Veterans Anger Ignited by Conduct Of Congress and Media
By Thomas D. Segel (09/18/07)
Harlingen, Texas, September 17, 2007: Veterans are as varied and unique as America. They have different political beliefs, different views on war and peace, and different feelings about the future of the country. If there is anything that unites this special band of men and women, it is their faith and loyalty to each other. Thus when one of them is maligned, it is felt by all.
Eric Muth is a disabled veteran residing in Milford, Connecticut. He sees our Congress being dominated by reactionary politicians searching for quick return issues that will win them the upcoming election. “What we need,” he says, “are visionary politicians and they are hard to find. The revisionist politicians all point to what they would have done and done differently, but those are useless points.”
Muth further believes that “At this time it is unlikely there is a truly pro-war crowd, though there may be a ‘nuke-em’ faction. There certainly is an anti-war crowd and perhaps unknowingly they demoralize soldiers in the field who bear the brunt of duties assigned them. These men and women of honor are being dishonored.”
Ronald J. King is a retired Army Master Sergeant living in El Paso, Texas. His feelings about our politicians are even stronger. “There are too many in congress that are no better than the judges and lawyers that shaft military retirees. The best thing that can happen to this country is to vote everyone that is in office out, and start over. This won’t happen and what is being done against our military retirees will not be published in any of the big newspapers…I see nothing in the foreseeable future that will change my mind.”
“Man do I have opinions”, says Kenneth Howe, a Navy veteran from Grand Rapids, Michigan. “On the ‘General Betray Us’ ad, I think it is as close to treason as one can get. Pure partisan BS in search of power, but not in search of knowledge.
“ I am against the war in Iraq and would bring our troops home today, if I could. I would also bring our troops home from Germany, Korea, Japan and anywhere else are armed forces are deployed. The regular Army would then be deployed along our southern border with orders not to let anyone pass without legal permission to do so.”
In Lubbock, Texas, George A. White, a retired Air Force Captain, was angry enough at the conduct of congressmen during General Petraeus’ report hearings that he wrote to Fox News. He closed his letter to the media saying,
“ I spent 26 years active duty in the military. I was, and am proud of my military service, and I am proud of the brave men and women who now serve to insure our continued freedom. I was not a military hero, although my duties during the Viet Nam era many times placed my life at risk. I simply did my job, as many others did, and as many others continue to do today. “Our liberal politicians (which include both political sides) are an extreme danger to our military and an extreme threat to the freedoms that this country has stood for so long. If the American people do not wake up and vote out these weak-minded menaces, we are going to be over run with people who do not believe in individual freedoms.
“You need some new voices on your news programs (Fox News), and you won't achieve that by giving the American people the same old disgruntled politicians and the same old media reporters who all proclaim to be experts. “
Vietnam veteran Richard Ask makes his home in Traverce City, Michigan. He is angry about many things; including the war, the treatment of service personnel, veteran’s health care, the VA in general and what he feels are manipulating politicians in both parties. Some of what he has to say includes,
“When I returned from VN and landed in Washington I had feces thrown on me and was called a baby killer…When Bush came to my home town I was again called a baby killer by many who picketed him. I felt that every vote for John Kerry was another person calling me a baby killer…I am opposed to the war for many reasons. First because Congress shirked its responsibility to declare war…As a life member of the VFW I feel no disrespect toward any who serve. They are holding up their end of a contract. The question is will the government hold up their end? The answer is NO. They never have and never will. Bush manipulated the veterans for their vote. He promised he would get the VA back on track. Bull Crappy.”
The message from Army retiree Thomas P. Skaug up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin is, “The national news media are, in my humble opinion, one of the driving forces behind what is coming out of Washington. Being both a Vietnam and a Gulf War (veteran) my blood boils knowing we have politicians running for President that are in the pockets of the far left wealthy. They have truly lost touch with both reality and the American people, with the exception of far left liberals.
“When in Vietnam the politicians had no back bone and it appears history is going to repeat itself once again. The surge is working and the military leadership is now well established and turning the corner. We as Americans must stand firm with our military and let them do their job. MoveOn.org is providing far left liberal Democrats with biased and unjustified information that a number of Democrat Presidential candidates have embraced. True Democrats should voice condemnation and demand full accountability for their actions.”
Colonel Daniel K. Cedusky US Army, Retired and writer of the “Colonel Dan” column, sends this from Champaign, Illinois. In his words, “I don’t like ‘Wings’ left wings or right wings or amateur war fighter ‘Chicken Hawks’. President Bush listened to them far too long. It would have been a different war if he had listened to more of the generals, instead of retiring/firing them, and he had sent enough troops to Afghan in the first place and finished there. Saddam would have waited a year or two. Cheney and Runsfeld were his two biggest mistakes. They started screwing things up in the 80’s and 90’s. We have to get construction, water and electricity going in Iraq and Afghan. We are way too slow to date.”
Heading south, we have word from Bob Thompson in Panama City, Florida. He has been a member of the Retired Military Veterans since 1968. “I do not claim to be wise enough to get us back to a government controlled completely By the People and For the People. But, I do know that if we continue down this present destructive path of permitting the elite to control us, the constitutional Republic of the United States of America will cease to exist…and soon.
“Our only chance for survival is to identify and install true and tested patriots, as a nucleus to begin necessary change, and direct that change until wise men and women step forward and lead the way back to the Republic, under God…with Liberty and Justice for All.”
Former Army Ranger Rick Redman really has harsh words for both the media and the liberal left. “It never ceases to amaze me how the pundits and the New Age Demo-communists are full of condemnation of President Bush and ‘His War’. Funny, I haven’t discovered that they even have a clue about our adversary. They certainly don’t offer up any solutions as to how to win the war. Their only response to things is ‘Damn the consequences.’
“The last I read, it took longer than 4 years to establish our government. After the events of the past 40 years or so, these jackasses expect the Iraqis to do things the way the Demo-communists think they should do it. Their idea seems to be ‘Go out in the street, find someone who looks like he isn’t doing anything, appears to have the IQ of a bunch of carrots and put him in office.”
Retired Air Force Technical Sergeant Kevin Healy lives in Little Compton, Rhode Island. He thinks, “The greedy bunch of power mongering professional politicians in Washington are killing this great nation as they strive to garner the votes they need to retain their positions.
“There is no honor left in the majority party and even some on the other side of the aisle. The slandering of our troops, General Petraeus and the Commander in Chief is nothing short of treasonous.”
Ingram, Texas is the home of Retired U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Dan Decker. His view is, “It is my firm belief that the Democratic Party will do anything to bring down the Bush Administration, including the destruction of America. They have no clue as to the results of leaving Iraq too early and losing the war. They would not be a friend to the military. Their list of priorities is Party… Self...God…Country in that order. Very few of them have a list longer than the first two items. The General Betray Us ads were paid for by MoveOn.org, but were firmly backed and supported by the Democrat Party. They bring shame to America and they do not respect the military or what the military has accomplished. The anti-war crowd is shameful. They embarrass me as an American citizen.”
CMS Noel K. Pritzi, U. S. Army Retired is 100% disabled from wounds received in action. He makes his home in Clarksville, Tennessee and often visits with soldiers at Fort Campbell. He says, “I saw the times article presented during the General’s hearings on Capital Hill and I must say it was a shameful act. General P surely does not deserve that remark.”
“You know this is the home of the 101st and it is preparing to deploy. Spirits are high and they are ready to start another tour. Some for the third time. Do they want to go? Hell no! But asked if they would go if their country asked them to. Hell yes! Hurrahs! Personally I am for calling up the draft again. There are too many of our men sitting in jails, prisons and becoming couch potatoes to suit me. The draft made better citizens of men and women my age.”
Brigadier General Robert Clements, US Air Force Retired reflects on the congressional hearings. “I will never forget the feeling of disgust and outrage listening to Senator Clinton make her statement bluntly calling General Petraeus a liar…The look on her face was that of a psychotic. It wound back the pages of history and time to when I personally listened to the McCarthy-Army hearings of 9 June 1954 when Mr. Welch said to Senator McCarthy…’You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency? ‘
“I would like to paraphrase Mr. Welch by saying…You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, Senator Clinton, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”
Finally, out of Las Cruces, New Mexico comes word from a friend, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Revie. “I think Congress has swung too far to the left, too fast, with the likes of Kennedy, Edwards, Kerry, Murtha, Reid, Pelosi, Clinton, etc. and is really going overboard with the ‘cut and run’ philosophy they thought was their mandate from the electorate. If I recall correctly many of these same individuals supported the president’s call to go into Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Of course we got run out of Vietnam by our Democrat controlled Congress, which cut off funds for the war. But, everybody fails to acknowledge that a Democrat controlled Congress and the Johnson Administration got us into Vietnam in the first place. Democrats ignore their own mistakes. As is much evident in the 110th Congress.
“America is not at war. The military is at war. America is at the mall. Congress is out of touch!”
Semper Fidelis,
Tom Segel
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