|
Post by Tim Collins on Dec 6, 2008 20:56:08 GMT -7
|
|
rosa
Full Member
Starting 5-Founding Member
Posts: 185
|
Post by rosa on Nov 12, 2009 6:21:58 GMT -7
off of one of those horrendous liberal blogs.... dailyhurricane.com/2009/11/guest-post-honoring-a-great-veteran.htmlGuest blogged by our friend, bubbabobcat: In honor of Veterans Day, I would like to acknowledge a soldier and an American who represents the best in us through and through despite the trials and tribulations bestowed upon him by his fellow fallible man. General Eric K. Shinseki who is a West Point graduate, Vietnam War combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, rose through the ranks to become the Army Chief of staff in 1999 and is the highest ranking Asian American in the US military. He spoke his mind bluntly at obvious political and professional risk to do what was best for his country and his soldiers. And most famously in the run up to the Iraq war in 2003, Gen. Shinseki presciently testified to Congress that the war plans were inadequate and undermanned to maintain stability and peace in Iraq after the initial invasion. For his efforts, he was immediately publicly and embarrassingly rebuked by his civilian superiors, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Undersecretary Paul Wolfowitz (who by the way, never served in the military and received deferments from the draft). With his authority emasculated and his shining career of public service effectively ruined, he nobly served out the rest of his term, retired in obscurity and faded in to the background in private service. However, even when unfairly humiliated and later vindicated, he maintained his professionalism and "military bearing" in steadfastly to this day refusing to criticize his Commander in Chief (George W. Bush) both publicly and amazingly in private also. Now, THAT is the epitome of a soldier who has maintained his honor and integrity through thick and thin. He is of course later vindicated throughout the horrendous execution and "planning" of the Iraq War in the intervening years of that never-ending quagmire, culminating in President Bush's acknowledgement of his tactical error in announcing a remedial "surge" strategy four years too late and thousands of unnecessary American, coalition, and Iraqi lives lost. The additional soldiers that General Shinseki was roundly criticized for years earlier, ultimately quells the unrest that resulted from the chaos of a poorly planned and executed war he did his best to fix from the outset. As he has previously risen from the ashes like a phoenix after what should have been a career ending combat injury to his foot in Vietnam, he is back in the saddle again working tirelessly advocating in support for the everyday soldier when he was appointed by President Obama last year to head the Cabinet position of Department of Veterans Affairs. He has already made headway in streamlining an organization notorious for its endless bureaucracy and frustrating red tape as far back as the Vietnam War era, even keeping the office open on a Saturday to ensure benefits are paid promptly to veterans. As he has been all through his military career, even in "retirement" as a civilian he is still working relentlessly for his soldiers' welfare and well being. A true honorable American patriot in words and in his actions. I salute you, Sir
|
|