Burn the Bridges

Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock.
Will Rogers

Will Rogers also famously said that he did not belong to an organized political party; he considered himself a Democrat. Well the current Democrat Party leadership definitely has no relationship to the Will Rogers mode of diplomacy, and precious little relationship to any actual organization. They have sold the country out for political expediency. Before you begin screaming about the Republican Party contradictions hold on. I will get to them in turn. The Democrat Party however, is worthy of particular scorn and derision. They have sold their souls to a malingering group of America-haters and 60s radical holdovers. While American warriors are in the field Congressional Democrats dither over how much pork to add to a bill designed to fund those American warriors. The Congressional Democrats seek to micromanage a war that nearly all of them authorized, while soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines fight and die to protect freedom. Of course the Congressional Democrats will say the warriors are not protecting freedom. They are caught in the midst of a Civil War they say. The Democrats will also tell you that they are trying to prevent more American deaths, but the truth is much more pernicious. The war, in Iraq at least, could be over by now were our warriors not hamstrung by political correctness and asinine rules of engagement. Had all those people "marching for peace" and supporting the troops by burning them in effigy, simply got behind the war effort it would be over. The Congressional Democrats, and their unwashed masters in the peace movement, have caused the deaths of American military men and women by prolonging the war, and preventing it from being waged in the only way it can be won.

There are only two ways to win a war. The first requires a Nagasaki/Hiroshima type response. The second requires a Sherman or Patton approach. No one would support the prior absent a WMD attack on the United States, so the latter is the only means available. We have to kill the enemy wherever and whenever we can and we must destroy his means and will to resist. That means denying safe haven, and relocating sympathetic civilian populations. You simply cannot allow the enemy to melt back into the community after an attack; nor can they be afforded sanctuary on holy ground. We cannot hope to effectively prosecute a war as long as our fighting men, the sharp end of the spear, remain fettered. We must release the hounds. Don't bother me with Vietnam notions of the hearts and minds approach either. The only thing Iraq has in common with Vietnam is poor management. In World War II we chose to defeat Germany before Japan, although it was the Japanese that attacked us at Pearl Harbor. We did not try to win hearts nor minds with either, and that worked out quite well. The frame of reference should be all out war, not some kinder, gentler act of aggression.

The Congressional Republicans, as well as the administration, bear responsibility for poor planning and then lackluster prosecution. They had the luxury of several years to truly go after the terrorists and clean house, but opted instead for some video game desire of war. Predator drones, cruise missiles and Stealth bombers are the hallmarks of modern warfare, but once infantry touch down the Queen of Battle cannot be asked to perform the tasks of a county sheriff. The infantry's job is killing bad guys and they should not be deployed anywhere unless they are free to do so. The Surge seems to be having a good effect. It may be too little, too late though. The media and Congressional Democrats will ignore good news at this point, and the Congressional Republicans are, for the most part, too weak to be effective.

So, who suffers? The infantryman, whether he be Army or Marine, and his brothers in the combat arms branches of the military bear the brunt of the political machinations. Men who, by nature, temperament and career choice are against politics as practiced in Washington, D.C. sweat, bleed and die for men in $1,500 suits who bicker about spinach harvests earmarks before they go on Easter break. Maybe it has always been this way, but I for one will not stand idly by. A generation of warriors fought honorably in Vietnam, only to be sold out by the suits in Washington. Those Vietnam vets came home to derision and hate-filled speech from their fellow Americans. Americans who wallowed in luxury because of the sacrifice of men who chose to proudly wear the uniform of the Armed Forces gave no thought to from where their security came. I will not sit idly by and watch this generation of warrior get treated that way. This then, is a call to action. It is time for those of us who have served to be heard. Call your Congressman. Refuse to be shouted down by the Birkenstock wearing miscreant, and stand up to be counted. The soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines need actual support, not yellow magnets on your car. Stand up for them now. Not only would they do it for you, they already are.

Ignoring Victory

On a blustery, but sunny St. Patrick's Day, tens of thousands of veterans and their supporters gathered on the Mall in Washington, D.C. They had come from nearly every state in the union and by nearly every vehicular conveyance to stand together in defense of the war memorials. International A.N.S.W.E.R., a coalition of far left organizations, had two months earlier sponsored an anti-war rally at the Navy Memorial in D.C., after which the steps of the Capitol building had been spray painted. So, when this self-same organization announced plans to stage a protest march on the Pentagon out of the Constitution Gardens, with the Vietnam Wall as a backdrop, veterans of all ages were understandably worried. Posts on Indy media sites referenced spray paint and the Vietnam Wall, as a means to call attention to the anti-war movement. Fast and furious emails between individual veterans became the Gathering of Eagles, and a movement was born. As A.N.S.W.E.R.'s supporters trickled into the Mall they were greeted not only by Washington, D.C. and federal police, but also Park Service and metal detectors. Most surprisingly to the anti-war crowd were the number of veterans ringing not only the Vietnam Wall, but all the war memorials.

I began my day with a security detachment at the World War II Memorial. Code Pink's supporters were rallying on the hill adjacent to the memorial before joining the protest march on the Pentagon. As their supporters trickled into the memorial we shadowed them about the perimeter. We never barred their way and we did not attempt to intimidate them into leaving the area before they were ready, but we did make our presence known. We engaged in no dialogue with them. Our very high-profile presence said all we needed to say. After several hours of that Code Pink moved off to Constitution Avenue and we moved down to the Lincoln Memorial.

My duty at the WWII Memorial, while completely worthy and necessary, had sort of made me feel like it was 1968 and I was stationed in Okinawa, champing to get into the action. Well, as we moved into the Lincoln Memorial area we found the action we had desired. My Marshall unit was placed along the street in between the veterans/supporters and the A.N.S.W.E.R. march. Our job was not to protect the veterans from A.N.S.W.E.R., but rather to prevent our guys from getting to close to them. From the beginning our mission had been described as non-confrontational. To be sure, we would have defended ourselves and the memorials from any aggression, but even these miscreants apparently had more sense than to challenge us physically.

Unfortunately, while in the presence of all manner of law enforcement the marchers showed their true feelings for us. Statements such as, "You guys don't look like America we look like America," and "Why don't you enlist if you support the troops so much? We support the troops, not you," rained down on us. Of course our responses of "Support the troops? We are the troops," fell on deaf ears. To be told that those of us dressed in various combinations of military gear were not representative of America, and that we did not support the troops stung, but the anti-war/peace rally crowd was just getting started.

"MURDERERS!! BABY-KILLERS!! and various hateful, expletive filled rants erupted from the advocates of peace as they slowly walked by. They referred to us as fascists, compared us to Nazis and informed us repeatedly that we were the problem for the country, not the answer. I have to say that I never thought I would hear words like this from my fellow countrymen. It angered me, and saddened me all at the same time. Our side responded to their hate-filled rants, giving as good as we got. Nothing could have prepared me for the appearance of the A.N.S.W.E.R. marchers carrying an upside-down American flag. Veterans howled and the crowd prepared to surge. Truthfully, had anyone moved to grab the flag from further desecration, I would have abdicated my responsibilities and joined the mass. The police moved in-between us and them and, of course, we allowed the rabble to exercise a foul representation of free speech. As the flag moved out of site I watched a wheelchair bound WWII Purple Heart recipient cry soundlessly. Rage welled up in me, and still we let the peace march walk by unmolested.

Eventually, the marchers had all moved off and we were able to visit amongst ourselves. I had organized a bus from Philadelphia and South Jersey, but had not met most of the riders. While waiting for the bus to return from its parking place I took the opportunity to visit with them. It was at this point that the only physical confrontation nearly occurred. A 40-something, goateed, L.L. Bean wearing "radical" and his wife passed immediately in front of us; on their way to their to a Volvo station wagon festooned with "Free Tibet" and "Ben and Jerry" stickers no doubt. Anyway, he began to philosophize about war in general. Having had enough I told him an expletive enhanced statement to move along and be quiet. When he continued his monologue I charged him, and with a heavy-handed chest bump I told him, "Get out of here now before I hand you your ass. These Vietnam veterans have suffered enough of your bullshit." For his wife anyway, discretion was the better part of valor because, as my Vietnam guys ushered me one way, the rabble's partner ushered him in the other. As the bus arrived I stood at the door and hugged each vet as they climbed aboard. Tears welled up in my eyes and I have never felt more a part of anything.

That day and the next found various accolades coming my way. Different units presented me with cards, coins and patches. The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Society made me an associate member, which means more to me than a Silver Star. The most moving thing though was not a physical expression. It was a statement. I was asked if I knew why nobody moved to stop me from challenging the protester who dared denigrate my Vietnam vets. My response was something on the lines of I moved too fast, blah, blah, blah. "No," I was told. "It was because nobody ever defended us before. It has always been us, taking our side, while everyone else either attacked us or ignored us. Nobody stopped you because we all think of you as one of us now." I have always considered the Vietnam warriors as the Gold Standard. When I joined the Army they were my senior NCOs. To be considered among their number is, to me, the greatest award I could attain. Brothers, I will always defend you. That I promise. The media ignored our victory that day, but we know we out-numbered the other side. We know we did our duty as we always have, and I will always do mine by you.