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Your Letters: Veterans And Record Nostalgia

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Time now for Your Letters.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SIMON: Many of you were moved by our story about the Soldier Ride, a four-day cycling event organized by the Wounded Warriors Project. Iraq War veteran Sergeant Michael Owens spoke about why he rides.

SERGEANT MICHAEL SULLIVAN: I think it's really important for warriors and veterans like myself to be able to know that we can still do the same things we did before, or new things that we never tried before.

SIMON: Carmen Colley says that her own bike route takes her by an Army hospital in San Antonio. She writes: I have seen bikers missing an arm or a leg, sometimes both, riding on the path in their specially-constructed bikes. It warms my heart to see the bravery, strength, friendliness and pride exhibited by these men and women and those who accompany them.

In our Sports segment last week, we touched on Pat Summitt, who recently stepped down as coach of the Lady Vols basketball team in Tennessee. She is battling early onset Alzheimer's. She won more games than any college basketball coach in history and eight national championships.

Kate Dickerson, of Bangor, Maine, had one more accolade to note. She writes: All of her players who completed their eligibility at Tennessee graduated. She provided hard proof that you can have high athletic and academic expectations, and that they can not only co-exist but flourish.

Also last week, we talked to director Richard Parks and Murray Gershenz about a new documentary, "Music Man Murray," featuring Murray's Los Angeles record store. Now, he's owned the business since 1962 and now wants to sell his collection of hundreds of thousands of recordings.

After Lincoln Harrison heard the interview, he says he pulled out a cherished record: a 1965 Marty Gold recording of "My Moonlight Madonna." He writes: The tiny yellow label on the back of the cover says, Music Man Murray, 5516 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles. I bought it from Murray at his former Hollywood location more than 30 years ago for $4.95.

Well, Murray has been flooded by calls since the story aired, including at least a couple of offers to purchase his collection; one, he thinks, may actually be serious.

And you can flood us with your letters. We're on Facebook and Twitter @nprweekend. I'm @nprscottsimon, all one word. You could e-mail or post your comments at NPR.org. Click on the link that says Contact Us. We'll let the Music Man Murray take it away.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BROTHER, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?")

MURRAY GERSHENZ: (Singing) Once I built a railroad. I made it run, made it race against time. Once I built a railroad, now it's done. Hey, Brother, can you spare a dime? Once I built a tower...

SIMON: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.