Posted on 09/24/2004 5:13:47 AM PDT by wallcrawlr
At the age of 58, Joe Repya is trading a political battleground for a real one.
After fighting in Vietnam and returning for more combat duty in Desert Storm in 1991, then assuming a key role for the 2004 Bush campaign in swing state Minnesota, the retired lieutenant colonel from Eagan is headed back to the Army -- and Iraq.
"I'm worried about the kidding I'll get from those young soldiers," said Repya, who will give up his post as co-chairman of Minnesota Veterans for Bush-Cheney. "I'm sure the Army will give me an extra set of bifocals."
A return to active duty at Repya's age is "very rare," said Col. Denny Shields, a spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard.
The Bush campaign sees the unusual call-up as an extraordinary display of patriotism. "He's an American hero who has worked tirelessly on behalf of our president," said Tracey Schmitt, the campaign's regional spokesperson. "He's been critical to building up our campaign, and he's done a lot of national TV for us. He personifies the American spirit."
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I wonder if John Kerry'll..no wait thats right. Kerry is supposed to protest and meet with the enemy. That would be the terrorists this time around.
Kerry could'nt be compared to a zit on the bottom side of this guy.
He is probably just trying to pad his retirement points! ;-)
So just serve them a nice hot mug of Shut The Hell Up!
Hell, there's E-8's and -9's that age going to the Sandbox, too - think of what THIS cagey ol' boy's bringing to the mix.
The old guys teach the new dogs the old tricks, every day.
Eagan couple receive local, national attention for their ‘Liberate Iraq’ signs
Posted: 2/14/03
by Erin Johnson
THISWEEK NEWSPAPERS
Joe Repya, of Eagan, said he is by no means “pro war.”
But as a retired lieutenant colonel of the U.S. Army and a veteran of two wars, he said he is concerned that our country is supportive of its troops.
“Once the political authorities, whatever party they represent, make a decision to exercise military force, then our nation as a whole needs to stand up and show unwavering support to our military,” Repya said.
Driving through Minneapolis one day, Repya and his wife, Deb, said they saw yard after yard with anti-war signs.
“We really felt, because Joe’s in the military, I’ve had family in the military, we’ve always been very supportive of our troops, that that is not the message you want our troops to see when they’re getting ready and deploying,” Deb said. “We want to support them and our administration.”
The Repyas decided they wanted to provide an alternative message. So they brainstormed and came up with a sign that reads, “Liberate Iraq/Support Our Troops.”
“She (Deb) heard me rumbling a few words under my breath and she said, ‘Doggone it, we ought to do something. We ought to put out a sign that shows support to the troops,’” he said. “So we came up with this idea and found someone who was interested in printing it.”
The response to the sign has been overwhelming.
The Repyas originally had 250 signs printed. They now have a waiting list and are in the process of printing 2,000 new signs.
As soon as the first signs were printed, Joe, a military analyst on a local talk radio station, announced that he would stand on a corner and hand out signs for one hour.
“No sooner did I put out the signs than over 100 automobiles stopped,” he said. “We even had a yellow school bus pull up and the driver said, ‘I have to have one of those signs.’”
Within 40 minutes, all 250 signs were gone.
“This has taken on a life of its own. In less than 10 days we will have over 2,000 signs in circulation,” Joe said.
The signs have been covered by every local T.V. and radio station as well as newspapers. The Associated Press picked up the story, and soon the Repyas were receiving calls from Alaska, Florida, and everywhere in between.
“We’ve received phone calls from San Francisco, Cincinnati, Virginia Beach, Washington, D.C.,” he said.
The couple has received over 600 phone calls and 250 e-mails. They got an order from one man for 200 signs, and one woman even got a sign for her husband, a Vietnam veteran, for Valentine’s Day.
The signs are free, but the Repyas welcome donations to cover printing costs.
“We have people that have been so kind,” Joe said. “We’ve had donations everywhere from $5 to $2,000. I sat down after the guy donated $2,000 and I had tears in my eyes.”
So far, the couple said, they’re breaking even with costs, but any extra money will be donated to the USO.
“And it will be donated in the name of the people of Minnesota, not in our name,” Joe said.
When designing the signs, the couple knew they wanted words of support for U.S. troops, but they also chose words to support the liberation of the Iraqi people.
“We decided on the words ‘Liberate Iraq’ because of our experience with Iraqi refugees and the hundreds of Iraqis that I personally had come into contact with during the war,” Joe said. “Iraq is a police state and it’s population is begging for freedom.”
The couple even brought an Iraqi Colonel and his nephew, captured during the Gulf War, over to the U.S.
“They couldn’t go back, because they would have been killed,” Deb said. “So we ended up bringing them to the United States as refugees.”
A year later, the couple said they discovered that the colonel’s wife and son, who had remained in Iraq, had been killed.
“These people want liberation so badly,” Joe said. “They are so tired of living in a police state. And I can’t help but think if we, as a freedom-loving nation, are not willing to tackle the difficult problems of this world, then who will?”
The Repya’s sentiments have obviously touched a nerve around the country.
“The response has just been so overwhelming. We’re just so pleased,” he said. “We’re pleasantly surprised.”
But Joe wants to make sure that there is no mistake about their message.
“This is not a pro-war sign. I have been to combat twice in my life — a year in Vietnam and then Desert Storm. I know what combat is, I know the scars it leaves on people, on those that aren’t even wounded,” he said. “This sign was designed to show support for our military forces.”
For more information about the signs, visit www.liberateiraqsign.com.
You may remember Joe from this.
Its becuase of some of his leadership that this state will go for Bush in Nov.
"Many of us in MN know Joe or know of Joe. This guy is really making us proud. God bless this man and what he done for our state and country."
Amen to what you said.
I had the pleasure of meeting Joe at a Lake Street Bridge Rally during the early stages of the war.
He has such a commanding presence. Pure class, strength and determination are just a few of the words thatdescribe him.
God bless Joe and his continued service to this country!
Maybe Joe can come back and run against Mark Dayton in 2006. :) Thanks Joe and God Speed.
The Strib article makes it look like he was recalled - without any choice in the matter. Repya said on the radio this morning that he had to beg to get back in. Great job Strib - you totally misrepresented the story in an effort to make it fit within your editorial bias. Doesn't Rathergate mean anything to you guys?
Thats a great idea....lets start the grass roots effort on that one.
Especially compared to Daytons pathetic display yesterday when the Iraqi prime minister was in Washington.
What a disgrace to MN Dayton is.
But a leader of Minnesota veterans supporting Democrat John Kerry said the call-up is a sign of trouble in a worsening war against an enemy that the Bush administration vastly underestimated.
"This guy clearly has heart, and we respect his commitment and service, but he's going to walk into a vastly different situation than the one I left," said Andrew Borene, a former Marine lieutenant from Edina who served in Iraq.
"Maybe he wouldn't need to go if President Bush had a better plan for the war and there was nobody being stop-lossed [kept beyond their commitment]," Borene said. "Most Americans are unaware that both kids and much older service members are being involuntarily extended beyond their contract. It's effectively a draft."
Disgraceful.
Contact your local Guard Recruiter.
You should be proud, wallcrawlr; Joe is a true patriot and brave soldier.
I saw him interviewed on TV about this a while back when he was first attempting to get back in. I was amazed then, and am even more so now that he's succeeded.
Our heartfelt prayers go with Joe. Please let him know we're all for him. Bless him and his loved ones.
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