Posted on 12/17/2004 5:12:06 PM PST by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will begin personally signing condolence letters sent to families of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, after receiving criticism over his use of mechanical signatures.
In a statement provided to Stars and Stripes on Thursday, Rumsfeld tacitly admitted that in the past he has not personally signed the letters, but said he was responsible for writing and approving each of the 1,000-plus messages sent to the fallen soldiers’ families.
“I have directed that in the future I sign each letter,” he said in the statement.
“I am deeply grateful for the many letters I have received from the families of those who have been killed in the service of our country, and I recognize and honor their personal loss.”
In a separate statement, Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said, “In the interest of ensuring timely contact with grieving family members, he has not individually signed each letter.”
Department of Defense officials for the past few weeks had said only that the content of the letters was private.
But several families of troops killed overseas said they were sure the notes they received had not been signed by hand, and said they were angry that Rumsfeld was not paying attention to their loss.
“To me it’s an insult, not only as someone who lost a loved one but also as someone who served in Iraq,” Army Spc. Ivan Medina told Stripes.
“This doesn’t show our families the respect they deserve,” said Medina, a New York resident whose twin brother, Irving, was killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq this summer.
Illinois resident Bette Sullivan, whose son John was killed in November 2003 while working as an Army mechanic in Iraq, was incensed when she, her son’s wife and her grandchildren received the exact same condolence letter with the apparently stamped signature.
“If each family receives two copies, how many signatures does that amount to?” she asked in an e-mail response to Stripes. “I can understand the use of stamped signatures for his brothers’ mementos, but for those of his wife and children and mother? No, no, no.”
Retired Army Col. David Hackworth, an author and frequent critic of the Department of Defense, publicly criticized Rumsfeld in a syndicated column earlier this month for not reviewing each KIA letter personally.
He called the fake signatures “like having it signed by a monkey.”
“Using those machines is pretty common, but it shouldn’t be in cases of those who have died in action,” he said. “How can [DOD officials] feel the emotional impact of that loss if they’re not even looking at the letters?”
Hackworth said he objected to using the stamped signatures for promotion and commendation letters as well, but said not personally handling the condolence letters is a much more serious offense.
Family members had expressed similar concerns to Stripes about President Bush’s signature on his condolence letters, but Allen Abney, spokesman for the president, said that Bush does personally sign the letters sent from the White House.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secretary Rumsfeld's statement
Statement by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on condolences to servicemembers and their loved ones, as provided to Stars and Stripes:
“It is a solemn privilege of the many of us in the Department to meet with U.S. forces and families who have experienced injury or death in the defense of our country.
“During visits with wounded forces and their families at Walter Reed Army Hospital or at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center, I have drawn inspiration from the dignity and resolve of these wonderful young Americans and their loved ones.
“Over the past years, my wife, Joyce, and I have met with several hundred wounded troops and their families during visits to intensive care units, therapy facilities, and their rooms in military hospitals in the United States and abroad.
“During visits to military installations, I have met with still others during their visits to the Pentagon.
“Joyce and I also have met together and individually with spouses and children of those killed in action.
“At the earliest moment in the global war on terror, I determined that it is important that military families who have lost loved ones in hostile actions receive a letter from me directly.
“I wrote and approved the now more than 1000 letters sent to family members and next of kin of each of the servicemen and women killed in military action. While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter.
“I am deeply grateful for the many letters I have received from the families of those who have been killed in the service of our country, and I recognize and honor their personal loss.”
Oh for goodness sakes, give the man a break. Autopen sigantures on documents that the Secretary has approved and signed off on has been the Washington way of business for a long long long long time. Until it was brought to his conscious attention, neither he nor anyone around him probably even thought about it. As has been previously discussed, these letters are traditionally written by the unit CO.
Given how Washington works, that is really highly unlikely. Cabinet officers are expected to bring a substantial amount of political support with them. Wolfiowitz is neither a formerly elected politician, captain of industry nor well-known representative of a minority group.
I guess you missed this little statement here, huh? I suppose it would be better, in your opinion, for families to wait weeks before they even learn about the fate of their loved ones, just so the letter that informs them is signed by the Secretary of Defense.
Monica Crowley was involved with the Nixon Administration. She is not just a radio personality. If you were the tiniest bit informed about conservative issues, you would know that.
Bet you know Howard Stern real well, though.
My point, Lady is that just because they are on the radio does not mean I give them credibility. I am asking for some background all I get so far is she is a doctor of some kind (doctor of what?) and she worked for the Nixon admin (in what capacity?).
Fan is short for fanatatic - try not to be too fond of people because they are talkin' on the TeeVee or the squak box.
So who signed all the condolence letters for those who died in Vietnam, Korea, and WWII?
No, of course not. Don't make such asinine assumptions.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.