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A Marine's Father Speaks (about the Rumsfeld controversy)
Powerline Blog ^ | 12.21.2004 | Hindrocket

Posted on 12/21/2004 12:56:53 PM PST by luv2ski

People sometimes tell us in emails that we don't know much about military matters. That's true. But we have readers who do. This morning, the father of a Marine who is a special operations team leader wrote to offer his thoughts on the "autopen" controversy:

If [our son] had been killed, we would have been first informed by a visit - in dress blues - from a condolence team typically consisting of two Marines and one Navy Chaplain. We know many families who've received that knock on the door. No letter is required. No words are required. A simple peek thru the view hole in the door and the sight of dress blue blouses, white covers and white gloves tells you all you ever need to know.

A letter of condolence from the SecDef is, honestly, not even worth opening. Families are much more interested in hearing from the men who served with their son and from their families. We share the constant knowledge and fear that it could be our door bell being rung. Sec. Rumsfeld doesn't know our son. He's a Lance Corporal. He directs a machine gun team. He is a vital link in the line that protects our way of life.

He doesn't fight for his country, he doesn't fight for the SecDef, he doesn't even fight for his mom and dad. He fights for the guys on either side of him and for his team. He fights to secure his objective of the moment, which he may or may not understand or agree with. Sec Rumsfeld doesn't need to take time from his day to sign a form letter of condolence and he certainly doesn't need to take time to figure out what the LCpl was doing when he was killed or what kind of a man he was. His job is to make sure the LCpl didn't die in vain and that only as few LCpl's as possible will have to die to end this war in a successful manner.

Don't get me wrong, we would appreciate the condolence letter from the SecDef, as well as one from the White House and from our Senator and Representative, from the Mayor and Governor. But none would bring back our son. And they are all form letters, signatures be damned. A letter from his 1stSgt, from the men we know in his unit would be a treasure and a comfort.

I don't know what happens in other branches, or even other units. But in 2/4, I know the 1stSgt's personally contact the surviving family with letters, emails and phone calls of condolence.

By the way, we know families of fallen Marines who've been flown to sites where President Bush was speaking. He met with them privately after his event, never any press coverage, and the families have said that - after being given an agenda for their time with the President and being told that he's on a very tight schedule - Mr. Bush talked to every family member as long as they wanted to talk, never hurried anyone, cried with family, hugged everyone and they all felt like he had nothing else to do for the rest of the day but bring comfort to them. For that, George W. Bush has my eternal respect and gratitude. And there was NEVER one word of publicity surrounding any of these meetings with families. (I have pictures to dissuade doubters.)

Bottom line, we support Sec Rumsfeld. The people who are making a big deal about this have their heads up their collective a****. They need to have a serious priority check on what people in positions of responsibility should be doing with their time. They should also chat with some military families if they could figure out how to contact them.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bush; iraq; marines; military; rumsfeld

1 posted on 12/21/2004 12:56:54 PM PST by luv2ski
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To: luv2ski

Too bad this won't see the light of day in the MSM.


2 posted on 12/21/2004 1:00:35 PM PST by sean327 (All men are created equal, then some become Marines!)
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To: luv2ski
I could not have said things any better.

And having been there when the bullets are flying, he is dead on with the priorities.

The letter is a courtesy, something to be pigeon holed into a drawer somewhere. Not exactly something that one frames and places over the mantle.
3 posted on 12/21/2004 1:02:37 PM PST by stm
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To: Egon; Eb Wilson; Orgiveme
Bottom line, we support Sec Rumsfeld. The people who are making a big deal about this have their heads up their collective a****. They need to have a serious priority check on what people in positions of responsibility should be doing with their time. They should also chat with some military families if they could figure out how to contact them.

My thoughts, exactly!

4 posted on 12/21/2004 1:05:27 PM PST by RhoTheta (Democrats are the coalition of the coerced and the bribed!)
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To: luv2ski

Thank you and your Marine. As a son of a WWII Marine, may I say Semper Fi to those who serve.
-llevrok


5 posted on 12/21/2004 1:05:35 PM PST by llevrok
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To: sean327
Too bad this won't see the light of day in the MSM.

But that's the point. Why does Bush pay the least mind to the LM? They are of the opinion - GET BOOOSH! He's the real criminal, as one of their ilk recently said.

He should come out and say, the heck with the leftwing mainstream. Let them bitch. Let them fill their newscasts and newspapers with misleading nonsense. He should go on tv, either at a press conference, or maybe a national speech on the 'problem with the media', frame it just like that, and encourage people not to watch those broadcasts, and to take those newspaper and magazine pieces with the proverbial grain of salt. Do it once, and that's it. The more he responds to those who live in a fantasy world, the more he suggests to some that fantasy should be confused with reality, and that they ought to listen and read the garbage from the LM. To the extent he can, he should try to encourage the opposite, in order to put the interests of the United States ahead of those opposed.

6 posted on 12/21/2004 1:10:07 PM PST by sevry
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To: luv2ski

I watched Ollie North the other night , he stated all the Humvees without armor were ordered by Clinton. The fatc is when the Humvees were built they were built to be jeeps not Armored Personnel Carriers. Now that it is founf they need armor , they are getting it as soon as possible. The Armor the auto=pen , nothing but cheap shots at the President. When will the Dems ever learn Most people see right through their scams.


7 posted on 12/21/2004 1:10:23 PM PST by sgtbono2002
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To: sean327

Well, I sent the letter to Sean Hannity, lets see if it comes to light.


8 posted on 12/21/2004 1:11:30 PM PST by stm
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To: luv2ski

Thanks for posting this.


9 posted on 12/21/2004 1:12:17 PM PST by Modok
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To: sgtbono2002

Alas, that information is not presented nearly enough. Even on Fox, they blather away about "no armor" and "not enough troops"--and few ever challenge them. It's frustrating.


10 posted on 12/21/2004 1:30:28 PM PST by MizSterious (First, the journalists, THEN the lawyers.)
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To: luv2ski
Wow, what a letter.

It would be one of the most awful moments in a life to see those men in dress uniforms coming to your door.

11 posted on 12/21/2004 1:35:20 PM PST by colorado tanker (The People Have Spoken)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

I thought you might like to see this.


12 posted on 12/21/2004 1:42:58 PM PST by Bahbah
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To: luv2ski

Well said. That's the way it was when I was in the Corp. (a couple of wars ago) Thank God my parents never got the visit. They did get a letter when I was slightly dinged, and thought I'd be crippled for life. It was in the head so no harm done.


13 posted on 12/21/2004 2:15:19 PM PST by cannonball
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To: sean327

Maybe Rush or Sean could read it.


14 posted on 12/21/2004 2:16:07 PM PST by Cobra64 (Babes should wear Bullet Bras - www.BulletBras.net)
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To: luv2ski
How many "letters of condolence" did Robert McNamara sign?

Not many, I'd guess.

15 posted on 12/21/2004 2:27:25 PM PST by DuncanWaring (...and Freedom tastes of Reality)
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To: All

I attended the funeral for Lance Corporal Gregory Rund, USMC, on Sunday. The large church, in Littleton, CO was overflowing, with about 2,000 in attendance. Greg was killed by small arms fire in Fallujah. Small arms fire from about 3 feet away. He was first into a house, and after being hit managed to get the rest of his squad out of the house alive. The enemy fighter who killed Greg was found dead next to Greg's body when the squad reentered. We got the story from the half-dozen Marines (one with a cane and a heavy limp) who attended the funeral. The support for Greg's family was fantastic to see. Hundreds attended his internment at Fort Logan cemetary yesterday.
Semper Fi.


16 posted on 12/21/2004 2:30:01 PM PST by SaxxonWoods
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To: luv2ski

Wow....what are the chances that Dan Blather would air this on his program? LOL Ya, I know...zilch!


17 posted on 12/21/2004 2:36:01 PM PST by Arpege92 (Modern liberalism requires everyone to look different but think the same. - Lizavetta)
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To: luv2ski

I could never imagine what kind of strength it would take to go to a family's home, knock on the door, and tell them that their son is dead. That HAS TO BE the worst job in the military. I'd rather face the enemy with a pea shooter and a butter knife that that detail.


18 posted on 12/21/2004 2:38:05 PM PST by timydnuc (I'll die on my feet before I'll live on my knees.)
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To: timydnuc

It is a hard job. Works on a rotating basis, and is very often a part of training. My military child had funeral "duty" for several months.


19 posted on 12/21/2004 6:53:40 PM PST by Alia
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