MARCH 29, 1973 - “THIS DAY IN HISTORY” THE U.S. WITHDRAWS FROM VIETNAM

Two months after the signing of the Vietnam peace agreement, the last U.S. combat troops left South Vietnam as Hanoi freed remaining American prisoners of war held in North Vietnam. America’s direct eight-year intervention in the Vietnam War was at an end. In Saigon, some 7,000 U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees remained behind to aid South Vietnam in conducting what looked to be a fierce and ongoing war with communist North Vietnam.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy sent the first large force of U.S. military personnel to Vietnam in 1961 to prop up the ineffectual autocratic regime of South Vietnam against the communist North. Three years later, with the South Vietnamese government crumbling, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered limited bombing raids on North Vietnam, and Congress authorized the use of U.S. troops.

By 1965, North Vietnamese offensives left President Johnson with two choices: escalate U.S. involvement or withdraw. Johnson made the ill-fated decision to escalate the war, and troop levels soon jumped to more than 300,000 as U.S. air forces commenced the largest bombing campaign in history.

During the next few years, the extended length of the war, the high number of U.S. casualties, and the exposure of U.S. involvement in war crimes, such as the massacre at My Lai, helped turn many in the United States against the Vietnam War. The communists’ Tet Offensive of 1968, three years after Johnson escalated the war, crushed U.S. hopes of an early end to the conflict and galvanized U.S. opposition to the war. In response, Johnson announced in March 1968 that he would not seek reelection, citing what he perceived to be his responsibility in creating a perilous national division over Vietnam. He also authorized the beginning of peace talks.

In the spring of 1969, as protests against the war escalated in the United States, U.S. troop strength in the war-torn country reached its peak at nearly 550,000 men. Richard Nixon, the newly-elected president, began U.S. troop withdrawal and “Vietnamization” of the war effort that year, but he intensified bombing. Large U.S. troop withdrawals continued in the early 1970s as President Nixon expanded air and ground operations into Cambodia and Laos in attempts to block enemy
supply routes along Vietnam’s borders. This expansion of the war, which accomplished few positive results, led to new waves of protests in the United States and elsewhere.

Finally, in January 1973, representatives of the United States, North and South Vietnam, and the Vietcong signed a peace agreement in Paris, ending the direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. Its key provisions included a cease-fire throughout Vietnam, the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the release of prisoners of war, and the reunification of North and South Vietnam through peaceful means. The South Vietnamese government was to remain in place until new elections
were held, and North Vietnamese forces in the South were not to advance further nor be reinforced.

In reality, however, the agreement was little more than a face-saving gesture by the U.S. government. Even before the last American troops departed on March 29th, the communists violated the cease-fire, and by early 1974 full-scale war had resumed. At the end of 1974, South Vietnamese authorities reported that 80,000 of their soldiers and civilians had been killed in fighting during the year.

On April 30, 1975, the last few Americans still in South Vietnam were airlifted out of the country as Saigon fell to communist forces. North Vietnamese Colonel Bui Tin, accepting the surrender of South Vietnam later in the day, remarked, “You have nothing to fear; between Vietnamese there are no victors and no vanquished. Only the Americans have been defeated.” The Vietnam War was the longest and most unpopular foreign war in U.S. history and cost over 58,000 American lives. As many as two million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians were killed.

CONGRESSMAN SOUDER MEETS WITH LOCAL VETERANS ACTIVIST GROUP

Thursday night, Congressman Mark Souder met with our small, grass-roots group, Veterans for Better Health Care. Our group was born back in August 2004 in response to then VA Secretary Principi’s announcement that he would follow a recommendation to close our inpatient beds here at out local VA Hospital.

About 10-12 men gathered to figure out a strategy to defeat the recommendation. The group’s chosen name was “Veterans for Better Health Care.” Although I am not a veteran, that was not a criteria to join the group, so I joined in November 2004 and found myself participating each month and getting to know the veterans who were members. We did have one overriding requirement - no matter what our political persuasion, we wanted to maintain bipartisanship and avoid political affiliations. Our issue was saving the VA Hospital inpatient beds: an issue that we felt should not be subject to our own political ideologies.

Getting ready for our meeting with Congressman Souder

_____________________________________________________________________

I became our Director in October of 2005 and am still in that position. I am extremely proud and honored to be involved with this group and to be its director.

Some of our first efforts at getting the message out to the public included writing letters to the editor and handing out flyers containing our message. In April 2005, we organized a rally which was held at the World War II Victory Museum in Auburn, Indiana. The Kruses allowed us to hold the rally without charging us, which was greatly appreciated since we were a new group and had no means of financial support other than passing around a “donation can.”

The Rally was a success and drew about 150 people. We had a number of guest speakers who emphasized the need to maintain our inpatient beds, and a newly returned veteran who had been injured in Iraq also spoke. We began to become more active in area events. One of our members had an old car that he decorated with various slogans and items. He placed a mannequin on the roof of the car dressed as an injured veteran. “Oscar” as we affectionately called him, always drew comments and cheers when we took the car to parades.

The Frankes also were good to us and allowed us to hand out our flyers at hockey games in February 2006 and February 2007. That venue gave us access to thousands of individuals as they left the arena. Although we might only gain a member or two from those events, every person who joined our group was greatly appreciated. We also began to identify ourselves by wearing caps with our name and slogan “Save Our VA Hospital” and donning t-shirts with the same slogan. We wore these items when we participated in parades and events.

Our focus in all of our efforts was to keep the inpatient issue in front of the public and to put pressure on our representatives. Our particular focus, however, was to pressure Congressman Souder on the issue. Thursday night was the culmination of our efforts.

Congressman Souder’s office had contacted me about a month ago to arrange a meeting between our group and the Congressman. Frankly, I was quite surprised to receive the call, but I was also excited to think that we would have an opportunity to talk to the Congressman about the recent flap over the redacted VA Study done by Booz, Allen & Hamilton (BAH).

I had been a participant in that Study - first in a private morning meeting with about 10 other veterans’ representatives and later attending the public town hall meeting held at the Memorial Coliseum. That day’s activities - November 29, 2006 - had been arranged by local veterans’ groups and BAH. We were told that the report would be done in about six months, which would have been a due date of May 2007. May came and went with no report. The spring turned into summer and summer into fall and still no report.

The call also represented a shift in how the Congressman viewed our group. In our earlier days, we were not exactly the most welcome sight at parades and events where both the Congressman and our group appeared. When we appeared at town hall meetings or smaller local question and answer sessions, we triggered increased tension. But with this contact, we felt the Congressman truly recognized our dedication and efforts over the 3 1/2 years since our organization. He was seeking our continuing help to fight for our VA Hospital inpatient beds.

Congressman Souder at Thursday night’s meeting

___________________________________________________________________

The meeting went very well, and the Congressman spent about two hours talking to us in a small room at Post #82 - the location we chose because it was where our group began. The meeting started at 7:00 p.m., and, when I left at a little after 9:00, the Congressman was still talking to a few remaining individuals. Reports were shown on the local TV stations as well as provided in the local newspapers.

The bottom line to this is that our hospital inpatient beds are still not out of danger. The VA is doing a follow-up study on outpatient care and facilities. The delay may be beneficial, but we do not yet know that, so we cannot let down on our efforts. THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER.

As I drove home from the meeting, I kept thinking about my favorite Margaret Mead saying:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

We started as a small, grass-roots group with no funding.  But what we had was an overwhelming concern for our veterans - past, present, and future - and their care.  We put together a plan of action and kept fighting.  We still meet monthly, and we still make plans to participate in area events.  Now that the weather will be turning nicer, we will be able to get back out to parades and events.  We will not give up this fight, and we ask that you not give up either.

Congressman Souder’s office has scheduled a rally, and here are the particulars:

When: April 7, 2008 (Monday)

Where: World War II Victory Museum, Auburn, Indiana

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Please help us once again have a successful rally in support of our VA Hospital. Do not take anything for granted. We have many veterans returning from the Middle East who will need our help and support, both in the hospital surrounding and in the community surrounding.

Please make plans to attend this rally and let the VA know we have not forgotten this battle, and we will not give up.

16 MONTHS - A HALF MILLION DOLLARS - AND NO VA REPORT

Sylvia Smith has kindly uploaded the controversial redacted report about our VA Hospital. The report cost taxpayers $530,000 - over a half million dollars. And what does the public get? A 78-page report with three-fourths of it unreadable. Of the 78 pages, only 21 were released through an FOIA request by the Journal-Gazette. Of those 21 pages, about half were withheld in their entirety and others were subject to black lines through entire paragraphs.

The following is a refresher of what has happened over the past four years since the initial announcement that the inpatient beds would be closed:

• May 2004 - Anthony Principi, Secretary of the VA announces the inpatient beds at the local VA hospital will be closed pursuant to a recommendation by the Capital Asset and Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission decision.
• August 2004 - Congressman Souder holds public meetings to address the issue of ending inpatient care at the Fort Wayne VA Hospital
• August 2004 - Veterans for Better Health Care (VBHC) is established as a grass-roots organization to combat the closing of inpatient care at the Fort Wayne VA Hospital
• August 2004 - November 2007 - VBHC participates in parades, writes letters, hands out thousands of flyers, and holds a rally at the World War II Museum in Auburn and is joined by the public in protesting the closing of the inpatient beds
• November 16, 2004 - Anthony Principi submits letter of resignation as VA Secretary and steps down from post
• February 1, 2005 - Jim Nicholson sworn in as new Secretary of the VA
• July 2005 - VA Secretary Nicholson promises new study of Fort Wayne VA Hospital
• June 2006 - Congressman Souder announces new study of Fort Wayne VA Hospital
• September 2006 - Congressman Souder announces his belief that Fort Wayne VA Hospital has a “great chance” of remaining open
• November 29, 2006 - BAH undertakes new study of VA Hospital and holds private meetings with various veterans groups in the morning and a public meeting in the evening -study to be completed and be on VA Secretary’s desk by May 2007
• May 2007 - no BAH Study released
• September 2007 - Final Report by BAH given to VA but withheld from release
• September 2007 - February 2008 - no information on study forthcoming to the public
• October 1, 2007 - VA Secretary Jim Nicholson officially steps down from position
• December 20, 2007 - James Peake sworn in as new VA Secretary
• February 2008 - VA announces another study of the Fort Wayne VA Hospital
• March 2008 - VA refuses to disclose original report findings, skirting the disclosure by redacting three-fourths of the report

The February 2008 announcement that the VA would now contract for a follow-up study of outpatient services caught us by surprise. Focusing on the outpatient resources could mean one of two things - either the VA will keep the inpatient beds and beef up the outpatient care in an effort to provide better services to the hospital’s clientele, or the VA will discontinue inpatient care and use the facilities for outpatient services only with inpatient care contracted out to area hospitals. I certainly hope it is the former and not the latter.

The National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2008, which extends the registration period for the guard and reserves, as well as the modification of the VA benefits booklet to include the guard and reserves, makes closing our inpatient beds fly in the face of logic. With the increase in National Guard and Reservists coming home to northeastern Indiana, we need increased care not diminished care.

Photo Credit: National Guard website

_______________________________________________________

THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF FISCAL YEAR 2008

As I noted, two factors should work in favor of keeping inpatient beds open and increasing outpatient care. First, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of Fiscal Year 2008 signed by President Bush on January 28, 2008, extends the period of enhanced enrollment opportunity for health care eligibility provided to veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998 - commonly referred to as combat veterans or OEF/OIF veterans.

The enhanced enrollment minimum duty requirements are as follows:

• Currently enrolled combat veterans will have their enhanced enrollment period automatically extended to 5 years from their most recent date of discharge.

• New enrollees discharged from active duty on or after January 28, 2003 are eligible for this enhanced enrollment health benefit for 5 years after their date of their most recent discharge from active duty.

• Combat Veterans who never enrolled and were discharged from active duty between November 11, 1998 and January 27, 2003 may apply for this enhanced enrollment opportunity through January 27, 2011.

Second, the standard VA federal benefits booklet for veterans and their dependents has been updated to include those in the National Guard and Reservists, who previously had been excluded from receiving benefits based on past general eligibility requirements.

The 2007 Federal Benefits booklet limited general eligibility to discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable conditions. Active service meant full-time service, other than active duty for training. Under the 2007 guidelines, Guard and Reservists were not eligible for benefits.

However, the 2008 benefits booklet changed those requirements to read:

“A person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable may qualify for VA health care benefits. Reservists and National Guard members may also qualify for VA health care benefits if they were called to active duty (other than for training only) by a Federal order and completed the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty.”

The newly included reservists and national guard will expand the number of veterans who need services in all areas of the country. Indiana has more national guard members on duty than any other state in the Union and that includes larger states such as Texas and California. Many of the 4,108 members - 3,200 - now on active duty are from the 76th Brigade Combat Team located in Warsaw, Indiana. Those 3,200 members will come home to this area and will need care and services just as many others from northeastern Indiana now receive.

Northeastern Indiana not only has the highest number of national guard members on active duty but also is home to the 122nd Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard based at Fort Wayne International Airport. The 122nd Fighter Wing - known as the Black Snakes - recently acquired land for an expansion needed to absorb fighter jets and crews from Terre Haute, Indiana, and Springfield, Illinois.

Logic dictates that we should keep our inpatient beds. Yet the actions of the VA in withholding the Booz, Allen & Hamilton study do not fill me with a sense of security. We have spent 16 months waiting on a $530,000 study funded by the taxpayers which has resolved nothing and has created a sense of, once again, being bamboozled by the government.

SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT - BUT NOT IN THE WHITEHOUSE

John McCain makes no secret of the fact that he will keep us mired in the Middle East for decades to come if he assumes the office of the presidency.  While many have talked about the similarities between Vietnam and Iraq, one major difference exists - oil.  Anyone who thinks this foray into nation-building isn’t about oil hasn’t been paying attention to our history with the oil producing countries. 

With oil rising at an almost unbelievable rate, what better course to take than to occupy our own private oil fields in Iraq?  The Bush administration has built the world’s largest embassy in Iraq in order to maintain a presence for an undetermined number of years.  In addition, Bush and Maliki are in the process of negotiating the terms of an agreement which will keep U.S. forces entrenched in Iraq until …. freezes over.  

McCain will simply continue a misguided and disastrous course of action a la George Bush.  Should McCain be elected, Bush will no doubt be smiling broadly as he exits the White House in January 2009.  George Bush, along with his neo-con cohorts, manipulated an American crisis into an invasion of a country which had no connection to 9/11.  But John McCain has no intention of manipulating anything - he blatantly and arrogantly says he will keep us there.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

______________________________________________________________________________

We have had close to eight years of a president who is out of touch with reality and who has never let sanity and logic interfere with his quest to conquer Iraq.  The last thing that is needed is another tunnel-visioned president who sees Iraq and Afghanistan as nothing more than future American bases.

THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS FEAR ITSELF - FDR

The following is a chain e-mail I received from a military person who is no longer on active duty. The original sender is also a military person - at least I think that is what “grissom.af.mil” represents.

I went to Snopes.com - which is something I do regularly now that I receive a number of these hateful e-mails - and checked to see if any of it was true even though I have read enough and researched enough to know it isn’t. And, none of it is true. But the object is to link Obama with Islam and tie him in as a Muslim. That accomplished, the bulk of the e-mail is to instill fear of all Muslims, in general, and Obama, in particular - even though he is not Muslim.

This has to be one of the worst e-mails full of hatred and lies that I have ever received. The full text of the e-mail is as follows:

_________________________________________________________________________

CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?

This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to Finish…….. and send it on to anyone who will read itMaybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities….

Can a good Muslim be a good American?
This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.The following is his reply:

• Theologically - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia ..

• Religiously - no. . . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256) (Koran)

• Scripturally - no. . . Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.

• Geographically - no . . . Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day.

• Socially - no. . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him To make friends with Christians or Jews.

• Politically - no. . . Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America , the great Satan.

• Domestically - no. . . Because he is instructed to marry four Women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34 )

• Intellectually - no. . . Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.

• Philosophically - no. . . . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran does not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.

• Spiritually - no. . . . Because when we declare “one nation under God,” the Christian’s God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran’s 99 excellent names. - - - Therefore after much study and deliberation…. Perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. - - - They obviously cannot be both “good” Muslims and good Americans.

* * * Call it what you wish..it’s still the truth.
* * * You had better believe it.
+ + + The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future. The religious war is bigger than we know or understand. . ..And Barack Hussein Obama, a Muslim, wants to be our President? You have GOT to be kidding! Wake up America !

Obama even says if he wins the election, he will be sworn in on the Quran—not a Bible!

After reading this what do you think? It would be good to keep this going until after the primary season.

___________________________________________________________________

I would also like to know if the individuals are sending these e-mails on my dime as a taxpayer. The address is a military address, and I believe should not be used to circulate such hateful trash. To do so at taxpayer expense is a breach of duty and should be dealt with. I have saved the original address,and I will be contacting someone to see what can be done.

Finally, I am not supporting Obama in the primary; I am supporting Clinton. But some issues go beyond the candidate of choice. They reach to the very core of decency. This e-mail urges suspicion of all Muslims - a path that simply generates more hate on top of already existing hate.

I hope that if you receive one of these e-mails from a military address, you too will take steps to see that it is stopped if it is, indeed, being done with taxpayer money.

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN - NAVY TO SHOOT DOWN SATELLITE

The Navy has been ordered to shoot down a spy satellite hurtling toward Earth with a 1,000 pounds of deadly hydrazine onboard. The satellite spun out of control after being launched in December 2006. The exercise gives the Pentagon a chance to show off decades of controversial research into space weapons - and raises new concerns that it could cause an escalation of military competition in outer space.

_____________________________________________________

But shooting down the satellite is particularly sensitive now because of the controversy surrounding China’s anti-satellite test last year, when Beijing shot down one of its defunct weather satellites. The action drew immediate criticism from the U.S. and other countries.

A key concern at that time was the debris created by Chinese satellite’s destruction—and that will also be a focus now, as the U.S. determines exactly when and under what circumstances to shoot down its errant satellite. So we protest China’s actions and then turn around and prepare to do the same thing - now that is hypocrisy. It also sounds like the old familiar “one-upsmanship” that permeated so much of the Cold War era.

However, the action not only raises the specter of increasing “spy-in-the-sky” games but also raises the issue of environmental damage that may be done to the area of the Pacific Ocean where the satellite will splash down, spewing out its toxic content. But Bush has never had much concern for the environment - why start now?

After all what’s a little environmental damage and a little “step over this line” diplomacy when Bush decides to put on his cowboy persona and once again flex his “my guns are bigger than yours” attitude.

DEMOCRATS FOLD AGAIN

The Democrats - the Senate Democrats that is - caved again. The madness of funding for the Iraqi war continues as the Senate voted to provide $70 billion dollars in additional money to keep the war dragging on for a while longer. In rapid succession, the Senate cast two votes Tuesday night to approve the hybrid spending bill. By a 70-25 vote, the Senate approved the Iraq and Afghanistan war funds - without restrictions that Democrats had insisted on for weeks.

Democrats again failed to win votes to force removal of U.S. troops or set a non binding target to remove most troops by the end of next year. The defense policy bill, approved 90-3 by the Senate, also expanded the size of the U.S. Army and set conditions on the Bush administration’s plan to build a missile defense system in Europe. The Bill now goes to a conference committee to work out differences, then on to the President for signature. And he will sign it. After all, the criteria setting deadlines for removal of troops didn’t fly again.

In May, a $120 billion war spending bill was sent to the White House which abandoned the call for most U.S. troops to leave Iraq after an earlier veto by President Bush.  So far this calendar year, the President has been given $190 billion dollars to continue with his misguided policies in the Middle East.

To date the Iraq war has cost us almost $480 billion dollars -

• $275 million per day,
• $4,100 per household,
• Almost 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed,
• more than 60,000 wounded,
• 700,000 Iraqis killed, and
• 4 million refugees

GAO Accounting Report (2006) - The last two columns are estimates based on past spending but were calculated prior to the recent $120 billion dollar request.

And yet, no one has the guts to stop the insanity that George W. Bush began with his “shock and awe” in March 2003. What a shame, and what a travesty to the American and Iraqi people. We now have a war which appears to have no end and no chance of creating Bush’s fantasy dream of a democratized Middle East.

 

 

VETERANS DAY - NOVEMBER 11, 2007

TODAY IS VETERANS DAY - YESTERDAY WAS THE PARADE.

Despite being bombarded and blasted with sales of all types reminding the public of Veterans Day as well as some employers and employees receiving Monday off to honor our veterans, the turnout at the annual Fort Wayne Veterans Day parade along Parnell was dismal.

The weather was beautiful: a little nippy but with blue skies and a shining sun. So what’s the problem?

Fort Wayne is a community of about 250,000 people, yet the crowd was sparse. If I had to estimate attendance, I would say somewhere around 300 - 400 or so viewers. Most people gathered in groups of two or three; others stood by themselves. When I see so few people turn out for the parade, I have to wonder where all those “patriots” are who have slapped a magnetic sticker on their vehicles proclaiming “Support Our Troops.”

A HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY

World War I ended with the Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919. Fighting had ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

On May 13, 1938, a Congressional Act made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday: a day dedicated to the cause of world peace. Originally called Armistice Day to honor the veterans of World War I, the name was later changed. In 1954, after World War II and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m. Of course, in today’s 24-hour, non-stop world, the closing of big-box stores as well as many others won’t happen.

Today, many citizens simply see Veterans Day as another holiday for which they will get paid to stay home or shop or sleep or do whatever they deem necessary. The following is the Senate Resolution designating November 11 through November 17 as “National Veterans Awareness Week.”

110th CONGRESS

1stSession

S. RES. 357

Designating the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007, as “National Veterans Awareness Week” to emphasize the need to develop educational programs regarding the contributions of veterans to the country.

 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 26, 2007

Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. DORGAN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. BOND, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. INHOFE, Ms. SNOWE, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. CASEY, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. TESTER, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. VITTER, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. KERRY, Mr. GREGG, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. DODD, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. THUNE, and Mr. BURR) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

---

RESOLUTION Designating the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007, as “National Veterans Awareness Week” to emphasize the need to develop educational programs regarding the contributions of veterans to the country.Whereas tens of millions of Americans have served in the Armed Forces of the United States during the past century;Whereas hundreds of thousands of Americans have given their lives while serving in the Armed Forces during the past century;Whereas the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women who served in the Armed Forces have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by the people of the United States;Whereas the advent of the all-volunteer Armed Forces has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of individuals and families who have had any personal connection with the Armed Forces;Whereas this reduction in familiarity with the Armed Forces has resulted in a marked decrease in the awareness by young people of the nature and importance of the accomplishments of those who have served in the Armed Forces, despite the current educational efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the veterans service organizations;Whereas the system of civilian control of the Armed Forces makes it essential that the future leaders of the Nation understand the history of military action and the contributions and sacrifices of those who conduct such actions; andWhereas in each of the years 2000 through 2006 the Senate has recognized the need to increase the understanding of the contributions of veterans among school-aged children by approving a resolution recognizing the week containing Veterans Day as “National Veterans Awareness Week”: Now, therefore, be itResolved, That the Senate —(1) designates the week of November 11 through November 17, 2007, as “National Veterans Awareness Week” for the purpose of emphasizing educational efforts directed at elementary and secondary school students concerning the contributions and sacrifices of veterans; and(2) encourages the people of the United States to observe National Veterans Awareness Week with appropriate educational activities.

Take a moment today or sometime this week to thank a veteran for his or her service to our country. We, as a Nation, will not always agree on the correct path or what is the right course of action, but what we cannot deny to our veterans is that they are the very reason that we have the rights that we so often take for granted.

THE GREAT DECEIVER TO TRY AGAIN

George W. Bush - the Great Deceiver - will try again to turn fantasy into, well, more fantasy. With General Petraeus plugging the success of Bush’s “surge”, we seem to have forgotten that Bush’s rationales for going to war in the first place have shifted like the sands of the Indiana Dunes.

Stripped of all his gobbledy-gook rhetoric, let me remind you of his reasons for marching into a nation which had not harmed us. His reasons can be boiled down to three main objectives:

(1) to eliminate Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD);

(2) to diminish the threat of international terrorism; and

(3) to promote democracy in Iraq and surrounding areas.

The first reason? Despite early attempts to classify anything that even remotely looked like it might be a weapon of mass destruction, none was found. Today, that reason is seen as a joke. But it is no joke that 3700+ American lives have been snuffed out and thousands of psychologically, emotionally, and physically scarred veterans who will need life-long care are returning to try to put their lives back together. Add to that the thousands of Iraqi lives destroyed and maimed, and you have an absolute unjustifiable situation based on a lie.

The second reason? What better way to diminish the threat of terrorism than to create an area so unstable that, if terrorists didn’t call Iraq home before, they surely have made it their living quarters now. If Bush had kept his mind on Osama bin Laden instead of pursuing his vendetta against Saddam Hussein, perhaps terrorists would not be springing up like field daisies in Iraq. And, we wouldn’t be discussing the insane idea of attacking Iran.

The third reason? Bush’s ethnocentric view of the world guided this one. Naturally, he had to think of something high-minded and idealistic after the first two based in reality didn’t pan out. Gosh, and how appealing is it to argue that democracy should be spread to the four corners of the globe. Why no self-respecting and patriotic American would dare disagree with that reason.

But the bottom line is that not one of his reasons held water and not one of his reasons justified invading and occupying Iraq. No weapons of mass destruction, no protection for the region against terrorism, and no flourishing of democracy. What Bush seems to ignore is that the Islamic religion and its people are not going to conveniently step out of his way to make his life easier.

The world has 6.5 billion people (more or less). Of those 6.5 billion people on this Earth, more than half are concentrated in two major religions: Christianity and Islam. Christianity is the largest religion in the world with 2.1 billion followers and a growth rate of 1.38%, and, not too far behind is Islam with 1.5 billion followers and a growth rate of 1.84%. Convincing an entire religious population that democracy is best is a pretty tough sell.

And now, after four years of fighting and a troop surge of almost 30,000 personnel, President Bush will supposedly tell the nation Thursday evening that he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by as many as 30,000 by next summer but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress.

Now here is where I feel like the Aflac duck in the commercial with Yogi Berra in the barber shop. After listening to some nonsensical statements by Yogi, the Aflac duck teeters out of the barber shop shaking his head, dizzy from listening to Yogi’s inane mutterings. Why do I feel that way? Here’s why. Bush sent about 30,000 soldiers to Iraq to implement the surge. Now he boasts that he will “draw down” the troops by 30,000. Isn’t this leaving us where we were to begin with?

The address will stake out a conciliatory tone toward Congress. In his speech, the president will say he understands Americans’ deep concerns about U.S. involvement in Iraq and their desire to bring the troops home. Bush will say that, after hearing from Petraeus and Crocker, he has decided on a way forward on a way to patronize the American people by telling them that he will reduce the U.S. military presence but not abandon Iraq to chaos.

His deception is priceless. He increased troop strength for the surge, then removes only the surge force calling it a “draw” down and selling it as a “bringing home of the troops.”

By next summer the 30,000 surge force will be back home, and we will be left sitting right where we were before the surge. When are those troops coming home?

Bush will place more conditions on reductions than his general did, insisting that conditions on the ground must warrant cuts and that now-unforeseen events could change the plan. Right back to square one - benchmarks that are never met and no more troop cuts.

And, again, I am left shaking my head - not at the mutterings of Yogi Berra in a paid commercial - but at the inane logic of George W. Bush in his role as the Great Deceiver.

58,178 - THE TRAVELING VIETNAM WALL

My first topic for my very first local access show was the Traveling Vietnam Wall. I was somewhat nervous at first, when the camera was on me alone. But once we got started, I really had a good time. My guests were Larry Melton of Klaehn, Fall, and Melton Funeral Homes; Tom Pehlke of Lindenwood Cemetery; and Larry Thiele, a Vietnam veteran who is also American Legion 4th District Etiquette chairman. All three were great, and they made the time go quickly.

Mr. Melton and Mr. Pehlke are affiliated with Dignity Memorial, the sponsor of the Traveling Wall. Mr. Thiele is a Vietnam veteran who served two tours of duty in country from 1966 - 1969. The Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall will be here this August 10 through August 12 at the Highland Park Cemetery located at 2403 E. Wallen Road. The Wall was last here in 2001 at the same location.

The Traveling Wall is a way that those who are unable to travel to Washington, D. C. to see the Wall can share in a powerful experience. The replica is a 240-foot, 3/4-scale of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. inscribed with the thousands of names of those who gave their lives in the Vietnam War.

The schedule for the ceremonies and the visiting are as follows:

August 7 - Tuesday - Motorcycle Escort at 1:00 p.m. forming at the WWII Victory Museum in Auburn, IN (The escort and the Wall will arrive at Highland Park Cemetery at 2:00 p.m.)

August 8 - Wednesday - Placing of Purple Heart (private ceremony) - installation of Wall

August 9 - Thursday - Landscaping and finishing touches

August 10 - Friday - Opening ceremonies at 6:15 p.m. hosted by Keith Edwards of WPTA. The ceremonies will include a flyover by Fort Wayne Air National Guard, Fort Wayne City Police Honor Guard Ceremonies, and a Mayoral Proclamatiom.

August 11 - Saturday - POW/MIA Ceremony at 9:00 a.m. The POW/MIA Ceremony with balloon release will be held as well as a Native American Veterans Ceremony.

August 12 - Sunday - Closing Ceremony at 4:00 p.m. Linda Bloom, County Commissioner, will speak.

The Wall will be open 24 hours a day to accommodate any and all who want to visit and share. Volunteers will provide assistance to those searching for names. Volunteers are still needed, so if you would like to be a part of this memorable and moving experience, please call : 260-432-3914.  Readers will take turns reading all 58,178 names during the three days.

The picture above is from my first trip to the Wall last September.