Posted on 02/16/2007 9:38:01 PM PST by jazusamo
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. -- He was an American hero. On his second tour of duty in Iraq, he had already served in the Western Pacific and a prior combat tour in Afghanistan. On Friday afternoon, Feb. 16, when Sgt. Joshua Frazier, USMC, was laid to rest in the soil of his native Virginia, his comrades in arms from the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines were fighting terrorists on the mean streets of Ramadi, in Iraq's bloody Al Anbar Province. As Sgt. Frazier's grieving mother was being presented with a carefully folded American flag, the Congress of the United States was debating a meaningless "non-binding resolution" attacking the commander in chief.
Heroes aren't athletes who set new sports records or Hollywood actors who make "daring" films or politicians who make bold promises. Heroes are people who place themselves at risk for the benefit of others. Joshua Frazier was certainly such a man. Unfortunately, there are far too few members of Congress who fit the definition.
At Joshua's funeral, I gave his parents photographs of their son that had been taken a few weeks ago while I was embedded with his unit in Iraq. We had just returned from a patrol to a newly re-opened school where little Iraqi girls were being taught arithmetic. Standing around us in the photo are the Sunni police officers and Shia soldiers who had accompanied us on the mission. Sweat stains from his 40-pound flak jacket are still evident on his uniform and he is smiling through exhaustion into the lens. He and his squad of Marines had been up for more than 24 hours chasing down an enemy sniper. His is one of more than two dozen Army, Marine, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard units whose tours will be extended in Iraq in order to increase U.S. troop levels by 21,500. These are the young Americans who will bear the brunt of what Congress is doing.
Sgt. Frazier is one of more than 2,500 U.S. military personnel killed in action in Iraq. Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims the resolution being debated by the House of Representatives is a measure that "will continue to support and protect" U.S. military personnel. Yet, she also says it shows "Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on Jan. 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq." How this does anything but damage U.S. and Iraqi morale and embolden America's adversaries is beyond comprehension.
"The American people have lost faith in President Bush's course of action in Iraq," Pelosi said Tuesday as the resolution was introduced. She said the president's plan "is based on the judgment that the way out of Iraq lies in sending more troops in," adding, "our experience has proven just the opposite."
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, "our experience," in Pelosi's words, has proven that pulling U.S. forces out before the war is won is a formula for disaster. In Korea, the decision to withdraw U.N. troops to the 38th parallel resulted in stalemate and today's despotic, nuclear-armed regime in Pyongyang. In Vietnam, the congressional cut-off of funds in December 1974 precipitated the North Vietnamese communist takeover of the entire country less than five months later. The combined losses in both wars -- more than 108,000 Americans killed in action -- should be an object lesson for this Congress. Pulling out, holding back, withdrawing support, "de-funding" the war -- whatever it's called -- is tantamount to squandering lives.
Is that where this Congress is heading? Are the lives of courageous young American volunteers like Joshua Frazier worth so little to our Congress that they would ignore our peril for perverse personal political profit?
If the morale of America's soldiers, sailors, airmen, Guardsmen and Marines doesn't have meaning to our legislators, then perhaps they should look at what America's enemies are doing. While Congress debates hollow, but ultimately damaging legislation, there is new assertiveness in Iran -- on everything from acquiring nuclear arms to supplying terror cells in Iraq with advanced weaponry. Tehran's radical Islamic theocracy headed by Grand Ayatollah Khamenei doesn't have to worry about "resolutions of non-support," but they are very adept at measuring American ambivalence and uncertainty.
This week's "show and tell" of captured Iranian sniper rifles, surface-to-air missiles, mortar rounds, sophisticated "explosively formed penetrators" and evidence of Iranian complicity in killing more than 170 Americans elicited nary a peep from the new Congressional leadership. They were more concerned with their pet resolution -- and getting Pelosi a bigger military airplane for her commute between Washington and San Francisco. That's a telling signal to Tehran that our Congress is backing away from protecting our vital interests and our troops.
Nero fiddled as Rome burned. Today, Congress diddles as Americans die. Tomorrow, we may all pay the price.
Oliver North is the founder and honorary chairman of Freedom Alliance and author of The Assassins
Thanks for posting that link, Smooth. I lucked out and got through on the first try. What a difference it makes seeing it instead of just reading the words.
What a great man and American Congressman Johnson is. We need several hundred more men and women of his character leading our nation.
At the Naval Academy, 40 years ago, underdog pugilist Oliver North defeated favored boxer Jim Webb in the ring. Webb apparently still carries a grudge. Maybe they'll have a rematch.
Col. North has always been one of my favorite people.
LOL! From what I understand that's a real sore spot with Webb. Colonel North outclasses Webb so far it's not even close and I wouldn't be surprised to see Webb go after North in the near future.
I'd think that a demoncrat would understand a concept where money thrown at an issue helps resolve it. Isn't that their argument for institutional union run government indoctrination programs (public schools)?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
As a former Marine, I subscribe to Leatherneck Magazine.In every monthly issue they have a column called "In Memoriam". It lists the KIA's. Every month there are no less than the names of 20-30 Marines listed as killed,during combat operations in Al Anbar Province.
My point is the casualty rates are higher than what is being reported.
Regarding the troop surge, I see it more as a repudiation of Rumsfelds inept policies.
Semper Fi to all who serve.
The surrender monkeys know that they have the blessings of the MSM who have been leading this call.
Just remember who the left is in this country.The people in charge of the rat party were the hippies in the sixties.As far as the rinos who side with them, they are no better.Scumbags of the first order.
"Are the lives of courageous young American volunteers like Joshua Frazier worth so little to our Congress that they would ignore our peril for perverse personal political profit?"
Yes.
Sadly I believe that the Congressional leftists will win this fight but lose in the long run as all those American Service members return & tell any who will lesten that they were knifed in the back by the Congress,the Democrat party.
You will have the out in the twinky zone liberals who will call returning GI's baby killers or spit on them, look for this to be ignored by the press but not talk radio & definately not by outfits like the American Legion or the VFW. Afew years down the road look out the settling of accounts will be something to behold.
Thank you for your son's service. The enemies in the congress does not speak for most Americans. Tell him to defeat both enemies!
The American Fighting man/woman have been knifed in the back by a handful of Republicans & the Democrat party. NEVER EVER forget that fact!!! NEVER forget that it is Democrats & friends that are behind this ,who are calling those who are in harms way rapists,baby killers,& spitting on them . NEVER FORGET & NEVER FORGIVE!!!!
Hopefully they'll be sufficiently sickened by their party and switch over.
How dumb do the Rats have to be not to figure that out.
...
Afew years down the road look out the settling of accounts will be something to behold.
I hope so and I'm looking forward to it.
I agree. Iraq has been a classic case of bad management. Heck the past 18 years has been a case about bad management on the civilian level in the Pentagon and two parties of congress who have sat on their hands not doing even one blessed thing to actually HELP our troops they send in harms way.
They are operating on 1996 End Troop Strength levels. The manning of the active duty military is the lowest since before WW2. As a nation if we get attacked right now by a major power it would be a very rough struggle and we as a nation are now limited in our means of defense production.
I loathe most of both parties but I do not loathe Ron Paul or Jimmy Duncan. Had Bush and congress listened to their wise advice in 2002 we would be better off. Some people think anyone who dares disagree with Bush is the enemy. I'm old enough to remember Rummy Sec of DEF term 1 who created the Hollow Carter Military years. I served in it 76-80. Carter was horrid as POTUS but Carter did not create the hollow military it was that way when he took office.
After basic and when I got to my ship in early Feb 1977 if I had wanted out all I would have had to do was go AWOL 31 days and report to some base for a General DC. People forget many persons did just that back then.
Thanks for your post, freema.
Thank the Lord we are blessed with these young men and women who serve for all of us and our great country in spite of the likes of the murtha's and the rest of the Rats.
The Frazier's, Ruiz's and Parcell's are truly America's finest.
May God Bless them and their families.
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