To the editor:

In response to the letter "Veterans are truly heroes": I want to remind our citizens of the local heroes in our community. I thank Sherry Mattingly for her letter.

Veterans have always been there for each other. If not, some of us would not have made it. We don't get much help from our government, which has cheated us out of many of our benefits for years.

When drafted in the early 1950s, I was promised a percentage of my base pay for retirement if I stayed in for at least 20 years and full free medical care for life.

I kept my part of the deal. Upon retirement I found out that because I had a service-related disability that I would have to pay for my own VA disability compensation, and my retirement pay was offset dollar for dollar for every disability dollar I received. In 1956 Congress took away our full free medical care for life.

We disabled military retirees are still fighting Congress to get our benefits restored in full. We have gained some ground but are still a long way from getting our fully earned and promised benefits.

HOLLIS STANFORD

Springfield, Mo.