Editor,

Ah, yes, the endangered spotted owl and his accomplice, the marbled murrelet. When you have no facts to back up your statements, let’s bring up an endangered species to get some attention.

It makes you look rather foolish.

I would like Mr. Wilbur (who wrote a Dec. 6 letter to the editor) to please state his sources of how flying above the Olympic National forest is impacting these creatures.

The training for the aircrew in searching out electronic emissions is invaluable, and the radiation emitted by the mobile transmitters is no worse, I am going to guess, than a cell phone tower.

Not knowing how long Mr. Wilbur has lived in the area, his statement of Prowlers and Growlers not being planned to be here is false. Whidbey Island was specifically selected during WWII due to its mild weather and excellent areas for different types of training.

As far as COER goes, this group has one goal in mind, and that is to close NAS Whidbey. By his letter, Mr. Wilbur is an ardent supporter of theirs. His closing states that the jets of the Navy cannot coexist with the environmentalists. Well, I guess we will see how that pans out as the sound of silence is just that: no jobs, no shopping and a very reduced school system.

As for me, let the sound of freedom continue.

Michael Van Voorst

Oak Harbor