opinion—

Our Readers Write The Spectre Of Vietnam To The Editor: As time blurs the awful tragedy that was Vietnam, militarism is once again alive. There is an old maxim that those who never saw bloodshed are among the quickest to send the young into battle. In World War II, Reagan made training films and also put on a uniform for the 1957 feature film "Hellcats of the Navy" — but never saw combat. The spectre of Vietnam looms behind bellicose yearnings to stop the Reds in Central America — behind policies of confrontation that could have diastrous consequences, once again, for the young of America. THERE IS ONE LESSON we must learn, sending young men into combat on the basis of nothing but the most abstract threats to national security is folly. Worse still is leaping into impossible situations'where young men get killed for symbolic reasons. The names on the Vietnam Memorial tell you a lot. There are no names of the sons and grandsons of policy makers who planned that war — no names of sons or grandsons of congressmen who voted the appropriation to keep it going. Remember the 57,000 who lost their lives in Vietnam — the many hundreds of thousands who gave by their blood to that war and the millions who fought there. Wake up America — remember Vietnam — don't let it happen again in Nicaragua. Don't let the politicians rob your sons and grandsons of their future! MARY DICKINSON Ex-Vietnam Army Nurse Villas Do you have an opinion on this subject? Write a letter to the editor, P.O. Box 430. Cape May Court House. N.J. 08210 Let the Lawyers Pay Tc^The Editor: I find it amazing that township governments are paying Blue Cross and Blue Shield benefits, as well as health benefits, to its legal help. Some are also paying into the state pension fund. Part or all of these payments are made by the local township. I ALWAYS THOUGHT that legal representatives were retained on a yearly basis. In order for a township employe to be eligible for such benefits, he must be a fulltime employe. 1 think it is about time our elected officers discontinue this practice, as it is you. the taxpayer, who is paying for it. In some instances, the legal representatives get these benefits from day one. whereas a new township employe must wait six months to be eligible ELMER DOYLE Eldora

f Wf raiiTy Eamtbrb^Ii Published Every Wednesday . _ .. By 11* Scawave Corporation P.O. Box 430 Cape May Court Emtio* of the Boom N J O^fo ^ Cape May Cooty Herald Joseph R. Zelnik Editor Bonnie Reina General Manager Gary L. Rudy Advertising Director John Dunwoody Special Promotions Director Darrell Kopp Publisher * W.o.i Corp AH ..9M, Al piope", '.gM| lo. iiwew ol ».« <* S»0-0.» Corp No porr Koiool Mr bo IfHO&Mtd DEADLINES News & Photos , ThursdayAdvertising Friday - 3 P.M. Classified Advertising Friday — 3 P.M. 465-5055 For News or Advertising Information Mail Subscription: Yearly, $40; Six Month, $20 Call 465-5055 For News, Advertising or Subscription Information I *?_Yr"TT ^ ami 1 A«rr».«N CAPE MAY |t| 9i*ralit~lJts0atdi f Ope W»y City Edttioa of Uw Cape May County HeraM I fiiMitit K— » Wadimiaa By the Shiiiwih Cmpmmttmm 1 ^ rp. fa «M C— e Way H — jM ttfti kv.v.v.v.v.v.-.vi v. w.-vw. ■; ■ - •'

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Same Old Troubles To The Editor: After three winters of working on the new, old bridge to Stone Harbor <vej7 little this third winter), the new. old Great Channel bridge is still not finished. About 60 years ago when the old bridge was new. they didn't make the bridge too high, so the horses could pull their wagons across. For 60 years or so. the draw has had to be open for many boats that weren't too large. Now with 60 years of experience, and gained knowledge of bridge building, you would think the new. old bridge would have a span at least one foot higher, as any height gained reduces the number of openings. THE NEW, OLD BRIDGE has the same clearance today as it did about 60 years ago and there is a good reason for this. Even though one of the big reasons a new bridge was to. be built should haye been that the old leaves did not work properly, and usually one leaf could open, the old leaves were left and the new, old bridge has the same clearance for boats and the same width for vehicles. It isn't attractive-and has the same troubles opening and closing I'm sure, as I heard a tug boat captain complaining about only one leaf working lately and have seen only one leaf open I'm looking forward to the grand opening as the great speakers will no doubt have a lot of great things to say about the great, new. old bridge. ROBERT H WILSON Avalon

Grouchy Old Folks Get a New Speaker By TOM PORCH As president of the Grouchy Old Folk's Club, I am always concerned about the low morale of our members at this time of the year. It is truly a depressing season. As usual, the Great Winds are howling night and day. and, on top of that, the state of New Jersey has just raised the tax on every bottle of spirits. I thought that it might cheer up the members if they could talk to someone who is really, really old, so I engaged a guest speaker who, at the age of 1 17 years, is one of the oldest living persons in the county. He arrived at our meeting aUhe appointed lime. As I helped him to a chair on tKedals, I noticed that he was trembling badly. "Poor devil," I thought, as I looked into his waxen, parchment-like face. WE BEGAN a question and answer session. Question from audience: "Sir, what is your life-style?" Answer: "Well, I smoke five packs of unfiltereds a day. I eat nothing but junk food. I drink plenty of booze, and I consort with foxy women. Also, I get very little sleep " Question from audience: "How old are you, actually?" Answer: "I'll be 24 years old a week from next Tuesday." "GOOD GRIEF!" I said. "Sir, I believe you are in the wrong meeting room. You are evidently scheduled to speak to the D.Y.O.T. (Do Your Own Thing) club which is meeting in a room down the hall." I sent him on his way and wentriooking for our scheduled speaker. I found him in the lobby. He was draped over a gumball machine and was fast asleep. I revived him with some hot coffee and seated him on tne dais. Question: "What is your age. Sir?" Answer: "I'm 117 years old." Question: "Have you ever been married?" ANSWER: "Oh, yes, I'm still married to my childhood sweetheart." Question: "How long have you been married?" Answer: "97 years." Question: "97 years! How can two people stay together that long without fighting? Don't you ever 'quarrel? " Answer: "Yes, there is one thing that we have always fought about, and that is the right to go out with the boys one night a week — I nag and nag, but she won't give it up." (ED. NOTE: Tom Porch writes from Wildwood). r Letters Welcome a The Herald. Lantern and Dispatch welcome letters to the editor on matters of public interest. Originals, not copies, are requested. Writers • must sign name, address and phone number

—Fantasy in a Field A Free Bed and Regained Youth

By JOE ZELNIK Circumstances last week sent me to both ends of New York State: New York City and my home town of Gowanda. I go to Manhattan every 20 years, whether I want to or not. to remind myself how lucky I am not to have achieved my high school ambition of being editor of the New York Times I go to Gowanda a couple times of a year, one of them to wish my dad a happy birthday I was a week early this k lime to take advantage of airline discount fares. His 81st n J)irthday is April 1, and I would appreciate it if you sent I him a card at 151 Beech St.. Gowanda. N Y 14070. I CHANTED TO BE in Manhattan for the St Patrick's Day parade: 200.000 marched, a million watched, and more police than the entire population of my hometown guarded the streets. There is rolled barbed wire on the marquees of many Fifth Avenue buildings to keep intruders from climbing in second-story windows. A Manhattan radio station advertised that "every hour is rush hour in New York" and a bicyclist made better time than our cab. GOWANDA HAS THREE traffic lights, two more than it needs. Manhattan is filled with tow -away zones Gowanda removed its parking meters last year (is Cape May listening?) Breakfast in Manhattan costs more than dinner in Gowanda. H Manhattan hotel rooms go for about $150 a night. At my II dad's. I sleep in the bed I had as a youth. It's free. Signs on Manhattan's streets, .W£rn: "Clean Up After H Your Dog. It's the Law; Maximum Fine: $100." | As I appreciated Gowanda in my rent-a-car. a sign pro- | claimed: "Free Manure: You Haul." || THE CLOSER I GOT to Gowanda, the younger I | became, my memory sharpening, my mind shedding ■ years. ■ In Manhattan I was very sophisticated, tipping porters I who called me "sir", and hailing cabs. m I Gowanda. I will always be a little boy. I could even run f into someone who still calls me "Juney." a contraction of the "Junior" I endured.

Eating breakfast in one of Gowanda's three restaurants, I encountered the police chief, now retired, who scared the hell out of me by putting me in jail for a half-hour after I'd been caught trying to lift a manhole cover from the street as aHeen-age Halloween prank. Did he think of that as we exchanged pleasantries'' IN A GOWANDA discount store called "Odds and Ends." I found a white sweatshirt < too small ) with the inscription "I Took a Luxury Cruise on the Cape May -Lewes Ferry." I joked the clerk about'it She had never heard of Cape May The shirt's price was $6. Irregulars and "manufacturers closeouts" are very big in western New York because many manufacturers have closed and people are out (of work and money). ^ In my dad's grocery "store, an 87-year-old neighbor told of encountering a herd of deer in a nearby field where he had just completed his daily, four-mile walk. I TRACED HIS ROUTE and sure, enough, came upon eight deer, as surprised as me, about 75 yards away. I froze against a tree and. after we studied each other for about five minutes, seven of them continued across the field, wary yet nonchalant, their tails wagging The eighth stayed where he was. suspicious. I waited another 10 minutes, hoping others would come. They didn't Then I decided to eat an apple from my pocket and the noise of the bite in the crisp air sent him bobbing away. I finished about half the apple and left the remainder at the foot of the tree, fantasizing that the deer would return and have it for lunch. WAITING FOR OUR BUS in Manhattan's Port Authority. my wife and I ate a hotdog standing up, then found a bench arid had chocolate brownies from Macy's for dessert. Across from us. an emaciated vagrant watched us chew. Thin, trembling, he looked like a burned-out Kris Kristofferson. L Reagan would have preferred I found him a job. But I took two of our six bagels, put them in the empty brownie bag, and. as we headed to our bus, dropped them on the bench beside him. "Couple bagels if you want em," I said, apologenticaliy. I saw his hand snatch the bag. but I quickly walked away, not wanting to see any more, hurrying as though he were contagious.