Posted on 07/26/2007 10:46:34 AM PDT by Sergeant Tim
I visited John Murtha's Congressional district office in Johnstown yesterday and delivered these emails, as promised, with Darryl Sharrett's on top of the stack.
For the benefit of anyone new to this thread:
On May 17, 2006, Congressman Murtha said Marines had, "killed innocent civilians in cold blood," in Haditha, Iraq.Darryl Sharratt lives in the district that Congressman Murtha represents.
Mr. Sharratt's son, Marine Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt, is under investigation for the November 19, 2005, deaths of civilians in Haditha.
The investigating officer has strong recommended that the charges against LCpl Sharratt be dismissed.
On July 10, 2007, Congressman Murtha's office stated that, “Congressman Murtha doesn’t have a statement because the investigation is still ongoing.”
I went to Congressman Murtha's office yesterday to inquire, not to protest.
While his greeting was professionally friendly, the eyes of man at the reception desk slightly narrowed as I stated my purpose. He could not comment, took the emails, and disappeared for ten minutes beyond a closed door.
The man he returned with was courteous and our 30-minute conversation was conducted in a civil tone throughout. He mostly listened and reinterated Congressman Murtha's position: the "killed innocent civilians in cold blood" comment was often taken out of context and the stress our troops were under contributed to the deaths of civilians.
If I had spoken with Congressman Murtha directly, I would have asked him to describe the honor he felt last year when he publicly prejudged United States Marines as cold blooded murderers, long before the investigation was complete, and in light of the investigating officer's recommendation to dismiss LCpl Sharratt's charges.
His senior aide never said it yet I left believing that Congressman Murtha's silence now, his refusal to comment this year about an ongoing investigation is a rock and a hard place, an untenable political position of his own choosing. He can never apologize.
We are beginning to learn that some or perhaps all of the Haditha Marines were engaged with the enemy or perceived threats. They could not cut and run. Their oath, training, and rules demanded that they engage and stay in the fight. (You can learn more here, at the War Chronicle.)
John Murtha, the civilian politician, is up for reelection next year. I believe that if he breaks political "cover," if he fails to act "bravely" and hold his position, he thinks he will be caught out in the open during a primary or the general election next year. The only "honorable" thing to do, in John Murtha's mind, is to dig in, fight and win, or die a politcal death in place.
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Related previous posts:
July 23, 2007: Haditha Marine Father has a Conversation with John MurthaJuly 22, 2007: Officer’s case dismissal recommendation for Haditha Marine: NY Times misleads
July 18, 2007: Father of slandered Marine emails Congressman Murtha
July 16, 2007: A presumption of innocence: I’ll deliver your email to suddenly silent John Murtha
July 13, 2007: Marine’s Parents Want Murtha Censured for Haditha Remarks
July 12, 2007: Congressman John Murtha should apologize or resign, or both
HOORAY Sergeant Tim! America’s finest vs. America’s worst. Truth vs. Lie. Freedom vs. Slavery. WOOOHOOO!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thanks for taking action, Sergeant Tim, great job!
Both videos are excellent, Smooth. They should be shown in the US House of Representatives.
Great links! Thanks. Hooray Mary & Katie! (that’ll leave a mark on Murtha’s ear) Outstanding!
Ha!
He looked and sounded like a thug out of an old mob movie.My guess is he has an official title,"Custodian of the Murtha Earmark Vault".
:) It was classic.
Thanks, smooth! Outstanding!
Yes, he was the typical sterotype of the good ole boy corrupt politician, typical murtha machine product. lol
The lady that had to get the gals name for the fourth time also looked like she wanted to be somewhere else, really comical.
Kudos to you for having the courage to straight to his office!
The videos will not work for me. Perhaps a good thing, or might have punched out my PC’s monitor, and cut my hand.
Yes, it’s probably a good thing. In one of them, the two young ladies traveled to Johnstown to find murtha’s earmark. No one there knew about it. Not even the media reps in an office that was supposed to know about it(who wouldn’t come out to talk to these women).
The other is a video about how he’s treated the Marines, and very well done.
I’ve always wanted to ask Congressman Murtha one simple question....
If you were the commanding officer of these Young Marines, would you be calling them Cold Blooded Killers on national television before, during, or after they went though the legal process?
BUMP!
Unfortunately, the “betrayal” is by many more people than just that sick scumbag Murtha. Start with Bush and work your way down through Gates, Petraeus, Conway (and previously, Hagee), and Mattis. Any of them could put an end to this disgraceful travesty, but instead they continue to aid and abet the ACLU lawyers of JAG and their corrupt, lying NCIS as they pursue this disgusting railroad job against Marines who risked their lives.
It is also interesting that the brutal murder of Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas right in front of his comrades seems to have faded into an afterthought in the backdrop of these obscene hearings. Had I been there at Haditha that day I would have shot and blown up everything non-Marine that moved.
Every time I think about these guys getting wrung out at these hearings it makes me throw up in my mouth a little.
Regards,
LH
Sure he would.
The local yokals probably are on Murtha’s payrolls.
PENDLETON 8/HAMDANIA/ONE UNKNOWN DEAD MAN
Court-martial proceedings for Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III and Cpl. Marshall L. Magincalda resume tomorrow at 8 am.
Cpl. Trent D. Thomas was found guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy to commit larceny, housebreaking, kidnapping, false official statements and murder for his involvement in the death of “an Iraqi civilian” on April 26, 2006, near Hamdania, Iraq and was sentenced July 20 to reduction in rank to Pvt./E-1 and a bad conduct discharge.
Thomas was found not guilty of murder, larceny, housebreaking and making a false official statement.
The military judge for the proceeding was Lt. Col. David M. Jones.
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