Iraq

Murtha and America should watch his Vietnam withdrawal from Iraq

What does redeployment mean exactly?” asked one reporter [July 25, 2007]. “Get the hell out [of Iraq],” Mr. Murtha replied. — Jerome L. Sherman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Democratic Party’s leadership wants no “change of direction” in Iraq; they want complete withdrawal. They are willing to stand by, to ignore the carnage that will come, just as they ignored the killing fields of Vietnam and Cambodia:

Another asked if any troops would stay behind to engage in counterterrorism operations. “None, zero,” [Murtha] said. He warned that an evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad could happen, repeating the images of Americans boarding a helicopter in Saigon during the final days of the Vietnam War in 1975. He dismissed calls to leave a smaller force of U.S. troops in Iraq, warning that those troops would be more vulnerable to enemy attacks because of the modern military’s considerable logistical needs.

This anti-“Bush’s war” effort was never about redeploying a significant sized forced to the “real war” in Afghanistan or to anywhere nearby to conduct anti-terror operations. It was always about a return to September 10:

“The Army is broken,” [Murtha] said. “The Army is hurting. We couldn’t deploy anyplace.”

Should he succeed, John Murtha should be redeployed to watch and listen, forced to stand atop the berm holding a white flag as our troops pass by in full retreat. He has earned their disdain.

Murtha’s eyes should be wide open. There should be no cotton in his ears. If fact, everyone in Congress who votes for withdrawal and every Presidential candidate who advocates the same should be required to stand there with him. All the anti-war mainstream media should be there; their editors and reporters dragged from their air-conditioned havens and made to watch. Let us not forget the self-proclaimed humanitarians, the anti-war whacko left. I will not name them; the list is long and their names sicken me. They should all be there.

Fly UAVs all over the killing fields. Position cameras and plant sound transmitters on each corner. Every American television station should be locked on the carnage, 24/7, uncensored, sound on, and with no commercial interruptions.

Iraq is why 9/11 is gone from the anti-war media. We watched that day in horror, when war came to our shores. We saw what happens when you do nothing to prevent a slaughter. We vowed to never forget. Yet most of America has forgotten and just shut its eyes.

If we withdraw from Iraq, it will be 9/11 there a thousand-fold, and we all should be forced to watch. When it’s over, when the screaming ends, every American should hang their head in shame.

Marine’s Memorial in Michigan Vandalized

Northern Michigan’s 9&10news.com (CBS TV affiliate) has the story:

“Its the idea that somebody vandalizing something that means so much to so many, I have trouble understanding,” an anguished Linda Fabian said while viewing a memorial to a fallen Marine from Mt. Pleasant, MI, that had been vandalized.

Lest they be forgotten memoria Mt Pleasant MI

When Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth died in Iraq on November 13, 2004, Fabian got to work making sure Ellsworth and all the troops who put their lives on the line would not be forgotten. Fabian’s own son served two tours in Iraq.

Lance Corporal Justin M. Ellsworth

“It wasn’t about how big it was, it wasn’t about how extraordinary of a monument, its what it meant and what it represented,” Fabian said.

Lest they be forgotten memorial Mt Pleasant MI

Police say someone twisted what it represents. They bent a twenty-foot flagpole, draped that flag on the monument, burned a part of the flag, stole a bronze eagle, and destroyed a lot of the flowers and plants that surround it.

Lest they be forgotten memorial Mt Pleasant MI

“So many kids from around here have been to Iraq, are going to Iraq; they’re protecting the very people that are doing this to our monument,” Fabian said.

Lest they be forgotten memorial Mt Pleasant MI

The Mount Pleasent Police Department is investigating yet, “At this point it’s pretty wide open. We don’t have any suspects or major leads to go on,” a spokesman said. Police hope the community will bring them answers to who did this to their community’s monument.

Lest they be forgotten memorial Mt Pleasant MI

Fabian said the strange thing is, in all the damage that was done, the daisies here are the one thing that survived. They were Justin Ellsworth’s favorite flower. “Justin loved daisies and if you look, they only thing that really survived are Justin’s daisies,” Fabian pointed out.

Lest they be forgotten memorial Mt Pleasant MI

If you would like to donate money to help fix the memorial in Mount Pleasant, there is an account set up at Isabella Bank & Trust under the name Justin Ellsworth.

The memorial in Mount Pleasant was designed by Gregg Garvey, of Florida, as part of the Lest They Be Forgotten memorial effort. Mr. Garvey began his not for profit campaign to create, establish and help maintain hometown remembrances of our men and women who have lost their lives defending the United States of America in our war against terrorism after his own son, Army Sergeant Justin W. “Hobie” Garvey, was killed in an ambush in Iraq on July 20, 2003.

A video report by 9&10 News’ Mona Nair and photojournalist Bridgette Pacholka can be viewed here.