VFW Censorship of News Reports

Interesting note when I did a search in Google for information about the "Salute to Heroes Ball" I came across this little blurb:

"Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) 21, 2009 – President Barack Obama snubbed almost 50 Medal of Honor recipients by not appearing at the Salute to Heroes ball yesterday. ... www.vfw.org/ - Similar pages - "

KANSAS CITY, MO., Jan. 20, 2009--A check for $250,000 was presented to the VFW Foundation for the Unmet Needs program in front of nearly 20,000 fans during the second period of the NHL match-up between the Minnesota Wild and the Edmonton Oilers late last week, courtesy of Mid-America Franchise Association's (MAFA) Burger King restaurants.

"President Obama talks consistently about honoring those who protect our great nation, but his absence sent a message that wealth and glitz are more important than true American heroes," said Glen Gardner, the national commander of the 1.6 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., the nation's largest organization of combat veterans. > Read more

So I called the VFW to find out why it appeared these stories were mixed up and to ask if I could get a copy of the story about the Salute to Heroes Ball. The person I spoke to said that the story was originally one they received from their Washington D.C. office and they were not sure they wanted to post it so they had pulled it and that's why the previous story was back up there. I questioned them on why they would pull the story and informed them I would be posting this information on freerepublic.com

I am the son of a medal of honor recipient and have not had a chance to confirm with my father whether or not Obama made the ball but if he did not then I believe it is the first time in over fifty something years that a president has not made an appearance at the ball and it certainly would be valid news. I understand the vfw may not want to politicize the medal of honor recipients but there is as much politics in what stories you fail to report as there is in what stories you choose to report and it seems to me that there appears to have been a political decision made here to not report.

To consider how much of an offense this potentially could be read this article from defenselink from 2001

http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/outreachpublic/hosts.html

President Hosts Nation’s Combat Heroes

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2001 — Every four years, the land of the free and home of the brave invites the bravest of all to attend the presidential inauguration here.
This year, nearly 100 of the 150 living Medal of Honor recipients attended the inauguration of America’s 43rd president, George W. Bush. Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam traveled from their homes across America for the ceremony.

“I’ve been coming all these years since Eisenhower’s inauguration and they’ve all been wonderful,” said Medal of Honor recipient Nicholas Oresko. “But today was one of the greatest because the president and the vice president and the secretary of defense all came by and shook our hands. It was wonderful, unexpected excitement.”

More than a half century ago, Oresko, of Tenafly, N.J., was an Army master sergeant with the 94th Infantry Division in Germany. In a one-man attack, and despite serious wounds, he rushed two German bunkers, killing 12 German soldiers, making it possible for his company to obtain its objectives with minimum casualties.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars escorted Oresko and other Medal of Honor recipients while they were in the capital. Then Vice President-elect Dick Cheney hosted a pre-inaugural salute to veterans with a surprise appearance by then President-elect George W. Bush.

The Reserve Officers Association hosted a breakfast Jan. 20, and the American Legion hosted a “Salute to Heroes” reception, banquet
and ball that evening at the Capital Hilton. Cheney and Bush, accompanied by their wives, Lynne Cheney and Laura Bush, stopped by to again salute the vets prior to visiting inaugural balls throughout the capital.

“By tradition,” Cheney told the heroes, “this is always the first event the president and vice president visit before we begin the round of inaugural balls, and that’s for a very good reason.”

It’s “because of the enormous obligation and debt that we have to all of you who served in the U.S. military, veterans as well as the Medal of Honor recipients who are here tonight. On behalf of Lynne and myself, let me thank you for what you’ve done for all of us.”

Bush echoed Cheney’s support for the tradition. “It’s right that it be that way,” the president said. “It makes good sense to start here.

“The inaugural balls are a reflection of the wonderful freedoms we have in America — the free transfer of power that took place today,” he noted. “This is a free land, however, it would not have been free necessarily withoutthe sacrifice of the men and women who have worn our uniform.”

Bush said he was honored to be with the soon-to-be head of the Veterans Affairs Department, Tony Principi, who “understands that a promise made will be a promise kept to the men and women who wear the uniform.” He also said he wanted to be with the leaders of the military branches — “fine men who lead some of the finest citizens anywhere in the world.”

“Their mission and our mission is to keep the peace,” Bush said. “The way to do so is to make sure our military is highly trained and well paid.” The chain of command must ensure “that our soldiers are fully prepared to fight and win war, and therefore, prevent war from happening in the first place.”

Bush said it’s an honor and a duty to serve as president and commander and chief. “I look forward to that honor and duty with pride. ... God bless what you all have done for America, and God bless America.”

A day earlier, at a luncheon hosted by Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the heroes their “exploits and feats of courage have contributed greatly to the longevity of our republic.”
President Bush
Laura Bush looks on as newly inaugurated President George W. Bush salutes veterans including nearly 100 Medal of Honor recipients, Jan. 20, 2001, at a banquet and ball hosted by the American Legion at the Capitol Hilton in Washington D.C.
Photo by Linda D. Kozaryn.

He commended the Medal of Honor Society for its continuing effort to highlight the courage and sacrifices recipients have made. “Your thoughts on courage, duty, leadership, teamwork and camaraderie are priceless pearls of wisdom and experience for our young men and women,” Shelton said.

The chairman speculated about what motivated the recipients to perform their heroic deeds. Perhaps it was a gut reaction in the heat of battle, he said, or a desire to save a buddy’s life. It could have been anger at the opponent or the fear of being captured or dying in a faraway place, he said.

“Maybe,” Shelton said, “it was the sheer will to win or the flashing
thought of the alternative. Whatever it was that motivated you, you did something that no one can be sure any other man would have done or could have done. ...

“You didn’t quit,” the general stressed. “You didn’t give in to your fears. You didn’t let the situation overwhelm you. You had the presence of mind and faith in your maker and in your abilities to do what needed to be done. ... We as a nation are made stronger by having citizens like you.”

Talking to the recipients, however, one usually gets a much more humble view of the nation’s heroes. To a man, they downplay their actions, saying they were only doing their job.

“I stayed in my foxhole 24 hours a day. We were scared all the time,” said World War II veteran George T. Sakato. “We were shaking. After three weeks of street fighting, I was so tired I fell asleep. The next morning I woke up and the other guys said I slept through machine guns firing and grenades going off.”

Sakato, from Denver, received his Medal of Honor last June when President Clinton awarded medals to 22 World War II soldiers of Asian-Pacific descent. Only 10 of those 22 heroes survived the war and only seven are still alive today.

“I crawled into my helmet as far as I could go,” said Medal of Honor recipient Rudy D. Davila, another World War II vet.

Standing together after the June 19 Salute to Veterans, Sakato and Davila studied a commemorative coin from the 173rd Airborne Regiment. Reflecting back on 1943 and 1944, each traced his route through Italy, outlined on the coin. Davila said his unit landed at Anzio.

“We swept through and we found a lot of Polish prisoners and Italian soldiers who wanted us to take them prisoner,” he said. “We said, ‘No, the war is over for you guys. Go home.’”

Looks like he skipped it intentionally. Here is a list that was compiled on January 13th:

Youth Inaugural Ball - Young Americans aged 18-35; Washington Hilton

Eastern Inaugural Ball - CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, PR, and USVI invited guests; Union Station

Southern Inaugural Ball - AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX invited guests; National Guard Armory

Commander-in-Chief’s Inaugural Ball - Enlisted active duty and reserve military; National Building Museum

Obama Home States Inaugural Ball - Illinois and Hawaii invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Biden Home States Inaugural Ball -Delaware and Pennsylvania invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball - MD, VA, DC, NY, NJ, and WV invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Midwest Inaugural Ball - KS, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI, and MO invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Western Inaugural Ball - AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY, AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, OK, GUAM/AS invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Neighborhood Inaugural Ball - DC residents, additional guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center

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