Outrageous fee

Dear Editor,

I recently bought a house and have been preparing a move across town from my present apartment. I parked my moving van on Market Street overnight. Bad idea.

I woke up to a parking ticket. Looked up the codes and found I was in violation.

But I digress, that is not my point. When trying to pay online, I found for the $15 ticket a $3 “credit card processing fee.” There’s a big problem: 3/15 is 20%. Anyone charging 20% to process credit card transactions?

I run a business. The typical processing fee is 25 cents + 4% or so. That amounts to 90 cents. Is this how Warren government works on the micro level? I do not appreciate being price-gouged nor lied to.

Michael Hultin,

Warren

Knowing true Americans

Dear Editor,

Midway.

Dec. 7, 1941. A day that will live in infamy. Pearl Harbor attacked. The sleeping giant awakened.

By sheer luck the U.S. fleet of aircraft carriers was not in the harbor during the attack, but out at sea due to rough weather. Thus the Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet were available — for the Battle of Midway.

From June 3 to 6, 1942, the confident Japanese steamed four escorted carriers toward Midway Island. Seriously outnumbered and still reeling from Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy braced for the attack they had learned was coming.

But from where? There were no satellites. There was no radar. Recon was done with prop planes — Catalinas — with limited capabilities.

The carrier Hornet launched 15 unescorted Devastator torpedo bombers. By chance they found the Japanese carriers. A call for help was not acknowledged. A decision was made: “We will strike regardless of the consequences.” There were consequences.

Slow and inaccurate, plane after plane swooped in low. Not a single hit. The torpedoes were all duds anyways.

Torpedo Squadron 8, 15 planes. All but one shot down in their attack runs. George Gay was the only pilot to survive his run. He had dropped his torpedo. He thought he had a hit. He was wrong.

His plane never made it back. Japanese Zeros peppered his slow plane and he pancaked into the water. Somehow ejecting, his survival was a miracle.

Disaster.

But wait.

The torpedo bombers were the decoy. A true sacrifice. American sacrifice. The greatest generation.

Lurking above, SBD dive bombers, now screaming on a 70-degree dive toward the decks of the Japanese carriers. Bomber Squadron 6. Undetected thanks to the torpedo plane diversion, they avoided the harassment of Zeros and anti-aircraft guns as they pursued their mission.

Radio instructions were confused. Which bomber goes where? Instead of splitting, all the bombers went after a single carrier.

Richard Halsey Best saw the error. He broke off with just 2 wingmen and attacked the Akagi. The first pilot missed. Best didn’t. A lucky bomb hit a fuel supply, and with one bomb the Akagi was doomed.

Later that day Best did it again. The Japanese flattop, the Hiryu, was spotted. But Best did not have enough fuel to carry out his attack and then return home to his base. Mission or safety. Best chose to carry out his mission.

With support this time, Best attacked the Hiryu, again scoring a hit from his dive bomber.

Devotion to duty. Total disregard for his own personal safety.

Or in other words: A sucker and a loser.

In the minds of a presumed presidential nominee, they were all suckers and losers.

The greatest generation. Proud Americans.

Losers. They didn’t make a fortune off of this service.

Suckers. Many found a cold watery grave instead.

Follow that Pied Piper if you think that is what America was built on. Follow the one whose personal Vietnam was avoiding AIDS in his privileged, perverted life. Follow the one who admires Putin, admires Orban, admires Erdogan, spouts Hitler propaganda. You are wrong.

Others of us will try to uphold the American tradition of honor, duty, and pride in our country. In Democracy. In the United States of America.

James Spangler, OD,

Warren