To the Editor:
When I was a brand new 2d Lieutenant in an engineer unit in Korea, I once told my platoon how we were going to build a bridge. As I was walking away my platoon sergeant said to the troops “What the Lieutenant meant to say was….” Of course, being a new Lieutenant, I took umbrage and went back to set the troops straight. We built the bridge my way. Three months later, the bridge washed out just as Sgt. Gould had said it would.
This embarrassing but life-altering lesson was brought to mind when I listened to our Glorious Leader expound on some element of his Covid-19 response, and then Dr. Fauci had to come on and essentially say “What the President meant to say was….” The worrisome thing is that now Dr. Fauci is being shunted aside, and I wonder if this bridge will be washed away in three months.
My four recommendations on protecting yourself from Covid-19 are: (1) Wash your hands frequently, (2) Avoid crowds, (3) Listen to Dr. Fauci if he is allowed to speak, and (4) Don’t listen to any Republican politician, especially Trump or Pence.
Dan Mannschreck, MD
Col., U.S. Army (Retired)
Barrington, N.H.
Col. Dan:
War stories are a notoriously tricky genre, ranging from the lugubrious to the sublime. Thank you for sending us a perfect example of the better sort.
The Editor