President Barack Obama says all Americans have a “sacred trust" with the military personnel who have served this Nation, a responsibility to reward courage and self-sacrifice with all the benefits an open democratic society can provide.
MyVetwork (myvetwork.com) provides the solid foundation for a vibrant network of support in the spirit of that sacred trust to improve the lives of not only our active duty personnel and the 600,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, but all our nation's estimated 23 million living military veterans - and their families, too.
MyVetwork is already operational, with the capability to service the Veterans Community—for the first time—in three intersecting strings, known as a Trident Connection, add up to One Trusted Source for Veterans that anyone connected to the government understands is crucially needed:
Veterans community in one location. All for free.
Founded by decorated veteran John R. Campbell, MyVetwork draws on the “secret sauce” of the military, the “I’ve-walked-in-your-shoes” strength military personnel willingly share with one another, which will be a driving force behind MyVetwork.
Learn more about MyVetwork by visiting myvetwork.com or join the Veterans Community by visiting community.myvetwork.com.
Online Veterans Community: veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxcKgDocument posted by David Apperson
Captain Phillips has been rescued. Happy Easter America and thank you, President Obama, for giving the order to rescue. Wow, what a Navy we have and what eagle eye snipers. Blessings to all of you.
Blessings to you, Captain Phillips; you are truly a hero!
This is a goooooood day!
The House Armed Forces Subcommittee held a Military Personnel hearing, today, on “Sexual Assault in the Military: Prevention.”
The subcommittee heard testimony from Carolyn Collins, program manger of the Army’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program, Raymond Bruneau, manager of the Marine Corps’ Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program; Katherine Robertson, deputy manager of the Navy Installation Command’s Counseling, Advocacy and Prevention Program and Charlene Bradley, assistant deputy for the force management integration in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Prevention and Response Office.
This was one in a series of hearings that this subcommittee will conduct on the subject of sexual assault in the military, this year. The hearing today focused on Prevention Programs that are currently in place.
Chairwoman Susan Davis (D-CA) said: “Just as we have the responsibility to ensure that victims of a sexual assault receive all the support that can be provided following an attack, we also have an obligation to do all we can to prevent such attacks from ever taking place. The Department of Defense has made significant improvements in recent years, but the question we need to ask is, has enough been done?”
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) asked the witnesses whether and why the question “do women belong in the military” was still an issue and stated that this needed to be addressed. She said there needs to be a “change in cultural attitudes” towards woman in the military, and more “effective laws.”
The prevention and after-care systems that were identified by the panel seemed focused on the woman; offering counseling for victims. There was no evidence of rehabilitation programs in place for the men who commit this offense.
Mr. Bruneau said: “People are our most important resource. Marines have a long history of taking care of their own. Which means that we do not intentionally harm one another. Nor, do we leave a comrade behind. Victims of sexual assault are entitled to our support and care and deserve to be returned to the fight as fully functioning marines. The marines as always, are committed to caring for their own, as it’s the right thing to do.”
The subcommittee showed three videos by the witnesses that have been created by and for the military in an attempt to highlight the serious nature of sexually criminal behavior.
Source:
http://talkradionews.com/2009/03/marine-corps-%E2%80%9Cvictims-of-sexual-assault-are-entitled-to-our-support%E2%80%9D/
IN OUR OWN WORDS
A Collection of Stories and Photographs
From Military Families of the
Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
To our President and First Lady
On February 27, 2009, in his speech from Camp Lejeune, President Obama said, "…my strategy for ending the war in Iraq does not end with military plans or diplomatic agendas; it endures through our commitment to uphold our sacred trust with every man and woman who has served in Iraq.... And for you and your families, the war does not end when you come home. It lives on in memories of your fellow Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who gave their lives…. You and your families have done your duty; now a grateful nation must do ours….”
“We also know that service does not end with the person wearing the uniform. In her visits with Military Families across the country, my wife Michelle has learned first hand about the unique burden that your families endure every day. I want you to know that Military Families are a top priority for Michelle and me, and they will be a top priority for my administration…. Each of you has your own story. And that story is now a part of the history of the United States of America..."
Recently, on a show from Walter Reed, Oprah talked about Military Families, reminding Americans that every day when we listen to the news, we hear another number, and we go on with our lives. Behind the statistics are real families. An injured service member at Walter Reed said, “No soldier comes back the same - it is a family process. Go to the floor upstairs where the injuries are not seen. They are just as injured as those with physical injuries."
As President Obama works to end the war in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan continues, the faces and every day lives of Military Families who wait at home will remain at the center of the war and our stories will continue. During war, military family experiences are so much more than can ever be communicated in news reports, care packages, legislation, military or political strategies.
Our MYBO/OFA group, “Military Families Need Obama as We Share the Human Faces of War,” led by military parents and siblings, invites military spouses, children, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles to be a part of "IN OUR OWN WORDS," a special collection of stories and photographs that will be presented to our President and First Lady.
"IN OUR OWN WORDS" will share the human faces of the consequences of war from the hearts and souls of those who live it everyday. It is intended to serve as a tribute to the lives of Military Families of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and will include both our inspirational and heart breaking experiences, with a special section honoring those service members who have been killed while at war. Together, Military Families will create "IN OUR OWN WORDS” with the hope that as we share our stories, it will lift us all up.
Stories and photographs will only be used in this project to be presented to our President and First Lady. They will not be distributed to any other group, organization, or the media. To learn more about how to participate in this project, please contact one of us:
Debbie: DebbieIngraham@gmail.com
Jessica: JessicaIngraham@gmail.com
Terry: Tdaniel333@comcast.net
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S BALL TO AIR ON PENTAGON CHANNELAVAILABLE ON MILITARY BASES AROUND THE WORLD
JON BON JOVI TO PERFORM
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today that the Commander-in-Chief's ball, honoring the country's active duty and reserve military, will be broadcast to American troops around the world on the Pentagon Channel, which is available via cable on 368 military bases and on commercial cable and satellite services throughout the United States. Overseas, the Pentagon Channel is distributed via cable and direct-to-home satellite to nearly one million troops via the American Forces Radio and Television Service.
Jon Bon Jovi will headline the talent lineup for the ball, which will be held on Tuesday, January 20th, at the National Building Museum. George Lopez will emcee the event, which also feature performances and appearances by Jordin Sparks, Miss America 2009 Kirsten Haglund, and Right On. The event is also co-hosted by the Senior Enlisted Advisors of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
"This opportunity to honor our troops should not be limited to those who are able to be in the room with us for the evening," said PIC Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. "We want all our troops, around the world, to share in this special evening with the newly sworn-in President and Vice President and the excellent talent we have for the evening. Our troops deserve our thanks and our gratitude and this is one way we hope to express our thanks to those here and abroad."
"While a relatively small number of service members will be able to attend the Commander-in-Chief's Ball in person, they will represent more than 2 million men and women in uniform," said Col. Hiram Bell, director of public affairs for the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee. "Most of those service members will be able to watch the celebration on the Pentagon Channel, or later on Armed Forces Network, and we want them all to feel part of this historic event."
The Pentagon Channel will break into regular programming with live coverage of the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, including remarks by Department of Defense leadership and both the Vice President and the President. Coverage begins at approximately 8 PM Eastern time and continues throughout the evening.
The event will be produced by The iDream Company, led by entertainment executives Suzanne de Passe, Suzanne Costen, and Madison Jones, and written by Ruth Robinson. The iDream company has been recognized with Emmy Awards, Golden Globe and Peabody Awards.
Tickets are being provided free of charge to all invited guests, which includes active duty and reserve military, wounded warriors (Purple Heart recipients), families of fallen heroes, and spouses of deployed military. This event is not open to the general public.
source: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFsx
Getting our Military Families what they DeserveBy Jay Chalnick 15 January 2009
NEW YORK, NY– In his Inaugural speech, President-elect Obama will no doubt voice his intention to ensure those who have served their country in the US military get what they deserve. As he said, “This is something I care deeply about.” The team of people who built MyVetwork (www.myvetwork.com) will be among those cheering his words.
One of them is Brendan Hart who left the Marine Corps in 2005, and wanted to reconnect with other veterans, people who would understand what he went through and what support he may need. Plenty of services exist, says Hart, 26, on medical leave from Dartmouth College because of a contaminated smallpox vaccine he was given while serving. But finding them was another matter. Hart launched Student Veterans of America, now one of the many military-focused groups taking advantage of www.myvetwork.com, the new online community designed specifically to facilitate the intention of President-elect Obama and others to take advantage of available technology to get to veterans the services they have earned.
MyVetwork.com is the first-ever online social network designed specifically for our military and their families that lets them shape their own community…so they can connect and interact with each other while exchanging information on getting the services and resources they need– all in one place. This has not been possible until now; MyVetwork.com provides the timely vehicle to bring to reality Michele Obama’s “vision of a system that does more to support military families, both when loved ones are deployed and long after they return.”
“Why is it that no one has ever asked the military community what they need?” says John R. Campbell, Founder and CEO of MyVetwork, and a decorated Vietnam era Marine officer. “We’ve conducted interviews across service branches, ranks and cities, and have heard time and again our service men and women want to connect with one another, share stories, exchange resources, and give and receive support. This fundamental and natural channel for sharing information is long overdue. And they want all the groups who serve them to be easily accessible, under one umbrella.”
MyVetwork invites active duty, retired, and veteran military members and their families to build their own community and interact on multiple levels of shared interests. The community is built upon a dynamic customized platform specific to the military, providing the basis for a community that’s shaped by and for its members. Member profiles and sophisticated matching algorithms make it easy for participants to find others with similar interests; make peer-to-peer recommendations; locate long lost buddies; find other parents of wounded veterans eager to exchange critical information; look for support from someone who has “walked in their boots;” give, receive mentoring or career advice; and exchange information on a virtually unlimited number of topics.
Large Veterans Service Organizations (VSO’s) like the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) with its 1.9 million members; AMVETS (600,000); and the American Legion Auxiliary (750,000) are partnering with MyVetwork to provide a new means of connection and interaction among their members. Similarly, smaller groups like VET Foundation, Army Wife Talk Radio, and The Coming Home Project; Strategic Outreach for Families of all Reservists (SOFAR) have signed on to get exposure and expand membership.
All will join the applause for President-elect Obama who seeks a “shift in attitude in the VA” to make sure those who served are getting treated with the honor and respect they deserve.”
# # #
About MyVetwork
MyVetwork (www.myvetwork.com) is a not for profit organization with 501(c)(3) status, and is free to members. MyVetwork is the exclusive trademark of MyVetwork, LLC
source: http://disabilties.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxbgp
Share your ideas on any issue facing the new administration, then rate or comment on other ideas.
The best rated ideas will rise to the top -- and be gathered into a Citizen's Briefing Book to be delivered to President Obama after he is sworn in.
'Citizens Briefing Book' sample: Military Medical Coverage
In honor of military pigeons throughout history, I post on this Christmas Eve, information produced by Otto Meyer, U.S. Army (Ret), and supplied by the ARPU, on the American Hero “G.I. JOE” -
“G.I. JOE”American Hero
“G.I. JOE” is the most outstanding military pigeon in history and is credited with saving the lives of at least 100 British troops during World War II. The British 56th Brigade was scheduled to attack the city of Colvi Vecchia, Italy, at 10 a.m., October 18, 1943.
The U.S. Air Support Command was scheduled to bomb the city to soften the entrance for the British Brigade. The Germans retreated leaving only a small rear guard and as a result the British troops entered the city with little resistance and occupied it ahead of schedule.
All attempts to cancel the bombings of the city, made by radio and other means of communication, had failed. Little “G.I. JOE” was released with the important message to cancel the bombing. He flew 20 miles back to the U.S. Air Support Command base in 20 minutes and arrived just as our planes were warming up to take off. If he had arrived a few minutes later, it might have been a different story.
Gen. Mark Clark, Commanding the U.S. Fifth Army, estimated that “G.I. JOE” saved the lives of at least 100 of our British allies. In November 1946, “G.I. JOE” was shipped from Fort Monmouth, N.J. to London, England, where he was cited and awarded the Dickin Medal for Gallantry by the Lord Mayor of London. “G.I. JOE” is the only bird or animal in the United States to receive this high award.
“G.I. JOE,” a dark checker pied white flight cock, was hatched March 24, 1943, at the Pigeon Section in Algiers, Algeria, North Africa. Later he was taken to the Tunisian front, then to Bizerte, and from there to the Italian front.
After World War II, “G.I. JOE” was housed in the Churchill Loft, U.S. Army’s “Hall of Fame” at Ft. Monmouth, N.J., along with 24 other pigeon heroes. In March of 1957, the remaining pigeon heroes were placed with different zoological gardens throughout the U.S.A.
“G.I. JOE” was placed with the Detroit Zoological Gardens where he died June 3, 1961, at the age of 18. “G.I. JOE” was returned, mounted, and placed in the Historical Center, Meyer Hall, at Fort Monmouth, N.J.
--- Otto Meyer, U.S. Army (Retired)--- Former Commander of the U.S. Army Pigeon Service
I dedicate this inspiring story of courage and determination of the pigeon named “G.I. JOE” to the generations of troops that will secure the success of the 44th President of the United States.
May the message of peace come to The White House and spread throughout the land.
Merry Christmas Everyone,
David Apperson, Life Cloud Discussions
American Legion - memberARPU - lifetime memberVFW - life member
Source: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxKt3
The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.
Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.
Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when
Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.
Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
On 11 NOV 2008 We CELEBRATE VICTORY by remembering our brothers and sisters who sacrificed for future generations of men,women and children throughout the world.
THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING; Today, children everywhere are celebrating the tremendous grassroots victory of President-Elect Barack Obama. THINK AMERICA FIRST and THANK A VETERAN.
With that said, I send a 'PRAYER OF BLESSING' to the following personnel who presently serve on active duty, have served in the past, and will serve honorably in the following branches of military service:
US AIR FORCE * US ARMY * US COAST GUARD * US MARINES * US NAVY
IT IS BETTER TO BE A FRIEND IN PEACE THAN AN ENEMY IN WAR
And yes, today we bless all service members around the world -
see NATIONAL RESOURCE DIRECTORY and PHYSICAL EVALUATION BOARD
Thank you for joining me, and making your voice be heard. Please feel free to leave your comments, ideas, and concerns. You now have a voice, be loud and proud! Obama will bring us the change we NEED, and bring our men and women home again.
From Make-Believe Maverick, Rolling Stone Magazine
To watch the Republican National Convention and listen to Fred Thompson's account of John McCain's internment in Vietnam, you would think that McCain never gave his captors anything beyond his name, rank, service number and, under duress, the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line. His time in Hanoi, we're to understand, steeled the man — transforming him from a fighter jock who put himself first into a patriot who would henceforth selflessly serve the public good.There is no question that McCain suffered hideously in North Vietnam. His ejection over a lake in downtown Hanoi broke his knee and both his arms. During his capture, he was bayoneted in the ankle and the groin, and had his shoulder smashed by a rifle butt. His tormentors dragged McCain's broken body to a cell and seemed content to let him expire from his injuries. For the next two years, there were few days that he was not in agony.But the subsequent tale of McCain's mistreatment — and the transformation it is alleged to have produced — are both deeply flawed. The Code of Conduct that governed POWs was incredibly rigid; few soldiers lived up to its dictate that they "give no information . . . which might be harmful to my comrades." Under the code, POWs are bound to give only their name, rank, date of birth and service number — and to make no "statements disloyal to my country."Soon after McCain hit the ground in Hanoi, the code went out the window. "I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital," he later admitted pleading with his captors. McCain now insists the offer was a bluff, designed to fool the enemy into giving him medical treatment. In fact, his wounds were attended to only after the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a Navy admiral. What has never been disclosed is the manner in which they found out: McCain told them. According to Dramesi, one of the few POWs who remained silent under years of torture, McCain tried to justify his behavior while they were still prisoners. "I had to tell them," he insisted to Dramesi, "or I would have died in bed."Dramesi says he has no desire to dishonor McCain's service, but he believes that celebrating the downed pilot's behavior as heroic — "he wasn't exceptional one way or the other" — has a corrosive effect on military discipline. "This business of my country before my life?" Dramesi says. "Well, he had that opportunity and failed miserably. If it really were country first, John McCain would probably be walking around without one or two arms or legs — or he'd be dead."Once the Vietnamese realized they had captured the man they called the "crown prince," they had every motivation to keep McCain alive. His value as a propaganda tool and bargaining chip was far greater than any military intelligence he could provide, and McCain knew it. "It was hard not to see how pleased the Vietnamese were to have captured an admiral's son," he writes, "and I knew that my father's identity was directly related to my survival." But during the course of his medical treatment, McCain followed through on his offer of military information. Only two weeks after his capture, the North Vietnamese press issued a report — picked up by The New York Times — in which McCain was quoted as saying that the war was "moving to the advantage of North Vietnam and the United States appears to be isolated." He also provided the name of his ship, the number of raids he had flown, his squadron number and the target of his final raid.THE CONFESSIONIn the company of his fellow POWs, and later in isolation, McCain slowly and miserably recovered from his wounds. In June 1968, after three months in solitary, he was offered what he calls early release. In the official McCain narrative, this was the ultimate test of mettle. He could have come home, but keeping faith with his fellow POWs, he chose to remain imprisoned in Hanoi.What McCain glosses over is that accepting early release would have required him to make disloyal statements that would have violated the military's Code of Conduct. If he had done so, he could have risked court-martial and an ignominious end to his military career. "Many of us were given this offer," according to Butler, McCain's classmate who was also taken prisoner. "It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to 'admit' that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was 'lenient and humane.' So I, like numerous others, refused the offer.""He makes it sound like it was a great thing to have accomplished," says Dramesi. "A great act of discipline or strength. That simply was not the case." In fairness, it is difficult to judge McCain's experience as a POW; throughout most of his incarceration he was the only witness to his mistreatment. Parts of his memoir recounting his days in Hanoi read like a bad Ian Fleming novel, with his Vietnamese captors cast as nefarious Bond villains. On the Fourth of July 1968, when he rejected the offer of early release, an officer nicknamed "Cat" got so mad, according to McCain, that he snapped a pen he was holding, splattering ink across the room."They taught you too well, Mac Kane," Cat snarled, kicking over a chair. "They taught you too well."The brutal interrogations that followed produced results. In August 1968, over the course of four days, McCain was tortured into signing a confession that he was a "black criminal" and an "air pirate." "John allows the media to make him out to be the hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals," says Butler. "John was just one of about 600 guys. He was nothing unusual. He was just another POW."McCain has also allowed the media to believe that his torture lasted for the entire time he was in Hanoi. At the Republican convention, Fred Thompson said of McCain's torture, "For five and a half years this went on." In fact, McCain's torture ended after two years, when the death of Ho Chi Minh in September 1969 caused the Vietnamese to change the way they treated POWs. "They decided it would be better to treat us better and keep us alive so they could trade us in for real estate," Butler recalls.By that point, McCain had become the most valuable prisoner of all: His father was now directing the war effort as commander in chief of all U.S. forces in the Pacific. McCain spent the next three and a half years in Hanoi biding his time, trying to put on weight and regain his strength, as the bombing ordered by his father escalated. By the time he and other POWs were freed in March 1973 as a result of the Paris Peace Accords, McCain was able to leave the prison camp in Hanoi on his own feet.Even those in the military who celebrate McCain's patriotism and sacrifice question why his POW experience has been elevated as his top qualification to be commander in chief. "It took guts to go through that and to come out reasonably intact and able to pick up the pieces of your life and move on," says Wilkerson, Colin Powell's former chief of staff, who has known McCain since the 1980s. "It is unquestionably a demonstration of the character of the man. But I don't think that it is a special qualification for being president of the United States. In some respects, I'm not sure that's the kind of character I want sitting in the Oval Office. I'm not sure that much time in a prisoner-of-war status doesn't do something to you. Doesn't do something to you psychologically, doesn't do something to you that might make you a little more volatile, a little less apt to listen to reason, a little more inclined to be volcanic in your temperament."
To watch the Republican National Convention and listen to Fred Thompson's account of John McCain's internment in Vietnam, you would think that McCain never gave his captors anything beyond his name, rank, service number and, under duress, the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line. His time in Hanoi, we're to understand, steeled the man — transforming him from a fighter jock who put himself first into a patriot who would henceforth selflessly serve the public good.
There is no question that McCain suffered hideously in North Vietnam. His ejection over a lake in downtown Hanoi broke his knee and both his arms. During his capture, he was bayoneted in the ankle and the groin, and had his shoulder smashed by a rifle butt. His tormentors dragged McCain's broken body to a cell and seemed content to let him expire from his injuries. For the next two years, there were few days that he was not in agony.
But the subsequent tale of McCain's mistreatment — and the transformation it is alleged to have produced — are both deeply flawed. The Code of Conduct that governed POWs was incredibly rigid; few soldiers lived up to its dictate that they "give no information . . . which might be harmful to my comrades." Under the code, POWs are bound to give only their name, rank, date of birth and service number — and to make no "statements disloyal to my country."
Soon after McCain hit the ground in Hanoi, the code went out the window. "I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital," he later admitted pleading with his captors. McCain now insists the offer was a bluff, designed to fool the enemy into giving him medical treatment. In fact, his wounds were attended to only after the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a Navy admiral. What has never been disclosed is the manner in which they found out: McCain told them. According to Dramesi, one of the few POWs who remained silent under years of torture, McCain tried to justify his behavior while they were still prisoners. "I had to tell them," he insisted to Dramesi, "or I would have died in bed."
Dramesi says he has no desire to dishonor McCain's service, but he believes that celebrating the downed pilot's behavior as heroic — "he wasn't exceptional one way or the other" — has a corrosive effect on military discipline. "This business of my country before my life?" Dramesi says. "Well, he had that opportunity and failed miserably. If it really were country first, John McCain would probably be walking around without one or two arms or legs — or he'd be dead."
Once the Vietnamese realized they had captured the man they called the "crown prince," they had every motivation to keep McCain alive. His value as a propaganda tool and bargaining chip was far greater than any military intelligence he could provide, and McCain knew it. "It was hard not to see how pleased the Vietnamese were to have captured an admiral's son," he writes, "and I knew that my father's identity was directly related to my survival." But during the course of his medical treatment, McCain followed through on his offer of military information. Only two weeks after his capture, the North Vietnamese press issued a report — picked up by The New York Times — in which McCain was quoted as saying that the war was "moving to the advantage of North Vietnam and the United States appears to be isolated." He also provided the name of his ship, the number of raids he had flown, his squadron number and the target of his final raid.
THE CONFESSION
In the company of his fellow POWs, and later in isolation, McCain slowly and miserably recovered from his wounds. In June 1968, after three months in solitary, he was offered what he calls early release. In the official McCain narrative, this was the ultimate test of mettle. He could have come home, but keeping faith with his fellow POWs, he chose to remain imprisoned in Hanoi.
What McCain glosses over is that accepting early release would have required him to make disloyal statements that would have violated the military's Code of Conduct. If he had done so, he could have risked court-martial and an ignominious end to his military career. "Many of us were given this offer," according to Butler, McCain's classmate who was also taken prisoner. "It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to 'admit' that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was 'lenient and humane.' So I, like numerous others, refused the offer."
"He makes it sound like it was a great thing to have accomplished," says Dramesi. "A great act of discipline or strength. That simply was not the case." In fairness, it is difficult to judge McCain's experience as a POW; throughout most of his incarceration he was the only witness to his mistreatment. Parts of his memoir recounting his days in Hanoi read like a bad Ian Fleming novel, with his Vietnamese captors cast as nefarious Bond villains. On the Fourth of July 1968, when he rejected the offer of early release, an officer nicknamed "Cat" got so mad, according to McCain, that he snapped a pen he was holding, splattering ink across the room.
"They taught you too well, Mac Kane," Cat snarled, kicking over a chair. "They taught you too well."
The brutal interrogations that followed produced results. In August 1968, over the course of four days, McCain was tortured into signing a confession that he was a "black criminal" and an "air pirate."
"John allows the media to make him out to be the hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals," says Butler. "John was just one of about 600 guys. He was nothing unusual. He was just another POW."
McCain has also allowed the media to believe that his torture lasted for the entire time he was in Hanoi. At the Republican convention, Fred Thompson said of McCain's torture, "For five and a half years this went on." In fact, McCain's torture ended after two years, when the death of Ho Chi Minh in September 1969 caused the Vietnamese to change the way they treated POWs. "They decided it would be better to treat us better and keep us alive so they could trade us in for real estate," Butler recalls.
By that point, McCain had become the most valuable prisoner of all: His father was now directing the war effort as commander in chief of all U.S. forces in the Pacific. McCain spent the next three and a half years in Hanoi biding his time, trying to put on weight and regain his strength, as the bombing ordered by his father escalated. By the time he and other POWs were freed in March 1973 as a result of the Paris Peace Accords, McCain was able to leave the prison camp in Hanoi on his own feet.
Even those in the military who celebrate McCain's patriotism and sacrifice question why his POW experience has been elevated as his top qualification to be commander in chief. "It took guts to go through that and to come out reasonably intact and able to pick up the pieces of your life and move on," says Wilkerson, Colin Powell's former chief of staff, who has known McCain since the 1980s. "It is unquestionably a demonstration of the character of the man. But I don't think that it is a special qualification for being president of the United States. In some respects, I'm not sure that's the kind of character I want sitting in the Oval Office. I'm not sure that much time in a prisoner-of-war status doesn't do something to you. Doesn't do something to you psychologically, doesn't do something to you that might make you a little more volatile, a little less apt to listen to reason, a little more inclined to be volcanic in your temperament."
Please support Obama and donate to the campaign
Henry M
I'm just curious. Anyone?
Thanks.
John McCain graduated from the Naval Academy with "marginal grades".
He crashed five aircraft.
Was he a marginal pilot?
At this website which is definitely anti-McCain, there is a passage about the fourth of five aircraft that McCain crashed.
"McCain's fourth aircraft loss occurred July 29, 1967, soon after he was assigned to the USS Forrestal as an A-4 Skyhawk pilot. While seated in the cockpit of his aircraft waiting his turn for takeoff, an accidently fired rocket slammed into McCain's plane. He escaped from the burning aircraft, but the explosions that followed killed 134 sailors, destroyed at least 20 aircraft, and threatened to sink the ship."
Quoting Alexa from The Field:
"This US Navy film clip -- the only one available -- is from the Forrestal. It was always used in Navy damage control training films subsequently. McCain hotdogged on deck and caused this; he was identified in Navy classes as the cause by those who attended these classes and saw the film.
Because McCain was the Admiral's son he was airlifted immediately off the Forrestal to the USS Oriskany (the only Forrestal crewman to be transferred immediately) and was shot down in NVN three months later."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chuiyXQKw3I
After watching that horrific video, I'm beginning to think that McCain was shot down by an American.
An important read for military folks...
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56694
A similar interview with McCain is also on the Stripes.com site for comparison.
· Bill: S 1438 - Conference Report to Accompany S. 1438; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 Date/time: December 13, 2001, 5:03 p.m. Voted No: John McCain ·
Bill: H R 3338 - Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 3338; Department of Defense and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery from and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States Act, 2002 Date/time: December 20, 2001, 3:13 p.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Phil Graham·
Bill: H R 5010 - Vote description: Conference Report H.R. 5010; Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2003 Date/time: October 16, 2002, 2:32 p.m. Did not Vote: John McCain, Wayne Allard, Michael Enzi, Timothy Hutchinson, , Jeff Sessions ·
Bill: H R 1 - Vote description: H.R. 1 Conference Report; Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 Date/time: November 25, 2003, 9:23 a.m. No Votes: John McCain, Donald Nickles, John Sununu, Lincoln Chafee, John Ensign, Lindsey Graham, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Trent Lott ·
Amendment num: S.Amdt. 3409 - Motion To Waive CBA Daschle Amdt. No. 3409 As Amended; To assure that funding is provided for veterans health care each fiscal year to cover increases in population and inflation. Date/time: June 23, 2004, 10:43 p.m. NO Votes: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Ben Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Peter Fitzgerald, Bill Frist, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Donald Nickles, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Ted Stevens, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Amendment num: S.Amdt. 3303 - Vote description: Motion To Waive CBA RE: Corzine Amdt. No. 3303; To amend title 10, United States Code, to reduce the age for receipt of military retired pay for nonregular service from 60 to 55. Date/time: June 23, 2004, 1:47 p.m. No Votes: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Ben Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Peter Fitzgerald, Bill Frist, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Donald Nickles, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: S RES 356 - Vote description: S. Res. 356; Condemning Iraq Abuse of Prisoners resolution Date/time: May 10, 2004, 5:31 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Norm Coleman, Lisa Murkowski, Arlen Specter ·
Bill: S CON RES 95 - Vote description: Nelson Amdt. No. 2745; To create a reserve fund to allow for an increase in Veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion by eliminating abusive tax loopholes. Date/time: March 10, 2004, 9:34 p.m. NO Votes: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Ben Campbell, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Peter Fitzgerald, Bill First, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Donald Nickles, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: H R 2863 - Vote description: H.R. 2863 Conference Report; Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 Date/time: December 21, 2005, 9:57 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, Jim DeMint, Judd Gregg, ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Nelson (FL) Amdt. No. 2424; To repeal the requirement for the reduction of certain Survivor Benefit Plan annuities by the amount of dependency and indemnity compensation and to modify the effective date for paid-up coverage under the Survivor Benefit Plan. Date/time: November 8, 2005, 4:35 p.m. Did Not Vote: John McCain ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Durbin Amdt. No. 2473, as modified; To provide for eligibility for retired pay for non-regular service. Date/time: November 9, 2005, 6:04 p.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Richard Burr, Lincoln Chafee, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Jim DeMint, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Bill First, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, John Thune, David Vitter, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Dorgan Amdt. No. 2476; To establish a special committee of the Senate to investigate the awarding and carrying out of contracts to conduct activities in Afghanistan and Iraq and to fight the war on terrorism. Date/time: November 10, 2005, 11:35 a.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Wayne Allard, George Allen, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Conrad Burns, Richard Burr, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Jim DeMint, Mike DeWine, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Bill First, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Roberts, Rick Santorum, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Ted Stevens, John Sununu, Jim Talent, Craig Thomas, John Thune, David Vitter, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Talent Amdt. No. 2477; To modify the multiyear procurement authority for C-17 aircraft. Date/time: November 10, 2005, 12:04 p.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Wayne Allard, Jon Kyl, Jeff Sessions, John Sununu, Craig Thomas ·
Bill: S 1042 - Vote description: Warner Amdt. No. 2518; To clarify and recommend changes to the policy of the United States on Iraq and to require reports on certain matters relating to Iraq. Date/time: November 15, 2005, 11:47 a.m. NO Votes: John McCain, Jim Bunning, Richard Burr, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, Lindsey Graham, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Jeff Sessions, John Thune, David Vitter ·
Vote description: Motion to Proceed to Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1815; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 Missed the Vote: John McCain, Richard Burr ·
Bill: H R 2863 - Vote description: H.R. 2863 Conference Report; Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006 A simple majority of those present and voting is required for approval or passage. Date/time: December 21, 2005, 9:57 p.m. Missed the Vote: John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, Jim DeMint, Judd Gregg, ·
Bill: H R 1585 - Vote description: Boxer Amdt. No. 2947; To reaffirm strong support for all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces and to strongly condemn attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person or organization. Date/time: September 20, 2007, 11:58 a.m. Voted NO: John McCain, Lamar Alexander, John Barrasso, Robert Bennett, Kit Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Richard Burr, Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Thad Cochran, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, Bob Corker, John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Michael Crapo, Jim DeMint, Elizabeth Dole, Pete Domenici, John Ensign, Michael Enzi, Lindsey Graham, Charles Grassley, Judd Gregg, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, James Inhofe, Johnny Isakson, Jon Kyl, Trent Lott, Richard Lugar, Mel Martinez, , Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Roberts, Jeff Sessions, Richard Shelby, Gordon Smith, Olympia Snowe, John Sununu, John Thune, David Vitter, George Voinovich, John Warner ·
Vote description: Motion to Concur in the Amendments of the House to the Amendments of the Senate to H.R.976; Support for Injured Servicemembers Act Date/time: September 27, 2007, 7:54 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Sam Brownback ·
Bill: H R 1585 - Vote description: H.R. 1585 as Amended; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Date/time: October 1, 2007, 5:59 p.m. Not Voting : John McCain ·
Vote description: Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R.3963; Support for Injured Servicemembers Act Date/time: November 1, 2007, 4:45 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, John Warner ·
Bill: H R 3963 - Vote description: H.R.3963; Support for Injured Servicemembers Act Date/time: November 1, 2007, 5:15 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, John Warner ·Bill: H R 1585 - Vote description: H.R. 1585 Conference Report; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Date/time: December 14, 2007, 1:26 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain ·
Bill: H R 4986 - Vote description: H.R.4986; National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Date/time: January 22, 2008, 5:32 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, John Thune, John Warner ·
Bill: S CON RES 70 - Vote description: Boxer Amdt. No. 4368 as Modified; To increase funding for the Department of Justice for the vigorous enforcement of laws protecting children. Date/time: March 13, 2008, 8:45 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain ·
Bill: S RES 501 - Vote description: S. Res. 501; A resolution honoring the sacrifice of the members of the United States Armed Forces who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Date/time: April 3, 2008, 2:48 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain Saxby Chambliss, ·
Vote description: Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S.1315; Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 Date/time: April 22, 2008, noon Not Voting: John McCain, Pete Domenici, David Vitter ·
Bill: S 1315 - Vote description: Burr Amdt. No. 4572; To increase benefits for disabled U.S. veterans and provide a fair benefit to World War II Filipino veterans for their service to the United States. Date/time: April 24, 2008, 12:16 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain, Jim DeMint ·
Bill: H R 980 - Vote description: Motion to Table Graham Amdt. No. 4763; To improve educational assistance for members of the Armed Forces and veterans in order to enhance recruitment and retention for the Armed Forces. Date/time: May 14, 2008, 2:50 p.m. Not Voting: John McCain ·
Vote description: Motion To Concur In House Amdts To Senate Amdt To House Amdt To Senate Amdt To H.R. 2642; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 Date/time: June 26, 2008, 9:42 p.m. Not Voting : John McCain Voted No: Wayne Allard, Tom Coburn, Larry Craig, Jim DeMint, Jon Kyl, George Voinovich
·Lets also not forget Jim Webbs GI Bill this year that McCain voted against and his comments backing President Bush’s threatened veto.
Here is an article to put it all into context: http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9559andhttp://www.thenation.com/doc/20080602/beutler
McCain claims that veterans overwhelmingly support him for President, my only question is why? He does not support them as this record shows. I would also like to point out that the last time McCain showed up in the senate to vote was April 8th, consecutively.Here is an article I think is also intresting McCain Questioanble Record:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-klein/mccains-secret-questionab_b_107409.html
For decades, John McCain actively cultivated the image of a “warrior” and “war hero,” the genuine article, toting that carefully crafted impression around like a Louis Vittuon carry-all. The problem is that the supposedly genuine Vittuon actually is a cheap knock-off, a piece of counterfeit luggage that has no more in common with the genuine article than I have with McCain himself.
After years of McCain perpetuating the myth, it’s time someone publicly calls McCain what he is: An exaggerator of his military experience and fabricator of his status as war hero.
To bastardize a distasteful line he unwrapped this week, McCain would rather win a campaign than be honest about his wartime experience.
In fact, the record shows that the Man Who Would Be President was a not-very-bright Naval Academy student who preferred parties to studying and graduated in the bottom five of his Annapolis class; a mediocre pilot who crashed three jet fighters during training before being shipped out to ‘Nam where he crashed a fourth; an insubordinate junior officer who got shot down over Hanoi because he disobeyed direct orders to abandon his 23rd mission and return the A-4 Skyhawk he flew to the USS Forrestal; and, as a POW, willingly provided so much intelligence – admittedly, some of it false – and co-operated so extensively with the North Vietnamese in exchange for favourable treatment over a three year period that his fellow prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton gave him the derisive nickname “Songbird.” In propaganda aimed at the US, the North Vietnamese even used his nickname in a news release about McCain, not understanding it was an insult given him by prisoners who were disgusted by his behavior.
Put bluntly, the closest John McCain has ever come to a war hero was when he sat on his grandfather’s lap as a child. The first John McCain commanded naval aviation at the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The candidate’s father, also an Admiral named John, commanded American forces in Vietnam for a time.
In other words, John McCain III (or “Johnny Three Sticks” as a Republican Senate aid called him when being interviewed for this article) not only changes his positions on substantive issues in the campaign, he totally changes the reality of his “service to my country.” No wonder he seems to have so much trouble staying on message as a candidate; he can’t keep the story of his life straight.
In the process of repeatedly violating the Military Code of Conduct during his time as a POW, he placed other naval airmen in jeopardy. Declassified North Vietnamese and Pentagon records confirm that he provided Hanoi with detailed information about the number of airplanes on the Forrestal, flight paths into and out of North Viet Nam, how targets were selected, the positioning of rescue ships and the success rate of attacks from fighter-bombers based on his carrier. As far as can be discovered, the only thing he deceived the North Vietnamese about was the names of the pilots with whom he flew, for which he substituted the names of the Green Bay Packer’s offensive linemen. McCain has dined out on the Green Bay Packer story for decades, omitting the other, less noble, portions of his captivity.
If the fact that his father and grandfather were Annapolis grads kept him from being booted out of the Navy, then his family background also contributed to McCain being awarded 28 medals including a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze stars, two commendation medals, and a dozen other service medals. But he only flew 23 missions – which amounts to a medal-and-a-half for every hour he flew in combat.
“There were infantry guys – grunts on the ground – who had more than 7,000 hours in combat,” explains Bill Bell, a veteran of Vietnam and former chief of the U.S. Office for POW/MIA Affairs – the first official US representative in Vietnam since the 1973 fall of Saigon.
“I can tell you that there were times and situations where I’m sure a prison cell would have looked pretty good to them by comparison,” Bell states. “But the question really is how many guys got that number of medals for not being shot down."
Eventually, even the Navy was on to McCain. He left the service after being told twice that he would not be made an Admiral like his father and grandfather.
For years, McCain has been an unchecked master at manipulating an overly friendly and oft-times biased news media. The former POW turned Congressman, turned U.S. Senator, turned Presidential candidate, has managed to gloss over his failures as a pilot and his collaboration with the enemy to become America’s POW-hero presidential candidate.
Viet Nam Veterans Against McCain provided some research information for this article.
In these days of the All Volunteer Army, I fear too many Americans are oblivious to the sacrifices of our servicemen and women on our behalf. I am pleased to see several new groups and the growth of existing groups dedicated to Veterans, active duty soldiers and their families supporting Barack Obama for President: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vetshome
Friends and families of our soldiers can help them make sure their vote will be counted in the upcoming Presidential Election for their Commander-in-Chief. Let them know about the Military Voter Services Web site: https://military.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm
Also, here in New Mexico, we would like to identify Veterans and active-duty military and their families who are supporting Barack Obama and would like to know about future veteran-related events in the next few months. For more information or to get on a contact list, please send your name, mailing address, home/cell phone, rank, branch and dates of service and email address to Jim_Buhaug@msn.com.
Here is a powerful new video "How You Ended the War" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frR0qklU1_o. Watch it, then make a donation to Barack Obama's campaign. We cannot wait any longer to bring good judgement and sanity back to the White House.
