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U.S. veterans despondent over al-Qaeda’s resurgence in Iraq
The Washington Post ^ | Jan. 11, 2014 | Ernesto Londoño

Posted on 01/12/2014 9:34:08 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

The towering former three-star general keeps a wooden box on his desk with the photos of 257 service members who died in Iraq under his command, sorted by date. During quiet moments, usually a couple of times a week, Mark Hertling opens the lid, inscribed with the words “Make it Matter,” flips through the laminated portraits of uniformed troops and reflects on their loss.

“I try to keep track of anniversaries of the deaths and say a prayer for them and their families,” said Hertling, who now works at a hospital in Orlando. “During the holiday season, you think about the young men and women killed in 2003, 2004 and figure they would have been in their 30s now, with a couple of kids.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 01/12/2014 9:34:08 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican
I doubt "despondent" is the right word to describe how veterans feel about this. Hell, I'm fighitn', spittin' mad and PO'd to no end about it, and I got out of the Army in '96! I can only imagine how the guys who were there feel.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

2 posted on 01/12/2014 9:55:25 PM PST by wku man (We are the 53%! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUXN0GDuLN4)
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To: MinorityRepublican

This is Obama and Hagel’s “weak spot”. American veterans and their families, including the Gold Star families, must go after Obama for treason and Hagel for cowardice.

Use whatever media forums you can get, but do it, and do it now.

My son fought in Iraq and he has been betrayed. I was a pro-American journalist in S. Vietnam and Cambodia and I, along with my friends (including POWS) have been betrayed.

It is time for this treason to stop, and American veterans can be the spearpoint of the drive that will nail Obama’s red ass to the wall, and drive that coward Hagel out of office.

Strike now, strike often. Make your voices heard, time and time again, until we win.

Also, campaign for the US to give the British PAVE helicopters for rescue missions in Afghanistan. We are leaving that country and taking them with us despite the fact that they have saved thousands of lives of allied troops caught in desperate situations.

See the FR article about a full page down on tonight’s screen.


3 posted on 01/12/2014 9:58:30 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: blueyon; KitJ; T Minus Four; xzins; CMS; The Sailor; ab01; txradioguy; Jet Jaguar; Defender2; ...

Active duty ping.


4 posted on 01/12/2014 10:02:12 PM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: wku man

Leave it to the Washington Post to try to play up any angst harbored by our troops. Our troops are resilient. They know how these things play out. Despondent? B.S.


5 posted on 01/12/2014 10:17:45 PM PST by DoughtyOne (ZERO is still zero, and John Kerry is a mock-puppet!)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
In Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan the American warrior defeated the enemy and then...democrats surrendered.

I guess we do get the government we deserve.

6 posted on 01/12/2014 10:33:02 PM PST by Eagles6 (Valley Forge Redux)
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To: DoughtyOne
A few months ago there were some articles stating Iraq supposedly wants American assistance (troops) back.

Al Falljah and Ar Ramadi fell recently, so there's reason for them to be in the news.

However, just about every lefty rag has come out with the same talking points, building, and building - the fall of those two cities [and leaving them in enemy hands] is a slap in the face of veterans. Those poor, poor veterans. This leaves the (as of now) unasked question - what should be done.

Of course we should. Whenever something happens, something must be done.

These publications never cared about veterans. During Al Fajr they only played up the casualty numbers for all their political worth. During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, within a week it was "quagmire."

The articles on Al Fallujah and Ar Ramadi attempt lead the reader to the conclusion "something must be done." Of course they all have to try and spin blame onto Bush (who was responsible for Al Fajr and the Surge - both worked) and away from 0bama (who cut and ran, which is obviously not working).

Veterans must take a hit to their COLA - for the more deserving illegal immigrant that came here to make a better life for himself, besides veterans are used to sacrificing; it makes them feel good about themselves.

Yet, strangely enough in the same week, story after story about how Al Fallujah and Ar Ramadi falling back to terrorists is negatively impacting our troops and veterans.

A 1% cut to cost of living adjustments so that it doesn't keep pace with inflation = No problem.

A city that was taken 9 1/2 years ago, in a country with next to no U.S. military presence, that was supposedly victim to unjust U.S. military action is taken over by terrorists rebels with the same ideology and aggression toward Syria, who are supported by the U.S. in Syria, but chastised for the same actions in Iraq = Slap in the face to American Veterans.

At that point FRiends, the question should be - "WHY?" Why the sudden care for the plight of our veteran's feelings at WaPo, NYT, etc?

7 posted on 01/12/2014 10:48:21 PM PST by Repeat Offender (What good are conservative principles if we don't stand by them?)
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To: Eagles6
...democrats surrendered. I guess we do get the government we deserve.

As a Vietnam era vet (not a Vietnam veteran), I know we can depend on the democRATS and Rinos to stab us in the back.

That is a foregone conclusion.

It's just one of those guaranteed things in life.

What's as bad is their stabbing us in the back includes the murdering of anyone in whatever country we fought in, that helped us as they are stabbed in the front, back and sides by the "bad guys" after we leave and abandon them.

The lefties caused the murder of tens of thousands of Vietnamese who either helped us or were related to American servicemen.

The same will happen in Afghanistan and Iraq.

No matter how pretty a face the Rat and Rino pigs try to paint on, they are still murdering pigs, and that's all there is to it.

There is no need for us to be despondent over this, just to continue on, and hope that in the end, either in this life or at judgment day, these murdering monsters "get what they are due".

8 posted on 01/12/2014 10:51:41 PM PST by Mogger (Independence, better fuel economy and performance with American made synthetic oil.)
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To: Mogger

Yep. I agree.


9 posted on 01/12/2014 11:07:39 PM PST by Eagles6 (Valley Forge Redux)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper; MinorityRepublican; Jet Jaguar

Pentagon Officially Extends Benefits to Same-Sex Spouses

Hagel Promises More Military Pay, Benefits Cuts

10 posted on 01/13/2014 7:52:10 AM PST by SkyPilot
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