator Kim Jong Un.

Mr.McKenna may not be aware, as he was not yet born, but many men and women were killed in the Korean War: on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs and shot in the head. As of June 2017, there are still upwards of 7,700 soldiers still unaccounted for and assumed to be dead  .

My brother Walter A. “Sonny” McLaughlin fought in this war. Prior to his death in 2008, he was a:

retired patrolman of the Winthrop Police Department,

deputy marshal for the U.S. Marshal Service,

army veteran of the Korean Conflict, 2nd Indian Head Division,

a member of the Korean War Veterans Alliance,

Pleasant Park Yacht Club member,

Military Order of the Purple Heart,

D.A.V., American Legion Winthrop Post #146,

Fraternal Order of Police Tri-Town Lodge #30,

United 38 Infantry Regiment.

and a recipient of the Purple Heart.

I will never forget being a little boy, praying every night on my hands and knees for my brother and the others fighting in Korea to return safely home. When I saw soldiers marching down the street, I would hide under my bed for fear that they were coming with news of my brother’s death.

While he may not know about the Korean War and the horrors those who lived through it experienced he must know of the atrocities committed by the North Korean Regime. In fact in 2013 the United Nations launched an investigation of rumored Human Right’s violations commit-ted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In 2014, when the UN Human Right’s Coun-cil presented their findings they convicted North Korea, and more specifically Kim Jong Un of :

Monopoly of Thought (Brainwashing)

Including banning all ideologies that are not compliant with the DPRK

Controlling and banning certain social organizations

Extreme Censorship

Discrimination

Controlling where people live and work based on social class

Starvation of Citizens

Torture

Arbitrary Detention

Abducting Citizens of other countries for labor

Executions without trial

Labor Camps

Genocide

And yet, he compares Councilor Boyajian to this country’s dictator?

My son-in-law has devoted his life to saving people’s lives.  Give his name a quick Google search as he failed to do before writing his editorial and you will see articles, news sto-ries, volunteerism, power point presentations, scholarly articles and grants received, all in the name of giving back. He not only owes Councilor Boyajian an apology, but also to the great men and women that have given their lives to protect you and this country.

God bless America, God help Winthrop, and Vote Richard Boyajian for Winthrop Town Council president.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dennis B. McLaughlin

Precinct 5

 

DOG PARK PROJECT

Dear Editor,

Winthrop has been trying to get a special place built for our loyal companions to get t heir required exercise and to meet new friends. The Town Council has investigated many, many locations in the town and has selected a section of town property beside the John Kilmartin Walkway at the Short Beach section of the Belle Isle Reservation. This location meets all of the basic requirements to accommodate our puppies.

The Town of Winthrop and the Mass DCR have scheduled a joint meeting at the Winthrop Senior Center on Tuesday, July 25, at 7PM, to discuss the merits of this project. We are asking the residents of the Winthrop Community to show their support of this project, by showing up in full force. We need your assistance to ensure that our dogs are provided with a safe, creative play area that will serve to enhance this special part of our beautiful town.

Our group has had so me successful fundraising events that we hope to continue when our project gets completed. Winthrop has so many wonderful dog owners, but we need the support of the entire community to help make our impossible dream a reality. Please Help!

Respectively,

Kevin and Wendy Corkhum

Proud Members of “The Winthrop Dog Park Project”

(Look for us on Facebook)