I’m a veteran who served my country in the Vietnam War in 1971. Then 28 years later, on Oct. 2, 1999, it was 1 am and I saw a flash of light in a corn field in San Martin, California. The light was from the dome light of a car, and I saw a person slide out of the front seat onto their back. I drove towards the light and I rescued a 15-year-old girl that had been kidnapped and raped by three rapists.

I got her in my van and as the vehicle was trying to flee, I sped toward the car and got the license number. They were caught, tried, convicted and sent to 77 years to life in prison. 

The fact that I served this country and was involved in a rescue doesn’t give me the ticket to run for Congress.

Alek Skarlatos is a veteran and was involved in a heroic incident in France — good for him. He needs to run for a lesser office and get some experience under his belt. Skarlatos has no experience except for placing third on Dancing With the Stars.

He once said, “I still love President Trump, and I think he did a great job!” May I remind Skarlatos about the Jan. 6 insurrection where D.C. cops were beaten with the American flag by so-called Trump patriots. And you still love Donald Trump, the Vietnam war draft dodger.

If you don’t want to see Skarlatos dancing with Marjorie Taylor Greene on the Capitol Rotunda, please vote for Val Hoyle for Congress.

Frank Harper

Springfield