Posted on 11/10/2010 8:39:35 PM PST by Abakumov
The 50th-anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War should be a time of reflection and redemption, when a grateful country pays a long-standing debt to veterans who nobly fought in the conflict but came home to scorn and spit. But if a Pentagon bureaucrat has his way, the Viet vets will be denied their rightful honors once again....
The proposed budget for the commemorations was $100 million, which was less than the amount spent on the World War II and Korean War commemoration efforts. For example, the 1984 commemoration of the Normandy landings alone cost $38 million....
Enter Michael L. Rhodes, director of administration and management at the Pentagon.... According to an August action memo prepared by Mr. Rhodes for Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and obtained by The Washington Times, he urged Mr. Gates to reject the proposed commemoration program and adopt instead a "targeted" $30 million program. The memo describes the new approach as "a dignified and meaningful DoD Program of national recognition [that] need not be tied to the full timeframe of U.S. military involvement" and that will "provide nation-wide participation, while utilizing the resources involved in the most effective manner."
Mr. Rhodes' plan cuts the time frame of the commemoration down to 2015-18 and inexplicably features a kickoff in his former home of Honolulu, which is not exactly a resource-effective location. Hawaii is inaccessible for most veterans and is in a time zone where most Americans could not watch the event live on television.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I’ll be interested to see what Gates does. Honolulu? Who else do we know from Honolulu? Who else hates the military?
Can you say junket? Waste fraud and abuse? This stinks.
"Failing action from the executive branch, Congress should intervene to make sure the anniversary commemoration is undertaken in a way that fulfills its intent. The Vietnam generation deserves better than stripped-down, pro-forma honors. Its veterans were spit on once - they must not be treated that way again."
Government - all groups, regardless of party tends to denigrate the actions of those in the past. It is becoming a pattern and unfortunately forgotten by most.
The good thing is that in older age, we can at least protest against these idiots with our votes and activism.
Par for the course for us Vietnam Vets.
After all, according to Walter Cronkite, we lost our war.
Hmmm...Won’t put down what I’m thinking...Don’t want a visit from the WH S.S.
Well, seeing as the same freak-types who spat on our warriors coming home are now making these types of decisions, I guess I can't be too shocked.
If you don’t get it, the Obama regime has hired the worst bureaucrats it could find, from communists to just plan psychos. Now we get the psychobabble of Rhoads. Why doesn’t he just come out and say it, “I hate all this Vietnam stuff so why should we honor them in a proper way”?
We had the best and the brighests in Nam. The political hacks in the Pentagon today are the worst and the dumbest.
Max Friedman, Bao Chi, SVN/Cambodia, 40 years ago today.
I know what you mean brother. Veteran’s Day for us just brings back memories and another sale day for people with money. It don’t mean nuthin’.
ping
If you don’t get it, the Obama regime has hired the worst bureaucrats it could find, from communists to just plan psychos. Now we get the psychobabble of Rhoads. Why doesn’t he just come out and say it, “I hate all this Vietnam stuff so why should we honor them in a proper way”?
We had the best and the brighests in Nam. The political hacks in the Pentagon today are the worst and the dumbest.
Max Friedman, Bao Chi, SVN/Cambodia, 40 years ago today.
Set up donation booths in Wal-Marts again, and have people collect money during 4th of July parades and events. I know my small town of 4,000 could generate a couple grand easily.
Welcome home, brother.
God willing, there will be a new president in office by 2013 and they can have a proper commemoration of the sacrifices made by veterans of the Vietnam War.
I Corps, 5/69-7/70.
Welcome home.
Viet Nam - 1967-1969
I’m a Vietnam vet so what’s the big deal? Nothing New!
If it is not understood - just what would be accomplished by writing?
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