I guess they could put "Global War on Terrorism" on the stones, but nobody I know really likes that title. We could call it WW IV, but there are political problems with that, too.
People who were there routinely say, "I was in OIF" or "I was in OEF". I had no idea that somebody would think that putting this on the headstone of the fallen was some sort of political conspiracy. Since very few people ever see the headstone of the fallen, it's probably not very effective propaganda.
But .. If I ever fall in the service of my country, I sure would want those who pass by my final resting place to know what I did for them.
Was World War II really World War II? Roman wars, the French-Indian War, the Spanish American War and even the American Revolution were World Wars also...
Don't worry about it. They found one guy in Oceanside. He is just one of the 60's style hippies living there. They probable interviewed him right before he went to Camp Cindyloon!
These heros died in combat zones serving their nation. Anyone who would question putting the operation name on these markers is just plain ignorant.
Next thing you know McCaffrey will say that Patrick was drafted...
This doesn't make sense. The stones at Arlington have always stated the war the person served in. We just don't have a name for this one so to speak, so the name of the operation makes sense to me. I also know for a fact that you pre approve the headstone.
File in the "You got to be kidding me" folder.
'Nuff said.
It's not a slogan, it's the name of the campaign.
Sheesh.
I told my wife to make sure my headstone has my full name and rank, with no abbreviations, and Persian Gulf enscribed on it.
Please. Maybe the son chose ahead of time what he would want on his gravestone if he died in combat.
I would think most vets would want to have the name of the war they died in on their gravestone---or even if they didn't die in the war. The gravestones at Arlington state which wars they fought in and, sorry, but the "Operation" name is the name of this war.
The people whom this would offend are not the people who visit Arlington National Cemetary, nor should they visit there.
Do we not have someone else in this country who owns a granite business?
Memo to Jeff Martell: SHUT UP.
Golly. He should be freeped.
"It just seems a little brazen that that's put on stones," said Jeff Martell, owner of Granite Industries of Vermont. "It seems like it might be connected to politics."
The media is counting on their mind numbed socialist robots to read the headline and use that as talking points.
If you don't read the story, you won't realize the headline is very misleading.
To the McCaffrey family: I'm sorry for your loss. I appreciate what your son did for the cause of freedom, regardless of your or his personal preferences.
That said, forgive me for asking why, precisely, your family "took advantage" of the free burial and all that goes with it in Arlington National Cemetary if you did not feel you or your son wanted to honor his war service?
Frankly, in the years preceeding Operation Iraqi Freedom, ANC had to tighten the eligibility requirements because the last of the WWII vets were dying in huge numbers every month. ANC had to "turn away" some requests for burial there that would have been approved previously.
ANC is THE national military cemetary.
It's sad to think that families who oppose honoring the military service of their fallen loved ones "take advantage" of the opportunity to have their loved one buried at Arlington.
A family is always given the option to buy their own headstone, rather than "take advantage" of the free one offered by the government.
And having been through the process at Arlington, I seriously doubt that no one was asked what their preferences were on the stone. There is a form you have to fill out for the stone.
It's a shame this family took a slot away from someone and a family who would be forever honored to be remembered at Arlington.
What a dope.
Has Sen. Cleland never been to Arlington?
Does he think the gravestones of all the soldiers buried during WWII, which state WWII, is "glorified advertising"?
Even for the vets who were not killed in the war, the family is given the option to put on the gravestone the wars the vet fought in.
I know for a fact there are many gravestones in ANC that say "WWII, Korea, Viet Nam."
Advertising?
That makes me want to smack him [Cleland].
And by the way, Cleland, are you going to put anything about having been in Viet Nam on your gravestone? How did I know?
Slogans not to use on headstones:
How is the operation code name any different than the "war and foreign country"? Those are code names, not slogans. They provide the same information. If it was my son or daughter, I'd be proud to have the word "Freedom" on their headstone. What better cause to sacrifice oneself for than the cause of human freedom?
I guess the A.P. writer found a needle in the haystack and thought he can make Bush look bad once again.
and whose headstone should read "I blew myself up"
Hey, AP and all the rest of the military-ignorant media: It's not a "slogan," it's the name of a military operation!
Soldiers who served in wars routinely have the name of the war in which they served put on their headstone. Go to military cemeteries and you will see "Civil War," "Indian Wars," "Spanish-American War," "Philippine Insurrection," "China Relief Expedition," World War I," "World War II," "Korean War," "Vietnam," and "Gulf War." There might even be some that say "Revolutionary War," "War of 1812," and "Mexican War."
I don't know what they put on headstones for operations such as Beruit, Grenada, Somalia and Kosovo, but I'm sure they put something that recognizes where the soldier, sailor, airman or marine served.
Once again the members of the media show both their anti-military bias and their complete ignorance of all things military.