Vietnam vets betrayed again: Pentagon bureaucrat wants to abridge 50th-anniversary ceremonies

The Washington Times ^ | November 11, 2010 | Jim Robbins

[Abakumov]

The 50th-anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War should be a time of reflection and redemption, when a grateful country pays a long-standing debt to veterans who nobly fought in the conflict but came home to scorn and spit. But if a Pentagon bureaucrat has his way, the Viet vets will be denied their rightful honors once again....

The proposed budget for the commemorations was $100 million, which was less than the amount spent on the World War II and Korean War commemoration efforts. For example, the 1984 commemoration of the Normandy landings alone cost $38 million....

Enter Michael L. Rhodes, director of administration and management at the Pentagon.... According to an August action memo prepared by Mr. Rhodes for Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and obtained by The Washington Times, he urged Mr. Gates to reject the proposed commemoration program and adopt instead a "targeted" $30 million program. The memo describes the new approach as "a dignified and meaningful DoD Program of national recognition [that] need not be tied to the full timeframe of U.S. military involvement" and that will "provide nation-wide participation, while utilizing the resources involved in the most effective manner."

Mr. Rhodes' plan cuts the time frame of the commemoration down to 2015-18 and inexplicably features a kickoff in his former home of Honolulu, which is not exactly a resource-effective location. Hawaii is inaccessible for most veterans and is in a time zone where most Americans could not watch the event live on television.

[killermedic]

well isn’t this just a Happy Veterans Day. Thank you all who served and all the supporters of those of us who have served whether in combat or as garrisoned. Thank you all!

-KillerMedic

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

....At least it was honest.

Riiiiiight. Just like everything else before, during and after.

Once I've got past that minor quibble, I'm with you.

Call off the whole damn deal. If it ain't sincere, screw it.

Take whatever they were planning on paying for this cluster**** and take care of the wounded kids coming back from The Sandbox.

[onedoug]

Vietnam is a beautiful country and the people in the South still love Americans.

Go back. You won´t regret it.

The war is still going on, but the theater has changed significantly.

If the War On Terror finally breaks our way, we will have won in Vietnam too, as young people, breathing free, finally dump communism for Liberty.

[greyfoxx39]

Al Bama and his wife get a luxury vacation co$ting hundred$ of million$ per day to glorify themselves and everything un-American, but they can't scrape a tiny portion of that amount of money together to give our Vets the recognition they deserve?

The ones who risked their lives daily in the hellhole called Vietnam for years on end?

Well, seeing as the same freak-types who spat on our warriors coming home are now making these types of decisions, I guess I can't be too shocked.

My sentiments exactly...bears repeating.

[rahbert]

I'm going back as soon as I can line up Anthony Bourdain as my food guide and his VN lady guide as my traveling companion.. Can't wait to see if they still have 'protein' baked into the French rolls.

[huldah1776]

I want to see a welcome home parade in every major city on Veterans Day 2013, okay, DeMint or Palin?

[Tennessee Nana]

In 2015-18 there will be a different administration and Gates will no longer be in charge...

Pray that our 2012 president puts a real veteran who loves his/hercountry and the veterans in charge...

Tennessee Nana
USAF 72-79

[Veeram]

For all of you Vietnam Vets out there, THANK YOU for your service to our Country !!!!

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

May G-d Bless our Vietnam Vets.May the souls of those who died in the war rest in peace in G-d’s loving care.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

G-d Bless you and thank you for your service.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Thank you Viet Nam Vets so much for your service!

[Senator John Blutarski]

You gentlemen deserve your own day on your own terms. Screw this administration and its petty gamesmanship. Organize a national commemoration committee from among your veterans’ associations Pick the day, pick the venue, pick the kind of ceremony YOU want. Invite the public to contribute and participate.

I predict the response will be absolutely jaw-dropping.

I wasn’t there, but my hat will always be off to those who went and served. You are the noblest representatives of our Boomer generation - no question about it.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Abakumov.

• An Immigrant's Veterans Day Speech

And, a blast from the past, actually a couple, by someone who I've heard tell may have served in Vietnam, although it's pretty clear whose side he served on.

• [2007] Kerry's calculation ["Lurch" Kerry's campaign strategist spills his guts] -- John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, voted for the Iraq war resolution in 2002 after weighing the political ramifications and being told by his future campaign manager that he would never be elected president in 2004 unless he sided with President Bush on the issue... Shrum said that Mr. Kerry was skeptical of Mr. Bush's claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that he "didn't trust Bush to give the diplomatic route a real chance." ...Shrum wrote that... Jim Jordan, Mr. Kerry's former Senate press secretary and future campaign manager, "was insisting that he had to vote with Bush." Mr. Shrum wrote that Mr. Jordan had "hammered" Mr. Kerry with a warning: "Go ahead and vote against it if you want, but you'll never be president of the United States." Mr. Kerry voted for the war resolution, and Mr. Jordan became Mr. Kerry's campaign manager three months later.
• [2004] Kerry will give Democrats campaign cash, advisers say -- Party leaders, including some of Kerry's top campaign aides, said this week they were surprised and angry to learn that he had more than $15 million in accounts from the Democratic primaries. They demanded to know why the money wasn't spent to help Kerry defeat President Bush or to aid congressional candidates. There were no easy answers to those questions, officials close to Kerry acknowledged...

[TornadoAlley3]

*

[RetiredArmy]

I was spit on at the Atlanta airport. I was called a baby killer. I guess I will now live with being pissed on. The government has pissed on us for decades. Why stop now?

[jmacusa]

There’s what? 435 members in The House of Reps. and 100 Senators and one president, Obama? I don’t count Slow Joe as anything other than useless. How many Vietnam vets and Americans who care about them? Millions? I’d say the numbers are on the side of the vets. The aforementioned a-holes in the Oval Office and the House and Senate would do well to remember that.

[jmacusa]

They taught you how do fight, didn’t they? Piss on ‘em back.

[jivin gene]

“They (US Government) needs to send the $ to the Palis.

And every other son of a b!#tch that wants the US and Isreal DESTROYED.”

According to Drudge, shillary just gave the Pali bastards $150 million of our tax dollars. And, as far as that fudge packing, lily livered, affirmative action, momma’s boy sissy in my White House, he can take his middle digital, find larry sinclair, and put it to some good use. I consider ANY phony recognition from that coward or any of his political ilk, a personal affrontery.

[Tzimisce]

Happy Veteran’s Day *gives the bird*

/sarc

[Soothesayer]

This is what happens when the 60s hippy vermin come to power.

I wish I could go back in time and drop a big daisy cutter on Woodstock. Maybe even 2...or 3 just to make sure nothing gets out.