| Apr 3, 2006 @ 12:42 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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Jankia
Posts: 11,907
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By Geoffrey C. Lambert
Saturday, April 1, 2006
The Associated Press reported recently that a trailside memorial to an American soldier killed in Afghanistan had been vandalized. The memorial to Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory, adjacent to the Ashuwillticook Trail in Cheshire, Mass., was defaced with the words "Oil," "Bush," "Christian Crusade" and other phrases.
Dan Petithory was one of my soldiers. He was an Army Green Beret and was killed on Dec. 5, 2001, north of Kandahar as he and his A-Team were closing in on the home of al-Qaeda and the Taliban leadership.
I attended Dan's funeral in Cheshire along with Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry, as well as the archbishop of Chicago and other generals and government dignitaries, who honored Daniel and his family with their presence. Kerry gave the eulogy and moved us to tears, acknowledging that this war was one that we had no choice but to fight. Toward the end of the Mass we shook hands, giving the sign of peace. We then turned to Dan's wonderful parents, brother and sister to try to somehow alleviate their pain and suffering.
Months later, my wife, Bonnie, and I were honored to have the Petithorys as guests in North Carolina. Our hearts ached anew at their loss, and I promised to jog the Ashuwillticook Trail one day in remembrance of Dan.
I was a soldier in 1969, and I witnessed misguided students and adults attacking individual soldiers because of their disgust with national policy. In the '60s the purveyors of hate on the left were mostly resident on campus and could not differentiate between those responsible for policy and deception regarding the war in Vietnam and the young, honorable men and women who served in the military.
The vandals who struck the Petithory family were confused. Oil, Christian crusades and Bush were not issues during the fight in Afghanistan. We had consensus. Both sides of the aisle in Congress and the entire nation agreed that al-Qaeda had to be kept from continuing its attacks.
Sadly, the vandals' actions are illustrative of how we have squandered our opportunity to face terrorism with unified and coherent action. The right's neocons orchestrated a war with Iraq that has destroyed national consensus and they are culpable for politicizing the individual soldier by repeatedly sending the message that to criticize policy equates attacking the soldier -- an allegation that is simply not true. Meanwhile, some on the left are returning to mindless violence.
So here I stand, waiting for my daughter to return from her voluntary tour in the Middle East with the U.S. Coast Guard, wondering if some cretin will spit on her. I pray that soon our leaders on the left, right and center will find a way forward, build a new consensus and reverse our growing polarization.
Meanwhile, I may take to long midnight walks on the Ashuwillticook Trail -- packing heat.
Me? Polarized? Count me in. Dan was a hell of a soldier from a great family.
The writer, a retired major general, commanded the Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) from 2001 to 2003.
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| Apr 3, 2006 @ 12:57 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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vicryder
Posts: 831
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My father was 5th SF in Viet-Nam, and My older brother is CSGM 3rd SF at Ft. Bragg.
No one should ever desecrate a memorial to any US soldier for any reason PERIOD.
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| Apr 3, 2006 @ 1:32 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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TiNkErGrRrRrR
Posts: 13,813
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No one should ever desecrate a memorial to any US soldier for any reason PERIOD.
 thats a horrible thing to do...
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| Apr 3, 2006 @ 1:39 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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fineartist
Posts: 124
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I would go a step further and say that soldiers in general should be given respect in death. Despite the exceptions, soldiers are those who would take up arms and risk their lives to defend what they believe in. Not everyone will agree with their beliefs but I hope they can at least respect the conviction to defend the beliefs.
To take a more far-sighted view, look into history and realize that many of the current situations have occurred before in the past. Those caught in the middle of struggles are the "common people" and those who serve the people like soldiers. It is far easier to target the people of a particular group(ie. nation) and their soldiers since they are far more accessible than the relative few in power who were the ones behind the struggles in the first place. It's like being upset with the waiter or watress rather than the cook over poorly cooked food. "Don't shoot the messenger..." This misguided direction of ire results in getting very little done and ruins the chances of intelligent dialogue.
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| Apr 3, 2006 @ 1:51 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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richmondcowgirl83
Posts: 1,062
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There is a memorial over there for Lance Corporal Nick Kirven. Its been shown on TV several times. Nick was one of my best friends in high school. I loved that man dearly. If anyone does anything to that memorial I won't be heard from again. Thats just plain wrong & they owe us more than juse a memorial for such a great man. Yes the capital building being built over where he died is being called the Kirven Building but I would rather have my friend here with me than some damn building over there.
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| Apr 3, 2006 @ 5:03 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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PsychoMagnet
Posts: 251
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memorial to an American soldier killed in Afghanistan had been vandalized.
Damnable, and unforgivable.
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| Apr 3, 2006 @ 7:53 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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Jankia
Posts: 11,907
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My hat goes off for your brother and your pa vicryder. 
I know your stand on the Iraqi war PsychoMagnet,glad your not a spitter!
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| Apr 3, 2006 @ 8:26 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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PsychoMagnet
Posts: 251
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I could never spit on America's finest. Although, there's some politicians I could lob some at. . .
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| Apr 4, 2006 @ 1:20 AM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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grumblebear
Posts: 10,559
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I served in the Navy, I spent 1980 in the Indian Ocean, during the Iran hostage Crisis, and the Iran/ Iraq war, when Saddam was our buddy
My uncle served in Vietnam 2 purple hearts, he was on the chinooks...
My Grandfather was a Navy Corpsman in the Pacific Theater during WW2,
My Great, Great grandfather was in the Minnesota division, called up during the civil war.... was wounded, lost a leg, but survived...
I look at the kids in the service these days, and I'm amazed, I don't remember being that young.... I am so proud of the service people, These young people who guard our rights and freedoms...
Anyone who has served our country remembers the Oath of enlistment...
"I, ( state your name), do solemly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed overme, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
I know I had goose bumps when I swore that oath...
I was 17 when I went in... kind of scary...
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| Apr 4, 2006 @ 10:05 AM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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Jankia
Posts: 11,907
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I look at the kids in the service these days, and I'm amazed, I don't remember being that young.... I am so proud of the service people, These young people who guard our rights and freedoms...
We also must remember that there is no draft in this country,these men and women are volunteers.
A great thanks to you and your truly American family grumblebear.
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| Apr 5, 2006 @ 12:35 AM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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Lovely1368
Posts: 112
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This is the kind of thing that just makes the protesters look bad. If anything, it would probably just cause MORE support for the troops and less tolerance for the protesters. Can you say backfire?
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| Apr 5, 2006 @ 2:50 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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bryan2992
Posts: 688
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I have never served this country in the military, nor did anyone in my family. BUT, I was taught that you respect those in uniform, regardless of what you think of the war or whatever at the time. The men and women that serve our armed forces deserve more than we can ever give them.
Without them and the ones that died before we wouldnt have the freedom to speak out against or for this war. Anyone who desicrates (spell check) a memorial to a soldier should be punished as a federal criminal and all punishment that can go with that.
Unfortunately there isnt a smiley face that salutes but I think thats what each of us should do whenever we see a soldier pass by or meet one in person
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| Apr 5, 2006 @ 2:59 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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Heaveninawildflower
Posts: 18,615
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Absolutely...I think Jankia and I both had people at Omaha Beach on D-Day, and many other places since then. Our soldiers deserve our full support in every way possible, as well as our respect and gratitude.
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| Apr 5, 2006 @ 3:05 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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Bj864
Posts: 3,964
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I think this is something that is very rare.
Everyone I know stands behind the troops, even if they are against the war.
There are always going to be people that will take any issue to the extreme. They are the dangerous ones, whether it is politics, religion or whatever.
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| Apr 6, 2006 @ 1:34 AM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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midnightthunder
Posts: 236
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Like some I don't agree with the war, but I consider it an act of ignorance and stupidity to deface a soldier who gave his life for this country.
Had I seen them doing it, I would be in jail for kicking their azzes, what a bunch of punks.
What a senseless act of depravity.
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| Apr 26, 2006 @ 11:33 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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sjpinatl
Posts: 671
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I'm completely with you on this one. I went to an anti-war concert in Athens GA (just checking it out) and one of the speakers said something about soldiers not being heroes, peacemakers are. I strolled my pudgy ass right up to the guy AS SOON AS HE GOT OFF THE PODIUM and told him that the soldiers don't make those decisions, it is the politicians. He sheepishly said "I know" and hung his head. Frankly, I'm suprised that I was the only one to say something to him. I'm pretty bold though 
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| Apr 27, 2006 @ 12:46 AM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers
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Jessa
Posts: 117
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My husband's active duty, as well as my sister and her husband. All our friends are active duty and some of the guys on our base were just sent to "hot spots". I've seen it all. Protestors standing in front of our base screaming that what we're doing is wrong. For 3 years this is going on. For 3 years they couldn't find anything good to do.
I'm not going to quote pages from google, I'm going to tell what I really think. When a lot of the guys we know thought they were going to war they assumed when they came home they'd be respected, that people would honor them. When they got home there were no red carpets, there was no round of applause, there were no champagne corks flying through the air. Instead, when they got here people disregarded their presence in the airport, and did whatever they could to avoid them at all cost. The media has made our soldiers look like morons, idiots, those that disrespect this country.. when all they want to do is serve. It's funny, they have to weed out the boys who want to sign up. A lot of the kids just want to kill people, can't wait to kill people... so naturally, they aren't recruited. It's a bunch of honest people serving, sure, a lot of them get drunk and pee on our front lawn... but we're family. I don't understand people that desecrate memorials, or their sons memories (cindy sheehan). I realize this story was quite a while back but the audacity of that woman is something I won't forget. When your son joins the service, has already served duty once, and wants to again, that is his choice. It is not the fault of our government. Everyone that joins the military knows they have a chance to go to war whether they like it or not. The media has done nothing but to show the bad... the death tolls... but never the good. There is a lot of good. One sided media. Bush finally said something to them.. Limbaugh as well. Called them on their bulls***. They need to stop badgering men in arms and start treating them with respect. The media wants another Vietnam, they want more of those Holy Days.. and they are furious they can't get what they want.
Everyone wants to make a debate out of everything, except those fighting for freedom. You see their pictures on the tv screens but never hear their words.
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| Apr 27, 2006 @ 1:54 PM |
Don't Politicize Our Soldiers |
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CynCity
Posts: 556
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Whenever I see yet another face on the media of a fallen soldier, I try to memorize their features, imagine them alive, living and laughing. I mourn each and every one of them, if only for a few moments.
I may not agree with this war, but I respect and admire every single service man and woman that is out their serving on our behalf, and their families that suffer during their absences with only hope and a prayer that they will return in one piece, physically and emotionally whole.
These are the men and woman that make me proud to be an American. In my book, there should be a red, white and blue carpet for them each to walk upon when they return home.
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