A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
[UPDATE]I was wrong about the number of missing Vietnam vets. Thanks to RVN Vet for bringing this to my attention. My number was based strictly on the number missing in NORTHERN Vietnam. Here are the correct totals:
South Vietnam – 889
North Vietnam – 489
Laos and Cambodia – 418
TOTAL – 1,796
I can’t title this post because I’m going to cover more than one topic (unless I get longwinded and forget the other topics).
The first one I want to tackle is the issue of missing soldiers. The discovery of our missing troops was both a blessing and a burden. Their untimely deaths are unfortunate. But, let me bring up some inconsistencies in the way this world is responding to these acts.
Last October, the world was up in arms over the “descration” of Taliban bodies in Afghanistan. According to an Australian journalist, soldiers had taunted the Taliban by burning the bodies to get them out in the open. The soldiers countered that the bodies stunk and were becoming a health hazard. Everyone was “offended” for and on behalf of the Muslims of the world. Everyone was calling for war crimes tribunals. Our own media was desecrating our soldiers, as usual. They were all accusatory and wondering why we didn’t call an immediate halt to hostilities and bury the bodies, “as is customary” to the Muslims. The Australians were up in arms. The Europeans were up in arms. The Arabs were up in arms. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon to persecute our soldiers.
I have yet to hear ONE foreign nation’s President, Prime Minister, King or ruler harshly criticizing the treatment of our brave troops. The Australians haven’t openly condemned the acts. The Europeans haven’t openly condemned the acts. AND THE ARABS HAVEN’T OPENLY CONDEMNED THE ACTS!!! Is the world saying that it’s okay to capture our enemies, dismember them, stuff fallic body parts where they don’t belong, and mangle the bodies beyond recognition but it’s NOT OKAY to burn smelly, rotting corpses of already dead fighters? Cause if that’s what the world is saying, we need to catch up. This just absolutely appalls me. I cannot begin to understand it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m glad they were found, but we’re not done. We still have a missing soldier in this war. We CANNOT leave Iraq until SGT Matthew Maupin is found. We cannot stop praying for him and his family. We need to pray for ALL our missing in action from other wars as well. There are still 489 servicemen and women listed as MIA from Vietnam alone.
Oh, and get this. Now the ACLU is “demanding” the full disclosure of all Haditha files!! Hey, ACLU, go screw yourself!! Sorry, CJ. Why aren’t you complaining about the “civil liberties” of those soldiers captured in Iraq?! Where were they then?! I thought ACLU was the AMERICAN Civil Liberties Union? Who are these….well technically…people? They don’t care about civil liberties. They care about destroying this country one issue at a time, one cross at a time.
My second issue is WMD. For three years this countries left and liberal population has pounded into our heads that there are no WMDs. There are no WMDs. There are no WMDs. There are no WMDs. For three years this site has pounded back about the stuff we HAVE found.
Now, there is even MORE information on WMDs. Declassified excerpts of an April report by the Army’s National Ground Intelligence Center said the 500 weapons contained mustard and sarin nerve agents and were found in small unmaintained caches rather than large stockpiles. And I know exactly what the cowards are going to say about this: “Oh, but that’s pre-1991,” “Those aren’t the WMDs Bush was talking about.” They may not be the WMDs Bush was talking about, but they are WMDs. We’re talking about Mustard and Sarin Nerve agents. Sarin is the exact same chemical used in the Tokyo Subway terrorist strike in March 2005 by the terrorist group Aum Shinrikyo (an extremist Budhist Hindu cult).
In that attack, 12 people were killed and more than 1000 injured. Those numbers should have been reversed, but the organization mixed the chemicals wrong and the agent was too heavy. It stayed low to the ground. But that was a coordinated attack that took place in five separate locations. Sarin isn’t something to play around with and if Al Qaeda or some other terrorist state (Iraq) or entity got a hold of it, the effects would be disastrous. It doesn’t matter how old or new the weapons were, it proved that Saddam indeed lied to our weapons inspectors in violation of the resolution agreed upon with the UN and thereby authorizing military force in itself. Code Pink, Murtha, Kerry and others can no longer claim that this is an illegal war (well, they couldn’t before either since they voted to approve it to begin with).
The insurgents WANT these munitions. They may be old, but they’re still effective. They will still kill and infect humans. I think it’s funny how anonymous “intelligence officials” are coming out and saying that “Pre-Gulf War weapons did not pose a threat to any of our forces at that time.” If that were the case, why did I don my chemical protective gear every time an artillery shell landed within a kilometer of me. Were these anonymous “intelligence officials” lying to me then….or now? They are the ones who told me I had to keep two sets of chemical suits on me at all times. They are the reasons I didn’t change my clothes for more than two weeks straight for fear of a chemical attack. Now, all of the sudden, they “don’t pose a threat” to me?! You’ve got to be kidding!!
Pennsylvania has redeemed itself of Murtha in my eyes. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan are coming forth with this information and telling the American people (FINALLY) that Saddam was a threat. Both Santorum and Hoekstra face re-election at a time when souring public opinion over the Iraq war has become a hurdle for Republicans in Congress. If they were in my district, I’d vote for them!!
Let’s also not forget this: “We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S.Constitution and Laws, to take necessary actions, (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.”
Who do you think said that? It was in a letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998…AFTER 1991!! According to the U.S. Senate website, the text of this letter was signed by several Senators, both Democrat and Republican, including Senator John McCain and Joseph Lieberman.
As a final point, I wanted to talk about terrorism in this country. I’m sure everyone knows that the FBI arrested (or detained) seven individuals in Miami in connection with a terrorist plot to destroy several targets within this country. According to CNN, the arrests “culminated a monthslong undercover operation.” Some of the people arrested were members of a radical Muslim group inside this country. At least one of the individuals had taken the “Al Qaeda oath.”
Ladies and gentlemen, we caught these individuals because this administration is serious about defeating terrorism wherever it resides. Our law enforcement organizations are committed to searching, finding, and destroying extremism. We cannot cut and run, “cut and jog”, or “cut and walk”. We cannot cut and anything. We need to fight terrorism wherever it is until EVERY extremist is bruised, battered, and lying in their own pool of blood. I can’t be any plainer, so I won’t.
Oh, and get this. Now the ACLU is “demanding” the full disclosure of all Haditha files!! Hey, ACLU, go screw yourself!! Sorry, CJ. Why aren’t you complaining about the “civil liberties” of those soldiers captured in Iraq?! Where were you then?!
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![[UPDATE] The “Face” of Military Dating Scams – The Wall of Shame](http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/thumb.php?src=http://militarygear.com/asp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/2.jpg&w=53&h=41&zc=1&q=100)
Military Dating Scams (More Nigerian Scammers)
LOL imagine that this scammer actually said if you dont know anything
[UPDATE] The "Face" of Military Dating Scams - The Wall of Shame
@ anonn this one was easy to figure out this liar basically tell where
[UPDATE] The "Face" of Military Dating Scams - The Wall of Shame
@ anonn still not sure why you are using my username but anywho great
Anatomy of a Military Dating Scam
i would love to see what pics he has sent you.....he has started email
Carole
Great post Patriot. My heart cries for the families of ALL MIAs and I pray for them every night.
Teresa
I agree…this is a great post. I too pray for our soldiers families….I am so sickened by what was done to them and by the lack of reaction from the world as a whole. I also think it is needed to remember Sgt. Maupin…thank-you for the post.
Miriam
Truthfully, I don’t think any Republicans need to worry about being kicked out of office for supporting the War on Terror. No matter what the media might like to think, American’s aren’t stupid or cowards. There are Republicans in hot water right now, but it isn’t about the war. (The far left may consider that to be the issue, but then too they have never thought anything else.)
That’s not to say that there aren’t leaders in Washington (especially Democrats) that I wouldn’t like to hit upside the head with a 12 x 12 (2 x 4′s too small
. And I’d love to set off a few “truth bombs”, but you know, I think it’s going to happen anyway. Most Americans are in enough rage to be turning purple right now.
As to the rest of the world’s anger, many of them hate us as much as those who killed those soldiers. They’re just to “polite” to show it in the same overt way. But they’re not to “polite” to applaud when someone else does the dirty work.
SK
You’ve said what alot of us are feeling.
Platoon Mom Terri
I’ll add my own “Amen” here. Well said Patriot.
Donna
Patriot,
That is a great post and I agree with you 100%. I pray for our soldiers and their families as well.
About the ACLU. I was told that a bunch of communists started the thing under the guise of civil liberties. What a crock. They are a bunch of atheists who are always on the wrong side of things. They need their butts kicked out of this country!!
Lisa
Patriot and Everybody,
EMAIL your problems with this to Sen. Frist and email ALL the major media outlets and the ACLU.
Seriously! It will get their attention since November elections are right around the corner. Then get up from the computer, turn off the t.v., put on some music and forget things for a while.
It does seem very unfair but it may be possible that they may have been asked by the government and/or families to respect the privacy of their sons as this is such an atrocious act or not to “glorify” it by reporting on it over and over and give the terrorists more reasons to repeat it again because it got such a high reaction from us. Just a thought… That is what they (the Terrorist) desire and I will not give it to them. So as far as I am concerned, these soldiers died with dignity and honor fighting for their country and nothing those wretched animals did will ever change that.
CJ
Lisa, are you saying that the family asked the WORLD not to express outrage at the treatment of their soldiers? I find that hard to believe. I think Patriot is talking about the way the WORLD responded to the Afghanistan thing versus the mutilated soldiers, not just this country’s media. He’s talking world leaders.
Lisa
No, but the parents would surely have a right to if they so chose to. I don’t expect for the other countries to be up in arms (not that it wouldn’t be nice) because as you know we aren’t real popular right now unless they need a helping hand then we are REAL popular. Thank God, we aren’t in this to become popular. Also, the other World Leaders will pander to their people. We are in a war and an unpopular one as far as the worlds eyes can tell but I think telling our Senators to speak up for our soldiers and any mistreatment is about all we can do. Frankly, I don’t know why people of the world are not outraged and disgusted. Plus, I find that from my personal experience that dwelling on this too much makes me depressed and doesn’t really help the war or my attitude. There are many things about the world I have questions about and wonder why but I am not in a position to help unless I email my politicians and make donations to worthy causes.
The Worlds silence speaks volumes about their morals and value of human life.
So like I TRY and I say TRY to do…RISE ABOVE IT:)
I think of America like a family, although we don’t always see eye to eye, we are there for each other when we need to be. That’s all that matters to me.
Lisa
That’s all Patriot and Cj, that I am saying. Speak loudly to these people through emails and letters. Put forth your anger to the Leaders of the World and let them know it appears they think it’s not okay for one person of another country to die but yet it is okay for an American to be slaughtered. That makes them two-faced and liars who speak out of both sides of their mouths.
Lisa
Plus, I wonder why, WHY IN THE WORLD there are babies and children being raped and starving to death in the world? Where is the help from the world? America is the number one donator of food, monies (Our Tax Dollars) and forces in all the areas of this great big marble. So I really don’t hold the other countries too high. I guess they are just too busy pointing their finger at us to be able help.
Lisa
And remember what goes around, comes around.
CJ
Well said, Lisa.
Lisa
Thank you and I am sorry if I hurt anybody’s feelings or angered them. I just know when the terrorists and anti-Americans read these blogs, they get a kick out of it…I don’t want to give them a damn thing.
RVN Vet
Patriot – Your comments, Blogged in Military Perspective on Thursday June 22, 2006, “Hypocrites, WMDs, And More”; were exceptional! I look forward to reading any future comments you make.
I will make one correction concerning your statement, “There are still 489 servicemen and women listed as MIA from Vietnam alone.”
According to: http://www.veteransresources.org/forums/showthread.php?p=4556
POW/MIA Update: April 1, 2006
“U.S. PERSONNEL MISSING FROM THE VIETNAM WAR: The number listed by DoD as missing and unaccounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 is still 1,807 – 1,382 in Vietnam, 364 in Laos, 54 in Cambodia and 7 in PRC territorial waters. Some 63 Americans were accounted for pre 1975 in areas where the US had access, for a grand total of Vietnam War accounted for personnel of 839, but these US personnel were accounted for without cooperation from the post-war governments of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia. Over 90% of the 1,807 still missing were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnamese wartime control.”
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/pmsea/Stats20060612.pdf
Current as of: 2006/06/13
SUBJECT: VIETNAM-ERA UNACCOUNTED FOR STATISTICAL REPORT
BACKGROUND: The Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Service, and the Department of
State report the current numbers of Americans who are unaccounted for in Southeast Asia:
South Vietnam – 889
North Vietnam – 489
Laos and Cambodia – 418
TOTAL – 1,796
These numbers are not to criticize you or your comments but to bring forward the truth that there are still many missing and unaccounted for US Military personnel in South East Asia. Yet we, the United States, have significant trade relations with Vietnam!
I cite again, the above April 1, 2006 MIA/POW Report to drive the human toll to the forefront; “Some 63 Americans were accounted for pre 1975 in areas where the US had access, for a grand total of Vietnam War accounted for personnel of 839, but these US personnel were accounted for without cooperation from the post-war governments of Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia.”
Again, thank you for your comments.
Miriam
I wonder if the numbers listed of Vietnam missing are just soldiers or if they included civilians in the number. I know of at least one civilian still missing from Vietnam. That is, they havn’t found his body yet. His wife finally gave him up for dead a few years ago when she go tired of people looking for asylum telling her they had seen him alive. Families go through quite the wringer when they are never found.
RVN Vet
Miriam:
The number I posted do include civilian MIA’s/POW,s.
South Vietnam – 20
North Vietnam – 1
Laos – 8
Cambodia – 5
TOTAL – 34
Thank you for your interest. Anytime we can keep all the MIA’s and POW’s in the news or Blogs we, hopefully, can induce or shame our government to increase the accounting of all American’s MIA’s and POW’s.
jane-marie wright
I was really sickened and shocked to read about the two young US soldiers who were brutally tortured and killed by these complete mindless; (I’m actually lost for words on how to describe them, I don’t know who they are words can’t describe the bitter taste I have thinking about what they did to these two lads.) It’s always the same in the West, we’re supposed to turn the other cheek and smile through it, put our hands up when we do something we shouldn’t even under extreme pressure. No one deserves to be violated, it happens, but when its been a US or UK serviceman who has done the violating then he/she is punished for it. The men that did this to these US soldiers it’s unlikely that they will be punished.
I think the Press have so much to answer for they blatatly put our armed forces in danger every day by; for want of a better word…siding with the other side. They should keep their mouths shut and stop giving our lads a hard time.
CJ said in one of his iraq blogs about never knowing if the figure walking towards you is wanting to talk or wanting to blow themselves up. Thats pressure and thats hard to deal with. The press just haven’t got a clue.
(sorry for the rant, and bad spelling i’m just sick of the press making it harder for our lads!)