Open Letter Signed By 121 Retired Flag Officers

Grace522 ^ | 20 Oct 2004 | 121 Flag Officers

[grace522]

Open Letter Signed By 121 Retired Flag Officers On John Kerry's Political Expediency Regarding The War On Terror www.GeorgeWBush.com/KerryMediaCenter/Read.aspx?ID=3991

To Interested Parties:

There is nothing more important than supporting troops at war. We understand that because we have commanded Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen. We know that President Bush understands this obligation to the men and women of our armed forces. He increased pay and military funding prior to September 11th and has given our troops the support they need in the War on Terror.

In contrast, Senator Kerry has a record of votes against military spending. In his first Senate race at the height of the Cold War, Senator Kerry advocated a comprehensive reduction in our armed forces, and his record since has reflected that priority.

Senator Kerry has repeatedly voted against military spending and support for troops, but no vote was as egregious as his vote against the troops currently fighting in the War on Terror. In October of 2003, after voting to send troops to war, Senator Kerry was given a chance to vote to support our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq with supplies like body armor and ammunition. He voted no.

Just weeks earlier, Senator Kerry said that a no vote on the funding would be "irresponsible" and would amount to a vote to "abandon our troops." And yet, that is exactly what Senator Kerry did.

We now know from Senator Biden and from Senator Kerry's own staff that this vote against the troops was cast out of political expediency as a way to stall the momentum of Governor Dean. Senator Kerry voted against troops in combat for his own political benefit.

A candidate who sends troops into harm's way and then denies them the supplies they need to do the job cannot lead our nation in the War on Terror.

Sincerely,

Rear Adm. John Adams Rear Adm. Donald S. Albright, Jr. Lt. Gen. Teddy Allen Brig. Gen. Dwayne Alons Lt. Gen. Charles Bagnal Brig. Gen. John Bahnsen Rear Adm. Stephen Baker Maj. Gen. John Barry Rear Adm. Timothy Beard Rear Adm. Frances Buckley Brig. Gen. Richard Bundy Brig. Gen. Carl Butterworth Rear Adm. Joseph Callo, Jr. Vice Adm. Kent Carroll Brig. Gen. Robert Chadwick Vice Adm. Edward Clexton, Jr. Lt. Gen. John Conaway Maj. Gen. Boyd Cook Lt. Gen. Charles Cooper Rear Adm. Frank Corley Rear Adm. Michael Coyle Maj. Gen. John D'Araujo, Jr. Gen. John Davis Vice Adm. George Davis VI Gen. John Deane, Jr. Maj. Gen. Gene Deegan Rear Adm. Jeremiah Denton, Jr. Maj. Gen. Neil Eddins Rear Adm. Ernest Elliot Rear Adm. Paul Engel Maj. Gen. Merrill Evans Rear Adm. Edward Feightner Rear Adm. Kenneth Fisher Maj. Gen. John France Maj. Gen. Joseph Franklin Rear Adm. J. Cameron Fraser, Jr. Rear Adm. Alan Gemmill Lt Gen William Ginn, Jr. Maj. Gen. Harold Glasgow Maj. Gen. Richard Goddard Rear Adm. Fred Golove Rear Adm. William Gureck Rear Adm. Wallace Guthrie Rear Adm. Frank Haak Lt. Gen. Robert Hails Maj. Gen. Jack Hancock Vice Adm. Patrick Hannifin Rear Adm. Whitney Hansen Vice Adm. Peter Hekman, Jr. Rear Adm. Grant Hollett, Jr. Rear Adm. Bobby Hollingsworth Lt. Gen. John Hudson Brig. Gen. Oscar Hurt Lt. Gen. James Johnson, Jr. Gen. P.X. Kelley Adm. Robert Kelly Adm. George Kinnear Rear Adm. J. Koenig Brig. Gen. Peter Lash Rear Adm. Paul Lautermilch Maj. Gen. James Livingston Rear Adm. Walter Locke Rear Adm. Noah Long Jr. Rear Adm. Joseph Loughran Rear Adm. Thomas Lynch Maj. Gen. William Lyon Adm. James Lyons Maj. Gen. Clark Martin Rear Adm. Fredrick Metz Brig. Gen. Thomas Mikolajcik Rear Adm. John Moriarty Rear Adm. Thomas Morris Maj. Gen. James Mukoyama Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter Brig. Gen. Michael Neil Maj. Gen. Stanley Newman Vice Adm. John Nicholson Lt. Gen. John Norton Brig. Gen. Thomas O'Brien Jr. Rear Adm. Robert Owens Lt. Gen. Dave Palmer Vice Adm. John Parker, Jr. Maj. Gen. Jeremiah Pearson III Vice Adm. Douglas Plate Rear Adm. Don Primeau Brig. Gen. John Quinn Rear Adm. Conrad Rorie Lt. Gen. Donald Rosenblum Vice Adm. Robert Schoultz Rear Adm. Luther Schriefer Jr. Brig. Gen. Dennis Schulstad Rear Adm. Jud Scott Rear Adm. Kenneth Sears Rear Adm. Joel Sipes Rear Adm. Robert Smith III Adm. Leighton Smith Jr. Maj. Gen. Frank Smoker Jr. Brig. Gen. William Spruance Gen. Carl Stiner Vice Adm. Edward Straw Lt. Gen. Gordon Sumner, Jr. Maj. Gen. Larry Taylor Lt. Gen. David Teal Rear Adm. William Thompson Vice Adm. Howard Thorsen Vice Adm. Nils Thunman Brig. Gen. William Tiernan Rear Adm. Ernest Tissot Rear Adm. Paul Tomb Brig. Gen. Guy Townsend Vice Adm. Jerry Tuttle Maj. Gen. Glen Van Dyke Brig. Gen. Guy VanderLinden Rear Adm. Lloyd Vasey Maj. Gen. Russell Violett Rear Adm. Edward Walker, Jr. Rear Adm. Lemuel Warfield Maj. Gen. Gary Wattnem Rear Adm. Harvey Weatherson Maj. Gen. William Webb Adm. Steven White

[grace522]

Lots of scrambles eggs on that letter. Anyone not think these guys know what they are talking about?

[delapaz]

pshaw, that's nothing, Kerry has 12 generals on his side! that's right, count 'em 12, 1-2 twelve.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1183186/posts

[Mo1]

Just weeks earlier, Senator Kerry said that a no vote on the funding would be "irresponsible" and would amount to a vote to "abandon our troops." And yet, that is exactly what Senator Kerry did.

Aren't the libs now saying it was a protest vote

Translation ... A protest vote against the Military

[tomnbeverly]

No one has got any of Kerry's Generals on the record backing up what Kerry is saying they support... No one... It's like Kerry spouts in and people just take his word about it... The Media has let us all down... I could be a better reporter than half these shills...

[b4its2late]

[DrewsDad]

Kerry's record does not match his rhetoric.

Action speaks louder than words.

We need to drive this point home before the election.

[ladtx]

I worked as a TAC Officer under GEN Bahnsen when he was a COL in command of the Aviation School Brigade at Fort Rucker, AL in the mid seventies, he's about as steady as they come. A lot of common sense and experience in that lineup.

[SMARTY]

Counting Arafat, Ghadafi, Kim...???

[RetiredArmy]

Only Weasley Clark, right?

[11Bush]

I could be a better reporter than half these shills

Don't underestimate yourself, you could do better that 90%.

[need_a_screen_name]

The "no" vote is exactly what President Bush should have brought up in the first debate when Kerry was carping about the lack of body armor for the troops.

[Raycpa]

A candidate who sends troops into harm's way and then denies them the supplies they need to do the job cannot lead our nation in the War on Terror.

[HiJinx]

Actually, one of his generals (LTG Claudia Kennedy) did come back here to stump for Kerry. (Here is Ft. Huachuca, AZ, where she briefly commanded the Intelligence Center.)

As far as I'm concerned, she bombed. Then again, that was my opinion of her as a CDR.

[Gucho]

"A candidate who sends troops into harm's way and then denies them the supplies they need to do the job cannot lead our nation in the War on Terror."

[RaceBannon]

Marine Bump!

[Woogit]

God Bless these wonderful Heroes and may this open letter blaze across America!

[colorado tanker]

You don't understand. The only veterans and flag officers whose opinions count are anti-war Democrats. The rest are just biased right-wingers. The media settled all this in the 70's.

[pharmamom]

Don't forget "I get my teeth capped, then pretend it was only a root canal."

[holden]

Weasly and Merrill McPeak.
HF

[OldFriend]

But but but General Weasley Clark has a different opinion and as far as the MSM is concerned, his is the only valid opinion.