Treading heavily on stamp’s opponents

After reading the three letters in Wednesday’s Community Forum

regarding the Islamic holiday postage stamp, I just want to go out

and buy lots of Ramadan stamps.

JO MEREDITH

Newport Beach

I wanted to congratulate Lolita Harper on Monday’s column, titled

“Someone’s putting her foot down about a stamp.” I am very, very

pleased to see that someone gets the holiday feeling. She couldn’t

have said it better.

FRANCOIS LECLAIR

Corona del Mar

I think the reason readers question the issuance of other stamps

is because deserving stamps, honoring real heroes, have not been

issued.

If any Daily Pilot reader wants to petition a stamp to be issued

by the U.S. Postal Service, one stamp I would recommend is the

issuance of a stamp with the image of a B-24 Liberator, which was a

plane built in this country and used in World War II.

Many groups, including the 2nd Air Division Assn., have been

involved in a letter-writing campaign for years to get a stamp

released in the image of a B-24, which was the most mass-produced

American aircraft in aviation history. Over 1 million Americans had

some direct involvement with the B-24 Liberator during World War II.

A stamp in the image of the B-17 Flying Fortress was issued 10 years

ago, so we are not competing with that worthy aircraft.

My recently deceased father flew 35 combat missions over Nazi

targets in a B-24 Liberator while serving in the Army Air Corps

during World War II. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is best known

for as a high-altitude bomber with a cruising speed of 290 mph and a

range of 3,300 miles. However, many do not know that the plane was

also used on critical missions to deliver much needed supplies:

ammunition, water and food to the paratroopers. The B-24s were sent

dangerously low, at 350 feet, to deliver the supplies, and my father

kicked out the supplies, which were attached to parachutes, from the

back of the plane.

The plane was never designed to fly at 350 feet, and they

encountered deadly flak and ground fire as a result, suffering heavy

casualties. On Veterans Day, we should remember the servicemen who

paid the ultimate sacrifice to their country.

The men who served our country in World War II are real heroes and

should be honored with a stamp.

JULIE HOOD

Newport Beach

May I offer my suggestion for a wonderful stamp anytime of the

year, but particularly during the upcoming holiday season.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if 2004 were the year a cure for breast

cancer was found? The notion that we could raise $35 million by

buying a book of stamps is powerful.

As you may be aware, the U.S. Postal Service recently released its

new “Fund the Cure” stamp to help fund breast cancer research. Ethel

Kessler of Bethesda, Md. designed the stamp. It is important that we

take a stand against this disease that affects so many of our

mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.

Instead of the normal 37 cents for a stamp, this one costs 40

cents. The additional three cents will go to breast cancer research.

A normal book of stamps costs $7.40. This one is only $8. All it

takes is a few minutes in line at the post office and means so much.

If all stamps are sold, it will raise an additional $35 million for

this vital research.

Just as important as the money is our support. What a statement it

would make if the stamp outsold the lottery this week. What a

statement it would make that we care. I would urge you to do two

things today:

Go out and purchase some of these stamps.

And call, write or e-mail your friends and ask them to do the

same.

We all know women, and their family members, whose lives are

turned upside-down by breast cancer. It takes so little to do so much

in this drive. I plan on putting these stamps on all my Christmas

cards. What better gift could you give to your loved ones?

JEAN S. HARRIS

Newport Beach