FR Exc! Heroes Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Jim Lovell, Steve Ritchie Forbidden To See Troops In SWA

Personal phone call | MB26

[MindBender26]

FR Exclusive American Heroes; Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Jim Lovell, Steve Ritchie Forbidden To See Troops In SWA

I am just off phone with a member of the American Heroes tour group stuck in Qatar. The four, Armstrong, Cernan. Lovell and Ritchie have been planning this tour to see the real front-line troops for months, so they could give some visual support and morale boost to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. But now they are stuck in a rear area in Qatar, because some Washington Weenie claims it would be too dangerous for them to move any farther forward, as was the locked in plan.

Remember who these men are. Neil Armstrong was the commander of Apollo 11 and the first man to walk on the moon. Gene Cernan went to the moon twice and was the last man to walk on the moon’s surface. Jim Lovell also went twice, first on Apollo 8 which orbited the moon on Christmas day and then again when he saved Apollo 13 from almost certain disaster when a fuel talk exploded enroute to the moon. Air Force Brigadier General Steve Ritchie is a legend in the aviation community. He was the only Air Force ace in Vietnam, meaning he had five air combat victories over MiG-21s. At age 67, he still flies the double-supersonic F-104 Starfighter in thrilling air shows. These are true American heroes, the kind of heroes our soldiers and Marines want to see, not some drugged up rock and rap band. This is not an easy trip for these men.

In many ways, it may be their swan song. Armstrong is 78, Lovell 81, and Cernan 75. They saw this as their one last chance to give back to the this generation of the military men and women protecting America from terrorists. Stop and think about it. These four men could be anywhere, living well, but they chose to be in the desert, with the young men and women currently defending America. But someone weenie is Washington is now prohibiting it.

This trip was not some last minute program. It has been planned to the minutest detail for 4 months. But now, is someone in the Obama administration afraid some good news out of the combat theater would make Obama look bad? Are they afraid of what the troops might say when the cameras are on?

Make no mistake about it. These four men know the dangers involved. They have seen 100 times this much danger in their lives and have now made the intelligent and informed decision that if it helps the troops in any way, they are willing to answer the bugle call one more time. In fact, they are now furious that they are being held in the rear areas, not allowed to be with the troops in actual daily danger, as they were promised.

I am now conveying a personal request from one of them, (and he speaks for all four) Get on the phone, call the White House at 202-456-1414 and tell them to let these last American heroes make the sacrifice they want to make. They have flown half way around the world on MATS flights to do this. Some of these men are intensely private individuals, and at their age, deserve to sit home if they want to. But no, at age 80+, they are there in Southwest Asia, trying to win one more for America, to do something for the troops, this one last time.

Call the WH now, tell Obama to take his political shackles of these true American heroes, and today’s troops they want to honor.

(ATTN: Members of accredited media. FReepmail me with your contact phone and paper or other outlet name and I will give you direct e-mail/international cellphone to one of the four. Sorry, I cannot do this for everyone.)

Call the WH now. Tell Obama to be as “brave” as these real American heroes are!

[Boiler Plate]

We looked pretty good till Hummel got hurt. I guess we will see what Painter can do.

[Albion Wilde]

Ping

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

We can’t insult the Islamist by sending the men who walked on their moon god’s end zone.

[True Republican Patriot]

One more Rabid, Outrageous Insult by the “MUSLIM HATE AMERICA and All of Her HERO’S Administration!!!!” Absolutely Outrageous!!!
Surprized they haven’t been told there is no room on the Tour because Obozo has the Tour filled with Ayers, Wright, Farrakkon, Sharpton, the Dead Murtha, pelosi, Dinghy Harry, and the rest of the Heros of The American Communist Party! They will do anything to destroy the Moral of Our Brave Military who are Sacrificing their Lives for Our security and Freedoms!

[Drango]

BUMP

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Why are there no pictures on this thread?

[GonzoGOP]

I always liked Armstrong because he was such a low key guy.

I know, if Armstrong is actually going to do public speaking whatever he has to say is probably worth listening to.

[magellan]

"It’s a war zone, not a tourist destination. Having visitors in those forward areas is dangerous to the visitor as well as the troops in that area, and the troops don’t need any more complications to their already dangerous lives. I am sure there are plenty of grateful troops in the safer zones for those gentlemen to meet with. IMHO"

Good grief! We sent John Elway and Robin Williams to Bagdhad in December 2004. And darn near every Senator and Congresscritter has been to Baghdad.

And if you want to pi$$ off the guys in Iraq and Afghanistan, let the USO tours only visit the REMFs in Qatar and Kuwait.

[dalebert]

bump

[Kathy in Alaska]

An interesting development.....

Click for FR Exc! Heroes Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Jim Lovell, Steve Ritchie Forbidden To See Troops In SWA

[Freeport]

OK SOOOOOO, They sat on top of a giant fuel rocket. Road that rocket into space and they don’t know anything about DANGER.

You have GOT to be kidding... Every SINGLE one of these gentleman was a COMBAT pilot before they ever did ANYTHING else!

Take a history lesson or look up their Bio's! Then put a sock in it. Your ignorance is showing!

[Frantzie]

Neil Armstrong at one time was probably the most famous man in the world. He never tried to cash in on his fame. He held a few X-15 speed records too.

[GonzoGOP]

Neil Armstrong at one time was probably the most famous man in the world.

And he managed to get Gemini VIII back on the ground. I have read the actual NASA reports and i still can't figure out how he could fire the retro rockets to cancel out the tumbling at exactly the right moment to cause a reentry rather than just turn himself into a permanent monument to man in space. He is quite likely one of the greatest pilots ever to take to the air or space.

But i don't see danger deterring him. Not when you consider some of the absolutely crazy aircraft he flew as a test pilot.


As for the rest of the group I have had the extreme privilege to have met Cernan. He was from the town right next door when I was a kid. It was nice to think that a guy from just down the road had gone to the moon. It made me actually believe you could do anything if you were willing to work for it.

[Frantzie]

Armstrong was also a top test pilot and held X-15 flight records. Lovell was so gregarious - he must have been a Navy pilot. These guys are real heroes.

Lovell was a Naval Academy grad. Neil had an MS in aerospace engineering from USC. Another Navy guy. Cernan had an MS in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Post Grad school whihc is very tough and another Navy guy.

Sadly we have a mu*lim in the white hut.

[Favor Center]

“The Challenger showed how good and safe an idea THAT was.”

There are plenty of non-military astronauts (several before Shuttle) and it has nothing to do with Challenger and nothing at all to do with PR.

“Civilian techs”... bilgewater.

[nevergore]

You’re way too trusting.....

This is patently political....my opinion.....

Besides, there is a pretty good brain trust here at FR and a lot of people with vast experience in these areas....

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Frantzie]

Neil cheated death in space probably twice. The lunar landing was all messed up with the gauge saying the fuel was low, the LEM’s computer having memory overflows cause it could not handle all the data, boulders everywhere and Neil just stuck with it.

Lovell’s Apollo 13 burn was another miracle.

I think Neil wreck one of those because it was almost impossible to fly. All three of them were Navy guys. Cernan and Neil were engineers too.

You could not give me their job back then. In retrospect their survival on those Mercury, Gemini and Apollo moon missions were probably a bit better than 50/50.

[kalee]

ping

[Always Independent]

BO can’t compete with individuals who really did accomplish something in life.