Recently, the U.S. surgeon general while being interviewed on national TV stated that the way to control sexually transmitted diseases was through education and providing free condoms through the schools and local clinics.
As a company commander in the Army in World War II, I had to face the problem of sexually transmitted diseases. We found that when we were stationed near Bielefeld, Germany, we were able to give daily passes to the enlisted men as the Germany army was not a threat at that time and place.It happened that an average of about 13 men or approximately 7 percent of the company contracted a sexually transmitted disease. This brought a severe reprimand from the battalion commander.
The action we took to control this was stern lectures along with having each man furnished with a condom as he left to go on leave. The results? Nothing changed. In spite of all our efforts, the number of men with a sexually transmitted disease stayed the same.
Army regulations required that anyone getting one of these diseases be reduced to the rank of private with loss of pay. Even this didn't change the results.
We should go back to the basics in the home and teach strong family values that include that premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality are not acceptable family standards, regardless of what is shown on TV or in the movies.
David E. Fullmer
Salt Lake City