Posted on 12/17/2004 5:12:06 PM PST by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will begin personally signing condolence letters sent to families of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, after receiving criticism over his use of mechanical signatures.
In a statement provided to Stars and Stripes on Thursday, Rumsfeld tacitly admitted that in the past he has not personally signed the letters, but said he was responsible for writing and approving each of the 1,000-plus messages sent to the fallen soldiers’ families.
“I have directed that in the future I sign each letter,” he said in the statement.
“I am deeply grateful for the many letters I have received from the families of those who have been killed in the service of our country, and I recognize and honor their personal loss.”
In a separate statement, Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said, “In the interest of ensuring timely contact with grieving family members, he has not individually signed each letter.”
Department of Defense officials for the past few weeks had said only that the content of the letters was private.
But several families of troops killed overseas said they were sure the notes they received had not been signed by hand, and said they were angry that Rumsfeld was not paying attention to their loss.
“To me it’s an insult, not only as someone who lost a loved one but also as someone who served in Iraq,” Army Spc. Ivan Medina told Stripes.
“This doesn’t show our families the respect they deserve,” said Medina, a New York resident whose twin brother, Irving, was killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq this summer.
Illinois resident Bette Sullivan, whose son John was killed in November 2003 while working as an Army mechanic in Iraq, was incensed when she, her son’s wife and her grandchildren received the exact same condolence letter with the apparently stamped signature.
“If each family receives two copies, how many signatures does that amount to?” she asked in an e-mail response to Stripes. “I can understand the use of stamped signatures for his brothers’ mementos, but for those of his wife and children and mother? No, no, no.”
Retired Army Col. David Hackworth, an author and frequent critic of the Department of Defense, publicly criticized Rumsfeld in a syndicated column earlier this month for not reviewing each KIA letter personally.
He called the fake signatures “like having it signed by a monkey.”
“Using those machines is pretty common, but it shouldn’t be in cases of those who have died in action,” he said. “How can [DOD officials] feel the emotional impact of that loss if they’re not even looking at the letters?”
Hackworth said he objected to using the stamped signatures for promotion and commendation letters as well, but said not personally handling the condolence letters is a much more serious offense.
Family members had expressed similar concerns to Stripes about President Bush’s signature on his condolence letters, but Allen Abney, spokesman for the president, said that Bush does personally sign the letters sent from the White House.
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Secretary Rumsfeld's statement
Statement by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on condolences to servicemembers and their loved ones, as provided to Stars and Stripes:
“It is a solemn privilege of the many of us in the Department to meet with U.S. forces and families who have experienced injury or death in the defense of our country.
“During visits with wounded forces and their families at Walter Reed Army Hospital or at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center, I have drawn inspiration from the dignity and resolve of these wonderful young Americans and their loved ones.
“Over the past years, my wife, Joyce, and I have met with several hundred wounded troops and their families during visits to intensive care units, therapy facilities, and their rooms in military hospitals in the United States and abroad.
“During visits to military installations, I have met with still others during their visits to the Pentagon.
“Joyce and I also have met together and individually with spouses and children of those killed in action.
“At the earliest moment in the global war on terror, I determined that it is important that military families who have lost loved ones in hostile actions receive a letter from me directly.
“I wrote and approved the now more than 1000 letters sent to family members and next of kin of each of the servicemen and women killed in military action. While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter.
“I am deeply grateful for the many letters I have received from the families of those who have been killed in the service of our country, and I recognize and honor their personal loss.”
The troops have the gear that they train with. It's the army we're going to war with. It's not perfect. Get over it.
My SIL doesn't have all of the gear he wants either. Neither do I. Adapt and overcome. Suck it up and move on. It's the fricking MILITARY for God's sake. Privation is part of service. Read Sun Tzu or Clausewitz.
Buncha pikers....
/john
Yeah, no duh.
And signing 1,000 letters (over the space of more than
a year and a half) takes how long ... It averages out to something like two per day.
I have and I dont think they would have advised their monarchs to do photo op newsconferences. Maybe the guy ought to be working on the problem rather than blaming the army for the problem. Read his answer to the questions.
BTW, obviously privation is part of service, but comprehension is part of the leaderships duty.
Oh common. The man is the best secretary of defense we have ever had, and one of the best public servants we have ever had, right up there with Washington, RR, T. Roosevelt and Dick Cheney. Stop drinking the cool-aid.
You would be wrong. Both Sun Tzu and Clausewitz recommended demonstration rather than battle, if it was to bring the political results without blood.
DOD has been much more rational since Sec. Rumsfeld has been in charge again.
Not more efficient, as war is always a detriment to efficiency, but certainly more rational.
BTW, as a reservist, I've been away from home for over 5 months this year, and will be for (mostly) all of next year. I want Donald Rumsfeld as SecDef. Period.
/john
So, explain then what the poltical result he hoped for...since we are already in battle. Obviously it was not the desired demonstration of strength and command of the issues.
I thank you for your service by the way, we will just have to agree to disagree on Rummy.
Couldn`t agree more,this whole thing is very unfortunate.I certainly understand but do not know how a family who has lost a son/husband will be angry if they feel their beloved was not properly protected.
Sadly the truth is that very few things go "according to plan"in our ordinary day to day lives,imagine the landscape of the war on terror.Friendly fire and now, vehicles that are in a place of danger that was never intended for their service are a fact of war.
How many today are perplexed beyond measure trying to plan for Christmas.This may be a poor analogy but think about the complexities of a military operation and trying to react to the changing battlefield.Always trying to not accidentally kill innocent civilians.We are about the only country that goes to battle trying to kill as few as possible.Look at France and the Ivory Coast.
I don`t understand why so many Republicans are quick to attack their own.Sec. Rumsfeld does not deserve this.It seems to be more of a self serving measure by some politicians who are more interested in TV time or trying to cultivate favorable feelings from a press corp that will destroy them at a moments notice.Sen Lott should know this better than any one of the group.
Those ends are not mutually exclusive....
a) did show support for troops fighting.
b) did show that VIPs/DVs can move in theater with impunity.
c) did answer questions NOT PRIMED by REPORTERS.
d) put a question of battle and doctrine in it's appropriate context, in re: Joint Doctrine
Reading.... the alternative to TV News.
/john
In an 8 hr day Rumsfeld has 32 fifteen minute blocks of time. Do you know how many of those 32 blocks can be filled up with people who just want a few minutes with the secretary?
The man is running a war in Iraq and a war against 100s of traiterous current and former senior officers who are far more concerned about their bureaucratic perqs and prerogatives than they are about fighting any damned ward against any one in Iraq. In fact if you listened to most of them we were not even supposed to be able to get there for another 12 months - and only if Rumsfeld could come up with another 4 armored divisions that we don't have.
Each Soldier gets an autopenned letter from the President, I believe. Does that out rank a personally signed letter from Rummy? Hum... He is a silly old man way past his due to leave DC.
Just a bunch of pikers, wannabe's and armchair generals are supporting notta-Lott's and lame-stream-media wanting to get rid of the SecDef.
/john
I received a Christmas card from George and Laura Bush, now
I know their a little busy, and the signitures are probably
mechanical, but I was still thrilled!!! Merry Christmas to
all, and to all a good night!!!
How long did it take FDR to sign the letters of the 19,000 Americans killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944? Had he yet finished signing letters for those killed at Pearl Harbor, Guadacanal, Bataan, Slapton Sands, Omaha Beach, etc., etc.?
I think he said something along the lines that Rumsfeld should only stay on for another year. Lott's real problem though is that no one pays attention to him anymore. For Washington types, I suspect that is the ultimate humiliation -- which is probably why he piped up on Rumsfeld as a sure fire way to get paid attention to.
Why don't we all start a campaign to support Rummey by sending him Letters of appreciation and a special thanks for a job well done. Lots of cards and letters could show this old soldier the respect he has certainly earned.Can someone who is more efficient than I start some kind of online petition to show our support for this good man? PLEASE HELP.....
Of the many heartfelt letters we received, the form signed letters from Bush and Rumsfeld were the least endearing.
I could not disagree with you more. Rumsfeld is a great Sec Def.
Hackworth was acombat grunt - perfumed prince means you mostly have a desk job. Was this story broken by Hackworth? I saw no mention of him in this article as I skimmed it -
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