Dear Editor,

On Friday, Sept. 18, I received a call from my nephew who is in Afghanistan and in harm’s way. I was relieved to hear his voice and I pray that I hear from him again soon.

Just two days prior to hearing from him, his company hit a device in the road (a bomb). Many of them were wounded badly, some killed.

This call inspired me to send him another package of snacks, toiletries, etc. On Saturday, Sept. 19, I made the mistake of entering the Family Dollar Store at the Silver Bridge Plaza in Gallipolis.

I went in to buy pudding cups and as I walked up to the register I saw what they thought was a Halloween decoration.

To my horror, it was a soldier on a pole, head hanging down, with a mask with the left side of its face torn and bloody. It had a U.S. Army cap on!

I cannot tell you how I felt as words would never describe. I protested to the two cashiers and all they said was, “We didn’t do it.”

I called Sunday morning and the manager told me she flipped the bill up on the cap to hide the U.S. Army letters. That really wasn’t good enough.

Maybe this letter will educate people on being a little more sensitive about this war. For it or against it, these are our men, boys and women. It’s a horrible job, but somebody has to do it. God bless them everyone.

After all they are the only real heroes in this day and age. That word is being used for sports celebrities and they are not heroes. These U.S. soldiers are.

Please respect them and their families through this horrible nightmare.

Teresa L. Nibert

Point Pleasant