YOUR SAY: Spat over Vietnam Memorial disqualifies Thomas

The first quarter of 2009, the late Mayor Donald Walker contacted me about a project he wanted to build. Even though I now live in Peach County after 28 years of livving in Warner Robins, that didn't matter since the project would greatly benefit the city of Warner Robins and Peach County.

His project was building a Visitors Information Center along with a Vietnam Memorial that would complement each other next to Interstate 75 at the Russell Parkway Exit. The purpose was to draw people off the interstate to visit and stay in Middle Georgia. Even though Mayor Walker passed, I continued with the hope this project would be well-received.

A committee was formed and in a three-year period of time, a state-of-the-art memorial was designed like no other one in this country. A very unique wall listing the names of the 1,584 men who gave their lives in Vietnam from the state of Georgia. A one-of-a-kind sculpture designed by us that took two years to get perfect, plus many other features.

Trips were made to Telluride, Colorado, Elberton and Mobile, Alabama, to put this memorial together. Our brothers who gave their lives deserved the best we could provide.

We were moving along pretty good until the last election in Warner Robins. Tim Thomas was elected to Post 4. Now, I am sorry to say, I silently campaigned for Thomas and got him some votes. I must apologize to Bob Wilbanks. Once Thomas took office, he wanted everything that had been done changed. In a way, it's my opinion, he could care less if the project is ever built.

Knowing the economic impact the project would have on Middle Georgia, according to the late Mayor Walker's opinion, I couldn't help but to ask myself -- why change? At the March 16, City Council meeting, I got my answer. It's called "respect." In this case, the lack of respect for veterans and especially veterans' wives. During the citizens' comments segment of the meeting, the wife of a World War II combat veteran asked mayor and council, "why had they turned their backs on the Vietnam vets?" Thomas told Mayor Toms he would answer her question.

Thomas proceeded to talk to her as if she was a third-class citizen. That was rude and totally unacceptable of anyone holding an office, especially in a "military town." Thomas didn't stop there, he then saw fit to bring us, the ones who had worked for seven years on the memorial, into his rant, saying we were unreasonable because we didn't agree with him.

In Thomas' defense, he's never spent one day serving in the military, never spent one day serving his country, never lost a buddy, so he's clueless when it comes to issues of veterans.

We support Betsy Loiacono because she is the wife of an active 28-year veteran, Charlie. They have four boys and when Charlie is on PCS or TDY, she has added responsibilities to take up the slack with every day activities. She also serves as a victims rights advocate in the District Attorney's office in Macon. Every town needs people on council who are sensitive to veteran issues. That's why we support Betsy. She's more than qualified for Post 4.

Tom McLendon is a resident of Byron.

This story was originally published October 28, 2015 at 10:04 PM with the headline "YOUR SAY: Spat over Vietnam Memorial disqualifies Thomas ."