What Are You Doing For Your Soldiers
Thu March 11th, 2004 21:14 MSTTasty Manatees has suggestions on how we can help our soldiers. Check it out.
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RE: John Fonda Kerry. Somehow we (Viet Nam Vets) have to find a way to get JFondaK’s service record, including his medical record, open for public review. If it was the right thing to do with Bush’s records it must be the right thing? I want to see who signed off on his three Purple Hearts, et al. Are they part and parcel of his Fellow Travelers; those who supported him when he (at a Congressional Hearing) slandered the Military causing enormous pain and suffering. I, too, do not believe in black helos, etc.; however, upon reading that JFondaK was an ardant supporter of Teddy Kennedy prior to serving in Nam, I sense that there might be a setup somewhere. Anyway, keep up the good fight, MMCM(SS) Dale Scott USN(ret.)
When I was going to join the Marines, I had people tell me I could “get out of it” either by joining the Navy or the National Guard.
However, these people were taking cheap shots at these honorable forces, because LBJ was sending various units of the Navy to Vietnam and he was sending various units of the National Guard to Vietnam.
But how can Bush now be blamed that LBJ chose NOT to send his particular unit of the Texas Air National Guard? How could Bush have known what LBJ or any new president would eventually decide to do during the next six years of Bush’s hitch?
I wrote earlier: “But how can Bush now be blamed that LBJ chose NOT to send his particular unit of the Texas Air National Guard?”
John K. Mahon, in his book, History of the Militia and the National Guard, writes on page 242:
“There seem to have been three major reasons for President Johnson’s decision (not to mobilize the reserves for Vietnam):
“1. To conceal from the American people the high level of military commitment that the nation was making in a distant land.
“2. To avoid sending belligerent vibrations to the North Vietnamese, the Soviets, and the Chinese.
“3. Secretary McNamara gave expression to the third reason: to preserve the reserve component as untapped power “available to meet further contingencies for fulfilling our treaty commitments.” In those words he voiced the administration’s fear that Vietnam was no more than a diversion to distract attention from a greater effort elsewhere.”
The only Chickenhawks here were LBJ and the Democratic Congress that, Kerry-like, put our forces into the field and then failed to support them.
Paul, I did my time on a destroyer (DD-808) off ‘nam 65-67. I was in the reserve at the time, and although we were providing manpower, we weren’t providing unit power.
Kerry –I won’t get into because I want to appear somewhat normal. :-p
He’s a friggin’ joke.
Mike H.,
Welcome home, and thank you for your service. It is appreciated.
Paul
Back in the Vietnam days, if I remember correctly, we males had a 6 year or 8 year “statutory military service obligation.”
According to one link regarding this subject: “if you are separating prior to fulfilling eight years of active service, you probably have not completed your statutory obligation.”
As I understood it before going in, we all had at least a 2 year active duty/2 year active reserve/2 year inactive reserve obligation. However, I got my discharge after medivac to Chelsea Naval Hospital, so I never thought about it again.
However, now that Bush is being called a “deserter” for supposedly missing reserve meetings, I am wondering who among us ever fulfilled this obligation.
I see from MotherJones.com that George W. Bush joined Texas Air National Guard May 27, 1968, with two years on active duty and four years reserves (unless being activated prior to discharge). He got an 8-month early out (Honorable Discharge) from his reserve obligation to attend school. Therefore, Bush served five years and four months
of a six year obligation.
It looks to me that Bush came much closer to fulfilling his 6 year “statutory military service obligation” than did Kerry, Kennedy or Gore.
Ted Kennedy did at least 16 months of his 2 year active duty. Did he make all or even any of his reserve meetings? I doubt it.
John Kerry served less than three years active. Did he make any reserve meetings in the balance of his 6 or 8 year “statutory military service obligation”? I doubt it.
Al Gore served one year, 8 months of a two-year enlistment. Did he make any reserve meetings in the balance of his service obligation? I doubt it.
By the way, it looks like Bill Clinton fullfilled nothing of his service obligation, not that that ever bothered any of Bush’s critics.