Respecting Ukrainian troops braving the cold
Recently, Georgians saw extremely cold temperatures. A man in a downtown Atlanta apartment complex stood on his swimming pool ice.
I googled the number of December days in Ukraine the temperature did not go above freezing -- 14 days. I was talking with a fellow U.S. Marine with whom I trained in those conditions. Unlike Boy Scouts, who build a fire, there are no fires. There were no tents. The clothes you got wet during the day froze in single digits. Canteens froze. I did not eat anything because my fingers were too cold to use a can opener. Tempers flare. Nobody wants to be there. Then someone hit a trip wire setting off a tear gas canister. One guy put on his gas mask, but the eyepiece was missing, so his mask was useless.
I remember him on his hands and knees in a foot of ice water, crying, “mom!” “Mom!” I have nothing but respect for the Ukrainian troops.
DANIEL F. KIRK, KENNESAW
Reader response overwhelming for Ukraine disaster relief
I wish to express my gratitude to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for its very being. In the week just before the close of 2022, your news organization published two pieces regarding the HelpingUkraine.us effort -- one was my opinion piece and the other was an excellent news story for Inspire Atlanta by Nancy Badertscher.
Because of the power of the press and your beautiful expression of concern for those on the other side of our world suffering from war, many in Atlanta stepped up to make contributions and to keep our powerful movement going. As Georgia volunteer Ken Ward returns to Ukraine this month, it is with your readers’ compassion and contributions that we continue our journey of disaster relief.
Thank you, Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Press on.
EMORY MORSBERGER, ATLANTA
