From a 1970s veteran, his thanks for overdue appreciation for military

As I approach my 70th birthday, I have a few things I want to comment on just to clear my mind.

I am extremely pleased with the way service men and women are admired and appreciated today. It's long overdue.

As a service man returning from overseas in 1971, while transitioning through San Francisco airport, my comrades and I were subjected to a torrent of verbal abuse that was as frightening as it was unbelievable. It is an experience that will stay with me my entire life.

Because of the mess the executive and legislative branch of our government has made, we have two front-runners for presidential nomination that are on the one hand, at best, a security risk and a liar, and on the other hand a narcissistic windbag that has no clue about anything he is talking about.

The food stamp program in this country is out of control. Throughout the program's various name changes, it's narrative has always described it as a way for those who needed it to obtain nutritional food.

Today you can purchase soft drinks, candy, snacks and a host of non-nutritional items that loosely qualify as food. They also are no longer referred to as food stamps. It was felt those who used them would be demeaned by that term. It is now called EBT.

That's it for this time. I have a lot more but I want to save some for my 71st birthday.

David Huntsinger

Bradenton

This story was originally published October 2, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "From a 1970s veteran, his thanks for overdue appreciation for military ."