The 55th anniversary of D-Day reminded us of the many thousands of Americans and others who lost their lives on the Normandy beaches, and of how unnecessary that slaughter was. The democracies had spent the 1930s dithering around, trying to negotiate with someone who would only break his word each time.

Sound familar? Just change the name of the tyrant from Hitler to Milosevic and the name of the minority he oppressed from Jews to Kosovars, and here we are all over again.

Fortunately, this time the democracies got their act together, although somewhat belatedly, and as I am writing this it appears that maybe Milosevic has gotten the message that we won’t tolerate this kind of savagery.

It can be argued that bombing wasn’t the way to go, or that we should have sent in ground troops early on. The point, though, is that, because Milosevic wouldn’t negotiate in good faith, force of some kind was needed.

If in fact the worst of the Kosovo crisis is over, much credit goes to President Clinton, Secretaries Madeleine Albright and Bill Cohen, and those in America and in Europe who supported their efforts.

If the Serbs continue what now looks like stalling on implementation of the agreement, perhaps some additional force will be needed to convince them. The world cannot afford to let today’s tinhorn Hitler get away with repeated genocide in the Balkans. Percy O. Daley Jr. Belfast