If we look, we can find a cure for war

In my hometown of Lake Placid in the early '40s, I met Lowell Thomas, the famous radio broadcaster on the ski slopes. In 1946, I met William Shirer, author of "Berlin Diary," on the Lake Placid Golf Course. Both men thought we could stop war.

When in the army and stationed at Walter Reed Hospital, I met Congressmen Mahon. In July 1944, I attended the Democratic convention, where I talked to Senator Briggs. Both thought we could stop war.

In 1945-46 I was at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis helping to discharge over a thousand soldiers a week. Sadly, 90 percent of them thought we couldn't stop war. After the army, I kept talking to people, and again, hundreds of them thought we couldn't stop war.

What were some of their reasons? One universal one was we have always had wars.

I asked isn't war a disease? I would remind them that in the early '40s, polio was a disease for which we felt there was no cure. But then doctors did find a cure.

Also at that time tuberculosis was a disease killing many folks. TB sanatoriums were set up. We heard again the theme we will never find a cure. But doctors did eventually find a cure.

Some leaders say we can cure the disease of war. Today we need to challenge our world leaders, our billionaires, our doctors, our religious leaders and our military leaders to become generals of peace.

We can start challenging our society to understand the theme of the U.N. that war begins in the minds of men and war can end in the minds of war.

We can also ponder another thought by another general, MacArthur, who said, "The next great stage in the development of civilization is to stop war."

Robert Pendleton

Elk Grove Village