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Military relents, agrees to fly vets to Iwo Jima for ceremony
Stars and Stripes ^ | 2 Mar 10 | Charlie Reed

Posted on 03/03/2010 10:30:36 AM PST by GATOR NAVY

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The military changed its mind and took a group of aging World War II veterans to Iwo Jima on Wednesday.

The former Marines, who fought at Iwo Jima 65 years ago, went to the island Wednesday morning on a C-130 aircraft, said 2nd Lt. Lucas Burke, a Marine Corps spokesman on Okinawa, where the group has been staying while in Japan.

They joined hundreds of Marines, including Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway, at Iwo Jima for a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the historic 36-day battle.

The Pentagon initially denied the veterans’ request for military transportation but reversed that decision the day after Stars and Stripes reported that the military was unable to help the stranded veterans. Details about how and why the military was able to make the trip happen were unclear Wednesday, and Burke referred further questions to the Office of the Secretary of the Defense.

The Greatest Generation Foundation, the Denver-based nonprofit that coordinated the trip, asked the military for help with transportation after a charter plane company that had volunteered to take the group from Okinawa to Iwo Jima canceled unexpectedly two weeks ago.

The group needed approval to visit Iwo Jima from the Japanese government, which controls all flights to the tiny volcanic island now known in Japan as Iwo To, its original name.

While 12 veterans came from the United States to Japan with the foundation, it was unknown whether all were traveling to Iwo Jima on Wednesday. One veteran was hospitalized with stroke-like symptoms after arriving on Okinawa but was released Sunday and another suffering from an infection was admitted to the hospital Tuesday, Davis said.

The group arrived on Okinawa on Saturday and was expected to return to the United States on March 9.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Japan; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: iwo; iwojima; vets
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FR thread from yesterday: As clock ticks, WWII veterans need help to get back to Iwo Jima
1 posted on 03/03/2010 10:30:37 AM PST by GATOR NAVY
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To: GATOR NAVY
Good for them.

A Denver radio host helped organize this and is on the trip. He's straight news, not opinion, but has been active in honoring vets.

He indicated they had to involve a Congressman last night to get DOD to budge.

2 posted on 03/03/2010 10:35:52 AM PST by colorado tanker
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To: GATOR NAVY

All they had to do was tell the military they’re taking one of Pelosi’s grandkids with them. That would have gotten it done quickly.


3 posted on 03/03/2010 10:37:07 AM PST by hometoroost (Al Gore - The Uniwarmer)
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To: GATOR NAVY

This is wonderful news. I was so upset that these Veterans might not be able to make this trip after all they did for us so long ago. Maybe some of them might never get the chance again. GOD bless them. Every one of them.


4 posted on 03/03/2010 10:42:24 AM PST by MestaMachine (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2426869/posts SUPPORT RINO FREE AMERICA)
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To: GATOR NAVY

Too busy flying Pelosi’s ass to San Francisco!


5 posted on 03/03/2010 10:42:49 AM PST by ontap
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To: GATOR NAVY

How ironic. Honoring brave Vets the same day Obozo attempts to take away the very freedoms they fought for.


6 posted on 03/03/2010 10:44:17 AM PST by Huskrrrr
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To: GATOR NAVY

They took that hellhole for the USA and they should get a free trip there any damn time they want.


7 posted on 03/03/2010 10:44:38 AM PST by ontap
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To: GATOR NAVY

We should of never given the Island back.


8 posted on 03/03/2010 10:50:00 AM PST by Capt775
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To: colorado tanker
He's straight news, not opinion,

Steffan Tubbs isn't nearly as bad as that idiot April Zesbaugh but he does indeed allow his politics into his "reporting".

Back to Iwo Jima

9 posted on 03/03/2010 10:55:24 AM PST by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: GATOR NAVY

I am a veteran of Vietnam, but I do not expect the military to fly me over there just because I am a Vietnam veteran. If these veterans are willing to pay their own way, that is great; however, the tax payers should not be obligated to pay for their trips.


10 posted on 03/03/2010 11:00:08 AM PST by Nosterrex
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To: A.A. Cunningham
Tubbs is about as straight as I've seen in a MSM news format.

That said, I agree he sometimes lets his views come through. Still, I think his support of vets is real and it's been sustained since he returned to Denver.

April's just an airhead, give her a break.

11 posted on 03/03/2010 11:07:17 AM PST by colorado tanker
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To: Capt775
Iwo Jima is expensive property in human endeavor, but materially is worth near nothing.

God bless our WWII vets.

12 posted on 03/03/2010 11:07:58 AM PST by oyez (Obama (247) Satire (111) Stupidity (109) Snark (64) Humor (47) We Are All Screwed (44) Nancy Pelosi)
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To: GATOR NAVY

If the military can fly ass-hat Pelosi and her family cross-country on a regular basis, they should be able to fly these guys to the battlefield where so many gave their life’s blood to capture. There never should have been a problem with it to begin with.


13 posted on 03/03/2010 11:09:52 AM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway...John Wayne)
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To: GATOR NAVY

My guess is that Marine Commandant Conway got wind of what was going on and told the bureaucracy to get those vets on the next plane out to Iwo or else.


14 posted on 03/03/2010 11:38:31 AM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: Nosterrex
These guys earned the ride, they paid in blood.
15 posted on 03/03/2010 11:59:26 AM PST by ANGGAPO (Leyte Gulf Beach Club)
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To: Nosterrex
I am a veteran of Vietnam, but I do not expect the military to fly me over there just because I am a Vietnam veteran. If these veterans are willing to pay their own way, that is great; however, the tax payers should not be obligated to pay for their trips.

I agree with you, this could become an endless and expensive tradition.

16 posted on 03/03/2010 12:01:12 PM PST by ansel12 (Social liberal politicians in the GOP are easy for the left to turn, why is that?)
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To: ANGGAPO
And others didn’t? Are you going to do this for every living veteran of every war or conflict? This is not only wasteful, but it is demeaning to all the other veterans.
17 posted on 03/03/2010 12:08:19 PM PST by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex

I’d rather pay for this
then pay fly that witch pelosi around


18 posted on 03/03/2010 12:23:24 PM PST by Charlespg
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To: GATOR NAVY

“The military changed its mind”?!?!?!!!!!

It’s outrageous that the DOD ever thought NOT to assist in the anniversary of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima!!!!


19 posted on 03/03/2010 12:49:57 PM PST by Wuli
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To: ansel12
I agree with you, this could become an endless and expensive tradition.

it won't be endless. Our beloved government pisses away more money on homosexual artists and Nancy Pelosi's private national air force. I say we pick them up by limo, fly them first class, provide room and board and then after they visit Iwo Jima, a cruise liner all the way back to Hawaii. Take the money out of the ACORN funds or payouts to the parasites on welfare. These men did more in the short time they were there than all those other nipple munching maggots have done and will do their entire useless lives

There are two places you should go to if you're a vet with combat experience. One of them is Iwo the other is Point du Hoc. If I ever had to assault a position like that I'd make damn sure that if I lived they'd treat me like a frickin warrior God. Cause I'm telling you what, playing defense and picking off assault teams would have been a lot more fun than going in with the first wave of assault forces. It really makes your skin crawl if you look up the cliffs and think about humping it up as someone is firing down.... on both positions.

20 posted on 03/03/2010 12:53:09 PM PST by erman (Our President-A modest man, who has much to be modest about.)
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