What Vets Are Saying Now

[Gordon Ray Kissinger]

Whether you have ever served in the military or not, this is interesting reading.


by Col. Oliver North (ret.)
11/17/2009



Branson, Mo. -- They have come from every state in the union -- more than 50,000 veterans and their families. They are here to celebrate "Veterans Homecoming Week" in a city that "never forgets our heroes," where businesses proclaim to "hire veterans first" and entertainers proudly announce the units with which they served -- to the applause and cheers of fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and Marines.

They come for reunions with comrades from campaigns in faraway places and to remember their shared sacrifice and difficult times in long-ago battles. They come here because Tony Orlando's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" melody means something special to them and because the parade down Branson's Main Street every Nov. 11 reminds them of the real true American spirit.

For nearly a decade, it has been my great privilege and honor to interview thousands of our active duty military personnel, veterans and their families. Fox News has sent me to every theater of war in which Americans have fought since World War II -- and given me the opportunity to keep company with our nations heroes. For two years in a row, I have covered this remarkable celebration in Branson, MO. Last year, it was just days after a presidential election, and among the thousands of vets and their families, there was a sense of "watchful waiting." Because Americans in general -- and veterans in particular -- are innately fair minded, and they were willing to give a new commander in chief and his administration a fair chance. I'm here to tell you today, that "decent interval" is over now.

This year, we arrived just four days after the terrible carnage at Fort Hood. Within hours, it was clear these veterans -- who are normally reticent, rarely outspoken, invariably polite -- are, in their terms, "fed up" with our national leadership.

The veterans who spoke with me in Branson this year do not represent all 20 million of America's veterans and their families, and this is hardly a "scientific sampling" of public opinion. But these men and women really are a cross section of mainstream America. Most served a single "hitch" in the military. About 25 percent of them are "retirees." All of them self-identify as respected community leaders in their home towns. Many have sons, daughters or grandchildren serving in today's armed forces. Some now serve or have served in local or state elected or appointed offices as well, and many openly volunteered their party affiliations to me.

This year, just as I always do, I asked, "What was the last unit with which you served; where; when; and what did you do when you left the service?" In no case did I ask about politics, nor did I solicit their opinions about the current White House Administration.

Here now, in their own words, are excerpts from the responses gathered from nearly 10 hours of meetings during the course of two days with these great Americans:

"I served in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1942 to 1945. ... When I came back to the states, we got married, and I went to work for a car dealer. ... We eventually bought that dealership. Two of our sons served in Vietnam. ... What happened at Fort Hood isn't a 'tragedy'; it's a travesty. ... It should never have happened at all! ... The people who knew about this guy Hasan and did nothing to stop him ought to be fired and perhaps even prosecuted! All of 'them. They are paid to do a job which they sadly failed to do. Some people can fail at their job with little or no serious consequences. These people failed in a way that cost 13 people their lives! If that is not reprehensible, then I don't know what is! President Obama has seriously failed the American people and out military men and women when all he could say about this tragedy was,'don't jump to any conclusions.' I'm sure that made the families of the victims feel much better about losing their loved ones to a Muslim terrorist on American soil."

"In 1950, I was six weeks out of boot camp when I landed with the 1st Marine Division at Inchon. ... We fought our way through Seoul all the way to the 'Frozen Chosin.' ... I retired in 1970 as a master gunnery sergeant after two tours in Vietnam. ... Both our sons served as officers in the Marine Corps. ... Our daughter was a Navy nurse in Desert Storm. ... This crowd in Washington scares us to death. A few months ago, they were telling us that our biggest threat was disgruntled veterans and right-wing extremists? ... That's not who's killing Americans! We are right back where we were before 9/11 happened. How quickly we forget. The people in Washington are going to get a lot more soldiers and innocent Americans killed!"

"I was drafted in 1969, served in Vietnam with the 1st Cav, was medically discharged from the Army in 1973 ... came home and married my high-school sweetheart. I used the GI Bill to get my degree, taught English for 20 years, and retired as the principal of our local high school. ... We're Democrats. ... But I have to say, we're sick and tired of being told by this White House not to 'jump to conclusions or rush to judgment' about what happened at Fort Hood. ... How can the president tell us what this guy Hasan did is 'incomprehensible'? What don't they comprehend about militant Islamists? If our president and his administration is puzzled at this then God help us if there is ever another attack like 9/11 or worse. The world of Islam is viewing us as a very weak and undetermined nation right now. And that invites more attacks. My God, what is wrong with these people? "

And from a young staff sergeant wearing a Purple Heart medal on his uniform and standing beside his pregnant wife: "I came into the military because of the attack on 9/11. I've done three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. We agreed I was going to stay in. But if we're not in to win anymore, I'm getting out. The way our president is running this war, it will be worse than Vietnam! He just doesn't get it. He never served in the military and neither did a lot of the people advising him. I really fear for the outcome for our men and women left in Afghanistan and Iraq. I'm so afraid they will be left in the lurch and the president will do nothing to help them. He can't or won't even make a decision to send more troops. Meanwhile our guys are dieing over there! That is worse than sad, it is downright criminal! Our soldiers used to be held in high esteem by our presidents. Now it is like they mean nothing at all to this president."

Though the sentiments of these veterans may hearten opponents of the Obama administration, it is notable that the overwhelming complaint was leveled not only at the White House but also at Washington politicians in general. Incumbents are in for a lot of tough sledding in the 2010 elections whether Republican or Democrat: Sound reveille. It's time for Americans to wake up and take their country back! These people are obviously very serious about restoring common sense to Washington politics. Lets just hope it's not too late.

I'm sure we all have that gut feeling that something is terribly wrong with what is happening in Washington these days. It is a loud and clear wake up call for us all!



Thanks to Preston Miller, for the above content.