This year, we have had the very good fortune of meeting two new neighbors who purchased a home here in Port Angeles.

They not only have enhanced our lives but also enhanced the quality of our Cherry Hill neighborhood.

They are a gay couple.

One of our new friends is a Vietnam War veteran who served with distinction and had the misfortune of being saturated by Agent Orange during a patrol more than once.

The physical consequences to him have been extreme and only serve to emphasize the lasting courage of his service to all of us.

As a Marine Corps veteran myself, I can fully appreciate the magnitude of his sacrifice that punctuates his life every day.

Thank you, my good friend.

Today, we learned that around midnight Sept. 13, a bigoted coward came to our friends’ home and shouted homophobic insults outside their front door.

Other neighbors heard the threats and rushed over, fearing the worst.

They were too late to see or identify the perpetrator.

A 9-1-1 call was made, and the Port Angeles Police Department came within minutes, offering consolation, but found no one after searching the neighborhood.

The coward had fled.

We want this person to know that his hateful maliciousness will not be tolerated in our neighborhood nor be rewarded in Port Angeles.

We and our other neighbors will be watching out on behalf of those we value.

It would be a mistake to think this harassment can be repeated without consequences.

Paul Koch and Yanjing Chen,

Port Angeles

EDITOR’S NOTE: According to Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith, officers responded to the 9-1-1 call at 1 a.m. Sept. 14 in the Cherry Hill area.

Four police vehicles searched the area.

“The subjects fled on foot and were not found,” Smith said.

“The identity of the individuals are not known.”