Another dimension of Pat Eaton

To the Editor,

I recently read Patricia Eaton's Letter to the Editor voicing her concerns about the eruption on the national political scene of Sen. Barack Obama. More recently, over morning tea, I read the responding Letters to the Editor taking her to task.

May we clarify a few issues here because I know and respect several of the respondents who wrote on Sen. Obama's behalf. They are known to be very intelligent and fair-minded. Perhaps, however, they need to see another dimension of Pat Eaton?

To highlight: Pat is part of the World War II Greatest Generation and she drove an ambulance in those days. She does not have a bigoted bone in her body. She believes, like us, that "we all bleed red." If it were not for American men and women of color we would not have nearly the number enrolled in the Armed Forces that we do have.

Pat has worked for years at the Bath VA Geriatrics Desk. She has also volunteered her time, money and labor on civic endeavors far too numerous to list here. Instead of being swayed by rightwing extremists, she is an ardent cardcarrying Democrat, of the Harry S. Truman mold.

Quite a few years ago, Ms. Eaton delivered a paper before the United States Congress depicting the plight of the rural poor senior citizens (and those on limited incomes) to secure affordable housing. What you see today, as a direct result of her efforts in this venue, is our local Clyde F. Simon Lakeview Apartments located on Eaton Drive (named in honor of Pat) on route 54 North in Bath.

Two years ago, while still working at the Bath VA, she personally encouraged an African-American veteran there in his art work and he sketched some very meaningful line drawings of the historic Dana L. Lyon school site, aimed at discouraging the demolition of the buildings. At her own expense, Pat duplicated his sketches and then personally distributed them throughout Bath Village.

Coming out of World War II, this age bracket is fiercely aware of the "symbols" of patriotism, such as the lapel flag pin, mentioned by some of the respondents to her letter. Perhaps the symbols take on more importance than they should to some people, but one must realize that these were the times when defense plants such as Grumman Aircraft on Long Island were turning out The Wildcat, the Hellcat, The Tiger bombers and "Rosie the Riveter: and her allies were doing the work of men who went off to fight the war. These were the times when we "kids" planted "victory" gardens at home and saved aluminum gum wrappers in an expanding aluminum ball until they were turned into someone, somewhere, to become what?… A bullet? I never did know. We took our quarters each week to the classroom teacher who collected them and we purchased defense bonds. We had rationing lines for sugar, gasoline, tires. These were the times that molded the Pat Eatons. I have known her for 23 years now, and believe me, she is not prejudiced.

To leave this picture with, hopefully, more balance in it, and please German- Americans, don't take offense but can one image the attention a United States presidential candidate in 1944 would received if his name were "Franz Schickelgruber?" Obama should be so lucky.
Rosalie Niemczyk
Bath