Mr. Donald Rumsfield and the Condolence Letters.

[AirBorn]

Hello FreeRepublic Posters,

I want to ask a question that I am sure at least a few of you will have the REAL information on , but I have not seen it posted here.

It concerns this issue about the families of those who lost thier loved ones while Bravely serving in the Armed Service and defending Our Country receiving letters of condolence form our Governement officials.

It is still a sensitive topic in our house due to the lose of my sister's ex-husband, ( my ex-brother-in-law and a good friend ) ,who lost his life a litle over 2 months ago in Iraq due to a road side bomb.

Now, WHY shoud the liberals even care about anything the military does is beyond me , considering all their HATE of anything Military. I think this beacuse of :their lack of support in gerneral, their lack of monetary support, support for the troops, and their hatred of the Republican Administartion anyhow.

According to my sister--the following was a close senario of what happened concerning her receiving news of David's death.

Two very smart, decorated, and somber Marine Soldiers that were associated with the Unit's charge in her area had came to her door personally to relay the news to her. And she also received some personnal letter then.

She had then received a personnaly phone call from one the Top Miltary Brass who personally knew of David's sacrifice and what more or less had happened and give his thanks and the thanks of the Nation for his sacrifice.

Then even after this, she received what she said was a very nice letter personnally to her, along with a list of organizations for her to look into, a contact name of people top call for help in affairs concerning funeral and family help.

She had then received more letters and 2 calls from different soldiers who knew David personally too.

But it wasn't until she had physically talked to someone as a direct representaive from the Marines of what had occurred, that she received any letters. And while i wait for her to get back to me, I think she did receive a letter form the White House too.

Has anyone else unfortunately had to so thru this stituation too with a family memeber??

WHY hasn't the press discussed this? or rather, why has the press try to present this like the Military and this Administration in gerneral would handle something this delicate like they themselves would??--with no respect.

I remember a story that Clinton could NOT even SEND a representative to a Memorial that Openned for the Soldiers lost while in the Somalia Black Hawk Down situation--because he was , on the same day, attending a memorial for UNITED NATIONS peacekeepers ! That always struck me as he way that democrats handle their praise --all for other countries and apologizing for the United States all the time.

I would be interested if anyone else locate in New York would also like to talk to my sister to to have someone to talk to if they want. She is with a group now.

David was a " legal allien " --that postponed marrying my sister because he wanted to be a United States Citizen first, not just get married to by-pass everything legal.

He didin't even have to go to Iraq--but volunteered because he knew 5 mid-eastern languages and the area and customs too--and was very important concerning intelligence in some areas in Iraq.

Even though they were divorced 3 years ago--David was still apart of our faily and came to every function our family held. My mother is heart broken as so am I and my younger brother.

I still want an answer as to why the liberals now care so much about how our Troops are honored for their scarifices, when before people like Ted Kennedy were only looking forward with almost glee that we would need, " thousands and thousands of body-bags for our troops " if we were to go into Iraq?

Chris

[Tribune7]

I still want an answer as to why the liberals now care so much about how our Troops are honored for their scarifices, . . .

That's an easy one. The liberals care as little as they always did, they just want to score very, very cheap shots at Rumsfeld.

If they really cared, do you think they'd make an issue as to whether he signed the letters by hand? How does amplifying what should be a common-sense expectation that he not sign each letter himself, help anybody in their grief?

[cvq3842]

Agreed! And Bush will stick by him, and the Dems and the MSM will move on from this target, especially once it starts to backfire, like it always does . . .

[Sprite518]

BINGO...

[Terabitten]

Allow me to quote the words of another American President comforting the mother of sons slain in combat:

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Abraham Lincoln
November 21, 1864

[Political Junkie Too]

WHY hasn't the press discussed this? or rather, why has the press try to present this like the Military and this Administration in general would handle something this delicate like they themselves would??--with no respect.

It's retaliation for Rumsfeld's remark about "going to war with the Army you have."

"The army [we] have" was cut by at least 25% during the Clinton years, and Rumsfeld's comment was a slap at the Democrats who emaciated the military.

-PJ

[Terabitten]

Now, on to other parts of your letter. Casualty Assistance Officers are a standard part of the military system. We care deeply for every single one of our brothers and sisters who give the ultimate sacrifice, as did David. It hurts us deeply, and we do all within our power to ease the burden on the survivors. Your sister will have all the help she needs to make it through this trying time, as long as she remembers that help is only a phone call or e-mail away.

You remind me of what one of my NCO trainers told me when I was a cadet: "In the infantry, we expect that some of us will die. That you die isn't nearly as important as how you die. Even more important is how you live."

[Terabitten]

In the not too recent past, a telegram was the method used;

Here at Ft. Benning, there are stories of drunken cab drivers passing out on the doorstep after delivering "the telegram" to the wife of slain soldiers. I'm sure Ronnie can tell you more, as most of those stories center around the Ia Drang battle.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this reality versus the left wing Hate Rummy Phobia mantras on the MSM and even on Free Republic.

[HiJinx]

Your trainer was a smart man. I believe you learned well from him...

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks to AirBorn, we have an ideal of what actually happens when one our warriors is killed in Iraq.

Shame on the MSM trying to make this part of their mentally ill Rummy Phobia.

Shame on the trolls on Free Republic, who have worked so hard to make Rummy look evil as part of their mental disorder, Rummy Phobia.

[Darksheare]

I served under Clinton.
It is not a lie.
Get a clue troll.
Welcome to FR.

[Darksheare]

Hey, you're that United Arab Emirates troll from a few days back, aren't you?

[Tijeras_Slim]

[Political Junkie Too]

The Facts About Military Readiness

-PJ

[Darksheare]

I got to see some pretty stupid stuff happen in my old unit.
So when people like the United Arab Emirates troll "Uramoron" says things like that, I get pretty bent out of shape.
He's been here before, and got banned before.

[Terabitten]

Between SFC Murphy (no sh*t, that was his real name) and my Dad, who told me that all the medals and promotions in the world didn't count for sh*t if your own guys shot you in the back..........

[MeekOneGOP]

..... Shame on the trolls on Free Republic, who have worked so
hard to make Rummy look evil as part of their mental disorder,
Rummy Phobia.

Yep.

I went outside for a bit to get my grill ready to smoke a big ole turkey
tomorrow and was thinking about this issue.

I think that if I was taking a position that agreed with many DemoKrauts,
most of the Old Media and a number of high profile RINOs/GOP
backstabbers, that I would have to reconsider/rethink my position.

These people don't change/rethink their positions for a reason
alrighty. It is a shame.

[Darksheare]

You missed the troll in this thread at post 32.
He's dead, blown to bits.