Saturday, March 08, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Letter to Home

Henderson man proud of grandson's commitment to U.S. military

Alexander Chavez calls his daughter, Karen Perez, from his Henderson home on Friday to talk about his grandson, Navy corpsman Lonnie Lewis, shown in the foreground in a photograph taken in September 2001. Photo by John Gurzinski.

Henderson resident Alexander Chavez said it must be the Marine in him that makes him cringe at the thought of protesters objecting to U.S. military personnel poised for war against Iraq.

"It's my country right or wrong. If you don't like it, then get the hell out," Chavez, 76, said Friday after his daughter sent him another letter with a story about his grandson overseas.

"I'm not a warmonger. I don't want a war. But as long as they're going to go and they're Americans, let's support them," said Chavez, who served as a merchant mariner and a U.S. Marine during and after World War II.

"I lost a brother in World War II, I lost a couple cousins in Germany and I lost a wonderful buddy in Korea. It's something else to think of what they did and what people are doing today to appreciate what they did. That's really something," he said.

His grandson, Navy corpsman Lonnie Lewis, is following his footsteps.

"I'm proud of him. I'm proud of the way he feels and I'm proud he's committed to defend this country," Chavez said. "He's in a dangerous position. He'll be exposed to a lot of danger. I pray to God he'll be all right and I pray to God all of them will be all right."

But his daughter -- Lewis' mother, Karen Perez, of Lancaster, Calif. -- had second thoughts last month about supporting President Bush's plans for a war to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Lewis, who is in Kuwait attached to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, sent his mother an e-mail after she asked him how he felt about her intentions to join other relatives in an antiwar demonstration last month in Hollywood.

"My opinion is not yours," Lewis, 23, said in the message to Perez, 51. "I do, however, have things I would like for you and Grandma and everyone else at home to know. ... What type of country would we be if we didn't defend the rights and freedoms of others, not because they're Americans, but how about just because they're human?"

In a telephone interview Friday, Perez said she decided not to join the antiwar protest after reading her son's e-mail.

"I won't go on any marches," she said. "I don't want to be one of those who turns their backs on our soldiers. Nobody wants war and now it's even closer because (of) my son. ... It's because of our soldiers that we're able to march and that we have our choices today."

Ever since her friend's brother was killed in the Vietnam War, Perez said she tried to turn off thoughts of war in her mind. She didn't join protesters then, either.

"I was like an ostrich. I didn't want to hear anything about the war. I was scared to death," she said.

"I'm not saying I understand it any better now, but my son is over there and we're dealing with a crazy man. My baby's over there now," Perez said.

Chavez said he was glad his daughter didn't attend the protest, and although he's a Democrat and didn't vote for Bush he agrees with the president that Saddam shouldn't be given more time to get rid of what Bush and his advisers claim are weapons of mass destruction.

"We gave Hitler more time and what did he do? They know (Saddam) has got the stuff and he's just playing games. And, France and Germany are just worried about their investments in (Iraq's) oil," Chavez said.

As for antiwar demonstrators, he said, "They ought to take these protesters and send them for six months in Iraq and six months in Iran. ... It's just the way I feel."