SIR — I write concerning your front page story 'War hero's battle for his medal' (Free Press November 2).
Since World War Two ended, successive governments should hang their heads in shame at the manner in which our veterans have been treated.
It is a national disgrace that brave men such as Merchant Navy veteran Peter Baker are being deprived of a much-deserved medal from the Russian Federation because our Foreign Office says it would break the rules over acceptance of overseas medals.
Yet those from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA are all receiving the medal. It is an outrage!
My late father also served with the Merchant Navy during Wolrd War Two and like Mr Baker was also on the Russian convoys.
He used to tell me many stories of the dangers involved - working below sea level in the boiler rooms was indeed a very dangerous place to be.
Many hundreds of merchant ships were taken out by German U Boats, and it was only when the introduction of a sophisticated radar system gave our ships more protection that the tables were turned.
For many merchant seamen it really was a gauntlet of hell.Yet these courageous guys were not even invited to march with other veterans to London's Cenotaph on Remembrance Sundays until 1999. That to me is disgusting!
And it is not just the Merchant Navy that has been treated so abysmally.
The manner in which those unsung heroes of Bomber Command were treated is again a national disgrace.
It took almost 70 years for a monument to be erected in London's Green Park to them, by which time many had already died, going to their graves as if they were a embarrassment to the country they put their lives on the line for.
Even Sir Winston Churchill turned his back on them as they were ridiculed and shoved to the back like a dirty secret, all because of the high amount of German civilians that perished during bombing raids on major German cities. Let's not forget that our cities were bombed first and we only acted in retaliation.
On this Remembrance Sunday, the politicians that do not do nearly enough for our World War Two veterans will no doubt be hypocritically wearing the Red Poppy as they stand to attention at services throughout the nation.
There are no ifs or buts about it - Mr Baker should be allowed his medal as soon as possible. Simple as that!
David Webster,
Warwick Road,
Taunton.