Page 2, Thursday, November 10, 1994, The Gazette An open letter to President Clinton Dear Mr. President, My name is Christina Roman. I am eleven years old. I am also a high honor roll student. But worst of all, I am an American refugee from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I lived there for one and a half years. I thought it was great down there. There were no gangs, robbers or murders. It was the safest place you could ever be. If I wanted to go to my friends house six blocks away, I could. Here in the states, I can't even go down the street without someone coming with me. The school I go to is nothing compared to the one in Cuba. The school I attend is a zoo. Instead of the teachers running it, the kids do. I can't even walk down the school hall without the fear that someone would come and harass me. The worst thing of all, my mom is down there. She is a RM1 in the Navy. Instead of being in Cuba for another two years, she has to go on ship next year. I don't think we should have to live like that. Since we have been evacuated, almost every couple has been having marriage problems. I am afraid it might happen to my mom and dad. You say on the news you want a strong American family. In this case, I don't think it's possible. On the news you say you will have the Marines in Kuwait home by Christmas. What about me and all the other torn apart families. That is what I want to know. I don't like the idea of the evacuation. You knew we would be evacuated so why didn't you work on a solution earlier? The reason I wrote this letter is because all of us want information. We have not heard a thing since the evacuation. All we want is information. I have been stressed and depressed from being away from my mom. The family tradition is ruined for the holi- days. My mom might not be here for Christmas. How would you feel if your daughter wasn't with you for Christmas? I am also concerned about my five-yearold brother. How do you think this affects him? My major concern is when we are going to get some information. I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, One of the American Refugees, Christina Roman (Note: Christina is the daughter of Petty Officer 1st Class Kim Roman of the Navy Communications Detachment here.) Commemorative coins issued by U.S. Mint'in honor ofVeteran's Day Washington-The United States Mint has issued three U.S. Veterans Commemorative Silver Dollars to honor: prisoners of war, military servicewomen and Vietnam veterans. By preserving America's past while looking toward its future, the surcharges raised from the sale of these coins will contribute to three memorials that will be recognized nationwide by Americans of all ages. As of Oct. 18, more than 700,000 coins had been sold, contributing more than $7 million to the three memorials. These limited mintage coins are available from the United States Mint until April 30, 1995. "These coins recognize three groups of veterans for their courageous contributions to our nation," said Philip N. Diehl, Director of the United States Mint. "The tribute will continue when proceeds from the sales of the three U.S. Veterans Commemorative Coins will contribute to the construciton of the National Prisoner of War Museum and the Women In Military Service For America Memorial and the repair of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial." The National Prisoner of War Museum, planned for Andersonville, Ga., will recognize approximately 142,250 prisoners of war by bringing a greater understanding to the ordeals suf- THELMA THWARTUM -- By Alex ALL READY TO GO. ILL JUST REVEM/ MY VACATION CWECK LIST TO fE SLR)- fered by those denied their freedom while attempting to preserve the freedom of others. The Women In Military Service For America Memorial, to be built at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, will document the history of nearly two million military women who have proudly and unselfishly served America throughout history. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial has endured the elements for over a decade. Cracks have been discovered in the black granite panels requiring extensive research and repairs. Also, new names need to be added to the Wall. Funding is needed to preserve the legacy and memory of more than 58,000 people who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom. Coins are available in three-coin sets and individually. As mandated by Congress and signed into law by the President, each of the three commemorative issues is limited to a maximum mintage of 500,000 coins. U.S. Veterns Commemorative Silver Dollars may be purchased by calling 1-800-777-VETS or by writing: Customer Service United States Mint 10001 Aerospace Rd. Lanham, Md. 20706 Migran tpets treated by vets here Animal care specialist .Sgt. Affonso Ru/Ian, USA, spends time wIth Cuban parrot, Colti, at the veterinary clinic here. Colti/s the pet of a Cuban migrant. Photo by JOSN Melissa Farley The Gazette is here to serve you Within the last fewweeks, several drastic changes have occured in the pages of the Gazette. Most of these changes have been met with very positive responses from base residents, from junior enlisted to senior officer. The staff of tne Gazette has worked% hard to ensure the content of the newspaper is timely and contains news that affects base residents. Recently, there have been comments made concerning the number of JTF stories in the paper, in that there are too many stories about JTF and not enough about base residents. Inthe last issue of the Gazette, the front page story was concerning the consolidation of the migrant camps. The consolidation can take place due to the decreasing number of Haitian migrants. The number of migrants decreasing has major impact for base residents. It affects the quality of life, morale andthe posible return of the families to Gitmo. Hence, it is not a story that is solely for the JTF. The Gazette has been running stories concerning the Cuban migrants because the migrants are human beings, not unwanted guests. Relations between the migrants and base residents and JTF are better for it. The migrants are trying to maintain an environment of normalcy in a situation that is anything but normal. They should be recognized for i. The Gazette is a newspaper for the residents of Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay. The members of JTFand the migrant community are currently base residents and outnumber permanent residents fifteen to one. Therefore, it would be unfair to exclude them from coverage in the base newspaper when so much of what they do affects those us. Everyone has an opinion of what should and A Public Service of AARP Criminal Justice Services VACAT10 CCK0V: LIST - ya ofdbeinq bug sT ed Y s t r d ub n those i tt ~ 51ikely t '0aw ., eme.t7 ot o absence s 2O all door . t a windo,. 4.o~ arage or caa cm alaefc rnent I to ir s NOW SET THE IG4T AMD RADIO TIMER To Co"'E ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES LOCK UP-TPANK BUD FOR. WATCHING THE I4OUSE AND PICKIMG UP MAIL- AND IM OFF FOR A FEW DAYS a *~0 1 c 194. 1990 by th. Aeicr, A..oei.ai0n of Rtir.d P.,-o-. shouldn't be in the newspaper. If you would like to voice that opinion, feel free to contact the Public Affairs Office. The phone number is 4502/4819 and our fax number is 4520. If you would like to send us a submission, you can send via fax or guard mail. Our guard mail stop number is 1. Please include your name, rank, command and a daytime phone number. Remember, the Gazette is here to serve you and we want your constructive input. Gazette Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Naval Base Commander Capt James F. Boland, Jr Administration Officer Lt. Doug D. Drake Public Affairs JOC(SW) Doug G. Coulter 11 Mary Dugan Editor J03 Brandon W. Mudd Editorial Staff J03 John Bolger JOSN Melissa Farley SN Jacqui Kuth Sea Signal Staff, JTF 160 Cpl. Jim Davis, USMC Volunteer Staff Lt. Don Biadog JOC(AW) Jon Gagne JOC Colleen Pegram YN3 Lance Flake This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the military services stationed overseas. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy and do not imply endorsement thereof. Na vy Ca mpuas The Education Center is continuing on our regular schedule of office hours. Navy Campus offers workshops designed to introduce personnel to the voluntary education opportunities and to assist them in preparing a list ofpotential credits from their military training and rating. Some ofthe topics covered in the workshops include sources of college credit, tuition assistance policies, application procedures and other general information about programs with CCC and TSU. The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) supports the voluntary education functions of the office of the Secretary of Defense including all the military services. DANTES provides the Navy Campus Education Center personnel with a variety of materials to support your education needs, including reference publications manuals, handbooks, posters, brochures for distribution to military personnel. Interested students can stop by the Navy Campus office in the Education Center, located on Chapel Hill, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., for more information, or call 4769. City Colleges ofChicago, 4748 - Term II is underway. It's not too early to start planning for Term 111/94-95. In fact, classeswill begin Jan. 15, 1995. Atentativeschedule will be availableat the end ofthe month. CCC is looking for part time instructors in the following areas: Criminal Justice, Computer Science, Humanities, History and Biology. Qualified candidates must possess a Master's degree with a minimum of 18 hours in the subject matter. A part-time position is now available in the CCC office. We are looking for an administrative assistant, 25 hours a week, 8 a.m.-I p.m., Mon-Fri. Strong typing skills a must. Call Ellen Soucy for more information. Troy State University, 4782 - If you are not yet a TSU student, consider the bachelor's degrees we offer in business administration and resource management. If you already have your bachelor's degree, TSU offers a master's degree in' public administration that can be completed in one year! Drop into the TSU offices for more information. We are located in the education center on Chapel Hill behind MWR. Come by or call us today!