It will be interesting to note public reaction if Kansas State University is able to attract the nation’s highest-ranking military official, a K-State alumnus, to fill a post at the school after he retires. That man is Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was a speaker at a Lawrence Chamber of Commerce banquet in January and plans to retire soon.

K-State and Myers are discussing a role with the school’s Institute for Military History and 20th Century Studies. The Kansas City, Mo., native, now 63, would be an asset to the school and the state. He has spent four years as the nation’s top military man and has much to offer the faculty and students in Manhattan. Many will agree, but there are sure to be detractors.

If negotiations between K-State and Myers are successful, we can expect almost immediately protests about adding “a military presence” to the staff. Never mind his background, his achievements, his vast experience and his ability to communicate on important matters.

Myers has long been active in Kansas State activities and if K-State can get him for its faculty, it should do so posthaste without deterrence from “antiwar” activists. What such people fail to accept is that more often than not military people such as Myers who have seen the worst of the human condition are among the strongest advocates for peace and justice to be found. They know that war is a miserable way to try to do business and strive to prevent violence and confrontations.

At the same time, Myers is no shrinking violet as far as the practical aspects of a military career, which often entails perilous service. He is an Air Force pilot who flew 600 combat hours in Vietnam and knows first-hand the ravages of war. He also has seen the merits of peace and negotiation.

Gen. Myers is a well-rounded, accomplished individual who should be added to the K-State faculty if at all possible. He, K-State and the state of Kansas would benefit from such a move.