To the Editor:
Every year I feel a stab of pain when I see the fraternity decorated in preparation for a Vietnam War theme party. The students involved probably do not realize that it is very hurtful to some people to see the Vietnam War used as a party theme. The sandbags, camouflage and "Saigon" sign remind us of a painful time for the American and Vietnamese people. We should remember that the streets that pass Dartmouth's fraternities are walked by Vietnam War veterans and their children, the children of Vietnamese people who suffered or died in the war, and Americans who stayed home and weathered the terrible storms of political and emotional upheaval caused by our involvement in Vietnam. For many people who lived through that war, and saw and knew people injured and killed, the memories are private and painful and sacred. We do not necessarily want to forget the Vietnam war, but out of respect for the people who suffered and died we need to keep solemn our reminders of it.
