I would like to respond to letters that were printed in the Nov. 13 and Nov. 15 issues of the Tryon Daily Bulletin.

Every member of my immediate family (but me) was a member of the military (Army and Navy).

My sister worked as a nurse in the military hospital in Panama for 13 years. My brother trained at Fort Knox and was preparing for deployment in Desert Storm when the conflict ended.

My mom trained as a nurse at Camp Croft in Spartanburg, S.C. My dad retired as a captain in the Navy.

My father-in-law was one of the fortunate members of Merrill’s Marauders who survived brutal combat during WWII and was sent to the military hospital at Camp Butner, N.C. (where he met my mother-in-law) after he contracted malaria in Burma. He never was able to grow hair on the calves of his legs after the war because of the leeches that infested the waterways he hiked through while helping to free up supply channels.

I know and appreciate veterans, up close and personal, and feel I am justified in saying the following…

America must unite under the new administration in January if we want to see our country move forward. Politics have taken us down a dark and frightening road for decades. It’s time for the new.

I see a country that will once again send a beacon of light to our allies that says, “We are strong again and are now in a position to help you.”

I see a country that does not apologize for its prosperity. If you are penniless, you cannot help the poor.

I see a country that does not penalize and oppress success. It rewards it.

I see a country that speaks up for our most vulnerable – the unborn. You can say that you care about children, but if you destroy them before they are given a chance to live outside the womb, do you really care?

I see a country where our veterans are treated with the highest respect because they earned it and deserve it.

I see a country that is safe to live in again – where races are not pitted against one another, where people who are dissatisfied can have a peaceful assembly without destroying everything someone else worked for.

I see a country that I am proud to call my homeland … the United States of America – one nation under God! In other words, I have hope for America’s future and I am very proud to say it to anyone who has taken the time to read my letter. I trust that there are others in Tryon who feel the same.

Joanne Midyette

Tryon, N.C.