Letter On Costigan -- Ho Chi Minh Happened To Admire Washington

In commenting on John Carlson's letter of April 6 concerning the ``errors'' of the late Giovanni Costigan, I shall limit my remarks to the most ironic. Carlson ridicules Costigan for calling Ho Chi Minh a ``Vietnamese George Washington.''

It so happens that Ho Chi Minh was an admirer of George Washington. The former kept a portrait of the latter in his office. The Vietnamese declaration of independence from France was modeled after the American one of 1776. Bands even sang the Star Spangled Banner.

History tells us how Uncle Sam rewarded the flattery. In short, the U.S. made war on a friend.

- John. R. Hammen, Seattle