"I really appreciate your story about Steve Rizen and the remarks of the top English groups. We find out how much gratitude our favorite groups show to us. We make them famous and bring them millions of dollars and the have the nerve to insult America's patriotic song.

     "Just because a young man creates a big hit, they complain. If they aren't top, watch out. They should apologize to Sgt. Barry Sadler, whom we should be proud of for belonging to the Green Berets and writing such a top song."

REPLY: A dozen more letters said just about the same thing.

Flip Side of Coin
     Christine Callahan of Latrobe  writes:

     "Congratulations to Steve Rizen of KQV for having the courage to play a tape of English singers blasting "The Ballad of the Green Berets" They're right. It's trash , disgusting and propaganda. It's a sad commentary on this country's young people when they make number one a record that glamorizes a filthy war we have no right to be in in the first place, and makes a group of professional assassins some kind of American heroes.

     "As to your remarks about their criticism of the records hurting the Beatles - why should it hurt them? Since when does criticism of someone else affect a person? As for the content of the records, there are a lot of people besides the Beatles who don't like it.

     "In fact, there are a lot of people in the news and out of it, who oppose the serious mistake that inspired the record."

REPLY: There it is, your opinion in print. The only such letter received.