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shawnmmcc
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Oerdin, my sister and I agree on the politics, and my late brother-in-law joined to defend the country after 9/11, not to go on foreign adventurism based on cooked intelligence (see my exchange with Ned on Rumsfeld, man of the year, when things were still "going alright"). He didn't support the war in Iraq, and we weren't at war with Saddam when he joined. However, as you well know, you don't get to join and pick your deployment based on what you agree with.
Actually, the hardest part was that my sister didn't want details on the risk factors, and unfortunately military hardware is a hobby of mine. At the time when he was deployed in Iraq, my fervent hope was that he would not be deployed in a Stryker or a humvee, the latter of which two out of three men in his armored unit would be deployed in. When I discovered that he was being deployed in an M1, I stopped worrying. Stupid me.
Please understand, my opposition was based on the point that I felt that the Iraq operation could only hurt, quite possibly substantially, the war against Moslem terrorists. I was very aware of the history in that part of the world, and the issues between Sunni and Shia (and Sufi and Bahai), Arab, Persian (there is tension betweent the Arab and Persian Shia communities), and Kurds, etc. not just what gets play in the popular press. Up till now I could tell people - I (we - the other's like me) told you so - now it's bitter herbs.
His death was unnecessary. Unlike wars from Korea and earlier, where the political leadership and elites had sons in harms way, now we have a Vice President who had, how did he phrase it, "better things to do" than fight in Vietnam. Bush took all those risks in the National Guard, as per HIS press release about flying out over the Gulf of Mexico. I respect people like my late brother-in-law, and you, for serving in the military. Your sacrifices make this current administration, trying to do foreign adverturism on the cheap while cutting taxes for their constituencies, an abomination. The sacrifice is all one sided. As I've stated in the past, I supported John McCain four years ago. I still wish he could run.
One area you might help. The officers who gave my sister the death notification were very kind, but not very helpful. The entire family is trying to make arrangements to get to the funeral. How long does it take to repatriate remains on the average? Also, since he died on Active Duty in a combat zone can she request he be buried in Arlington. Any info would be appreciated. Also, if she still has his child - as I mentioned they were just about to do in vitro, what happens with the benefits? Has this come up before?
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Jon Miller
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REVOLUTINOS
HJIob /miller
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SlowwHand
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of The Cooler
Sep 1999
time: 23:37
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You and yours will be in my thoughts and prayers.
That obvious emotion expressed, I feel I also should add that your anger is misplaced.
Hussein should bear the brunt of your hatred, along with literally millions of other family members.
Last edited by SlowwHand on 04-07-2004 at 18:48
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shawnmmcc
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Slowhand, they are not my leader. My anger would be against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden if he had been killed in Afghanistan. That was a war in the American tradition. I still might be irritated over the lack of resources put into it, but operations in mountainous terrain against guerrilla forces cause casualties. Period.
But this war was based on doctored intelligence, and an administration who deliberately muzzled and ignored the advice of professional intelligence and scenario people in the CIA, DOD, and state department. In fact they tried to use the Patriot Act to go after a military intelligence officer who was courageous enought to go public with their LIES about how the intelligence was handled, after it blew up in their face and they tried to deny they were warned.
Don't misunderstand me. I started a thread several months ago what should be done with Saddam, and personally feel we should let the Shia or Kurds deal with him. He is an evil man. But my brother-in-law in dead largely due to INCOMPETENCE, from an administration that FIRED a general (Shinseki) who tried to tell them they needed some number over 200,000 troops. So when Rumsfeld told a congressional committee several months ago that he didn't know he needed more troops I was appalled, at both him, and at the media for letting him get away with the lie. How can you not know if you fired someone for warning you? Oh, excuse me he just terminated Shinseki's career, he didn't really fire him.
I feel like someone whose family member died at the Battle of the Crater in 1864, or Gallipoli in WW1, or at Stalingrad (obviously from the losers standpoint). Screw-ups and miscalculations occur, but all of those examples are from incompetence, inaction, and down right stupidity at the hands of leaders who would never be exposed to the combat. If he had died of friendly fire in a training exercise I'd be no less upset, but I would not be incensed. Deaths during training in the military are inevitable, especially if you are doing it right. Same for friendly fire casualites.
BUT THIS WAS UNNECESSARY. If Bush had gotten Turkey and Nato on board, if he hadn't been in such a damn rush to get started, if he hadn't blown off all those stupid experts who kept bothering him with those silly details (Bush represent his administration, FYI), my sister's husband would more than likely would NOT BE DEAD. We only lost one hundred some odd in the first Desert Storm. See my point.
And the fact that Bush and Cheney both avoided Vietnam, an equally botched and manufactured conflict, and the fact they still JUSTIFY it, makes me angry. At least Clinton, not exactly someone of high moral character, admits simply he avoided it. Not that he "...had better things to do" (Cheney) or that he was taking risks flying his jet over the Gulf (Bush press release). My sister's husband death makes those statements OBSCENE.
Those who serve in the military in the combat services have all my respect. That is why I would not mind paying extra taxes to fund better VA hospitals, survivor benefits, etc. Nor extra money to keep armored divisions equipped with M1 Abrams and Bradley's, not this FUBAR called the Stryker. Now I get to bury someone else's mistake, and that is what brings me to tears as I type it.
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03-07-2004 12:09
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