Posted on 09/30/2009 9:02:51 AM PDT by Edisto Joe
This site will always support and honor our men and women in the military and express gratitude to those who serve, both past and present, those living and those who have past. To the brave who have survived and to the ones who have given life and limb in defense of this country. To feel differently would be to ignore and belittle those who are the backbone of our freedom. Yet, sadly, this is exactly what our President, Barack Obama has done to those members of the WWII era, Alaskan Territorial Guard. (ATG)
As incredible and insensitive as this sounds, it's true. He is denying them pension money for their service to the country on the basis they were merely “state employees”at that time in history. In a policy statement on the 2010 Senate Defense Appropriations bill, the White House says it objects to counting the ATG members' time as "active duty" and goes on to say the ATG members were really "state employees." Paying them, the administration says, would set a precedent for treating all state employees as active-duty members, who would then also be eligible for back pay.
The President needs a refresher course in American history and the states, as well as events in the 1940's. The following is offered:
The ATG known locally as the "Tundra" army was formed in the spring of 1942, following the Japanese bombing of Dutch Harbor and the capture of Attu and Kiska Islands in the Aleutians. The original Alaskan National Guard, the 297 Infantry Battalion was called into federal service at the time and the 77th Congress authorized the formation of a territorial militia to assist in defense of Alaska. The Army Air Corp in Fort Richardson, Alaska under Major Marvin "Muktuk" Marston was assigned the task of organizing the predominately Eskimo villages west of the 154 Parallel along the Bering Sea and Arctic Coasts for the next 3 years. Using WWI surplus weapons and equipment they established a defense line from Barrow to Bristol Bay comprised almost entirely of Alaskan natives. These dedicated citizens served without pay until 1947 at which time they were disbanded by companies without ceremony or recognition by a war weary nation. (Information from: "Alaska At War 1941-1945: The Forgotten War Remembered.”)
Mr. President, in 1942 Alaska was a federal territory not a state. Therefore it would be impossible to be a state employee. Alaska was admitted to the Union in 1959 as our 49th not our 57th state and it was Congress who authorized the formation of the Alaskan Territorial Guard for the defense of the country in case of a Japanese invasion. To deprive these last survivors of their due is insulting and outrageous. Furthermore your reasoning is out of line and smells of political payback to a state that had a Governor who opposes you and your policies. If not that reason, then ignorance would be the only recourse. Either way, you owe an apology to the ATG members. Admit your mistake, thank them for their service to the country in time of crisis and restore their payments.
Alaska's Congressional Representatives are working to amend this situation when the bill goes to the floor. Let us hope they are successful. I would suggest to any who agree this injustice needs to be corrected, contact the White House directly via their web page and tell them you won't stand for a Commander In Chief that won't recognize the services or history of those he commands.
Edisto Joe
Racist?
Why didn’t Pres. Bush square this away when he was in office?
Why would you refer to them as “state employees”?
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Which will be so higher a decision than deciding to grant social security to illegal aliens ... which is all but DONE!
We should send this to the press and inform them of this discrimination against the Inuit people. I’m sure that would go over well with Obama’s liberal base.
I’ll ask again, why didn’t Pres. Bush square this away?
As for the State, comment, dunno.
That question could be asked of GW a lot. There has been a progressive march for decades, some slower thna others, but the march kept going in the same direction.
I will ask again, when a current President could correct an injustice why not do it? Refers to a territory as a stste?
An authorized milita formed during war as “state employees”?
What are the logical reasons? Political payback? This man is supposed to be the great social doctor! Mr. fixit.
You can refer to G.W. all you want but I prefer justice for these veterans.
......Mr. President, in 1942 Alaska was a federal territory not a state. Therefore it would be impossible to be a state employee. Alaska was admitted to the Union in 1959 as our 49th not our 57th state and it was Congress who authorized the formation of the Alaskan Territorial Guard for the defense of the country in case of a Japanese invasion.....
In fact, there WAS a Japanese invasion—of the Aleutian islands Attu and Kiska!
This whole episode shows that obama is NOT well-educated, but an ignoramus. He was NOT an academic—he published no scholarly articles, and the two books he published were not scholarly, but self-serving, and were almost certainly written by someone else. By profession, he is a “community organizer”— a professional radical left-wing agitator.
Moreover, obama and his evil, totalitarian advisors are at war with older people, and with the American military and our veterans.
I was responding to a question
ping...
0bama the anti-American racist strikes again.
He sure does & out to be ashamed of himself. However I really doubt if 0 has the ability to be ashamed about anything he or his czars, commie friends or wife does. Shaking my head again & waiting to see what he & his czars do next....
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