A Soldiers Shame – Or Why I Won’t Wear My Uniform

The day I retired from the United States Army I had my dress uniform cleaned and pressed and I hung it in the closet ready to put back on. I have only worn it on a very few special occasions since that day. One memorable time was a proud day that I was privileged to participated in my older daughters’ graduation from training in the United States Navy. The other occasions were of course very special events and celebrations of national and military honor and tradition. You see, I believe that one of the great privileges of being a soldier is that after you retire you can put that uniform back on and celebrate with great pride yours and your nation’s accomplishments.

Today I am taking an oath to not put that uniform back on. Let me explain why.

I have endured much in my life. Please don’t misunderstand because I say that with great and humble pride. I have endured much because that is what my family has always done since the revolutionary war. You see my family just happens to be one of those families that have chosen to serve the nation by serving in the military. That is simply what we do. I will not go into all of the details because I have mentioned them in several posts before but suffice it to say that for well over 200 years virtually every generation of my family has served in the United States military in defense of our constitution; that would be the Constitution of the United States of America. We have done so in peace and war and with pride and humility and we have all walked tall because we have always viewed our nation as a beacon of liberty in a world all to often filled with despots and tyranny. But today all of that has changed.

Today I hang my head in shame and I take a sworn oath and I take it as freely and solemnly as I took my oath of enlistment. Today I swear that I Sergeant Major Myers, United States Army Retired, will not put on my uniform again, for any reason what so ever, until George W. Bush is removed or leaves office and the abomination that has just passed the Congress of the United States is struck down by the Supreme Court or rescinded by an Act of Congress.

It has not been enough that this President has taken this country to war with a web of deceit and lies and it is not enough that he has by his actions and lack of leadership, in the words of former President United States and Noble Laureate Jimmy Carter, "brought discouragement and sometimes international disgrace to our great country," but now he would compound our disgrace and remove the rights of Americans as defined in our constitution and defile humanity by attempts to legalize torture of other human beings. I must also say that what is just as disgraceful and humiliating to this nation is that there are members of Congress, both in the House and the Senate, that would go along and support, no, even encourage such efforts for obviously crass political, personal, and economic gain.

No, enough is enough and this tired old soldier has one more fight left in him and it will be to do all that is in my power to defeat this blatant assault on our nation from within and I say to Mr. Bush, you sir are an abomination for a President and an abomination for a Commander in Chief. Your actions have removed any mantle of moral authority you may have had. You have in every way, imaginable and possible, broken the oath you took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I love my country sir but I possess not one iota of respect for you.

I say to you sir, in spite of you, this nation will DEFEAT TERRORISM NOT SACRIFICE LIBERTY.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Of Soldier's Little Children and Uncaring Presidents

You know soldiers don’t have it easy and it’s a fact that every war throws a different set of miseries at them that scars, cripples and all too often kills. Bullets are one obvious and common misery to all but there is a whole other set that is not so obvious; like the cold muddy fields of Europe during World War II and Korea that left fingers and toes frost bit or missing and then the glue like mud and wait a minute vines of Vietnam that left you with trench foot, crotch rot and bloody scratches and now it’s the blistering heat and sand of the Middle East that infest you with biting insects, strange bloody rashes and grinding grit between your teeth. But did you know there is another group that has suffered along with these soldiers and have had their own debilitating and scaring and varied miseries. That unheralded and suffering group is the families and friends waiting back home.

The reality is that most people not only don’t know or understand combat and its miseries that soldiers must endure but they also don’t know or understand the stressed despair of loneliness that is suffered by those left behind. They don’t understand that hollow painful void in a mother’s heart as she thinks and waits for her son or daughter or the worried headache of a father thinking of a son or daughter in imminent danger. They don’t understand that aching throb that is the lump in the spouses chest every time they think of their husband or wife and the danger he or she face or that sinking feeling of despair when they contemplate the unthinkable life without them ever again and they don’t understand the emptiness in a young child’s stomach when they miss their mommy or daddy and can’t understand why they’re gone or why they don’t come home everyday like all the other kids mommies and daddies do.

No, many people don’t understand these things because today fewer and fewer have ever experienced it and or don’t care and you know what; it shows all over this country. It shows in our government and in our society. It shows in the way our government treats our soldiers and it shows in the void that should be an outcry from those who should understand and care but don’t or won’t. It shows when after our country has been attacked a President says go shop and doesn’t say we must all sacrifice and here’s what I’m asking you to sacrifice. It shows when in the midst of a great struggle against terrorist the only sign of support for the troops and their families that you see is a magnetic ribbon on a bumper.

It is my thought that there will be an awful price to be paid by our country for not understanding and or not caring what the leadership of this nation is doing and that price is beginning to be paid. We have a military that is not only not ready but one that continues to be decimated through gross mismanagement.

When George W. Bush became President he inherited a military that was not only combat ready but the absolute finest in the world bar none. This was graphically demonstrated during the invasion of Iraq. It was a military that was not only ready but one with moral among soldiers and family member that was the highest it had been in decades. In a few short years he has successfully broken it materially and morally. He has created a rush to exit of the finest soldiers’ ever enlisted and begun to replace them with those less qualified intellectually, physically, and morally.

Over the last few days you have seen a continuing line of America’s finest officers come before the Democrats of our Congress and give testimony to what I have said here. These are soldiers who care and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they speak the truth. It takes great courage to stand and be counted and these soldiers have done it on the battlefield and now they are doing it at home.

Somewhere today a soldier’s spouse is hurting, a soldier’s mother weeps, a soldiers baby cries, and a soldiers fathers eyes are blurry.

Last word for today – It’s time that those who don’t understand and or don’t care woke up and smelled the roses. Your nation is bleeding and it’s bleeding to death.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Of Soldiers And Punctuation – Or Why I’m Not A Comma

"Yes, you see — you see it on TV, and that’s the power of an enemy that is willing to kill innocent people. But there’s also an unbelievable will and resiliency by the Iraqi people…. I like to tell people when the final history is written on Iraq, it will look like just a comma because there is — my point is, there’s a strong will for democracy." George W. Bush to Wolf Blitzer, CNN - Emphasis mine.

2,703 dead American commas, 19,910 wounded and maimed American commas, 35 – 40,000 dead Iraqi commas.

What do you think it feels like to be a soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq?

What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq without the proper body armor to protect you?

What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq without the proper armored vehicles to protect you?

What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq on your third tour and to not know when you’ll go home to your family because you’ve been involuntarily extended….again?

What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq on your third tour and 24 hours before you’re suppose to go home you find out you’ve been involuntarily extended….again?

What do you think if feels like to be a soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq and know that fully two thirds of American combat units are not combat ready?

What do you think it feels like to be and American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq knowing that the Chief of Staff of your Army withheld submitting the budget to fund you and your equipment because the Secretary of Defense slashed $25 billion off of your budget?

What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq knowing that the National Guard back at home doesn’t have the equipment it needs to train to replace you and to help your family when another Katrina strikes?

What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq knowing that your President wants to modify the Geneva Conventions and jeopardize your life and treatment and those of your comrades who follow you so that his administration can torture other people?

What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq knowing that the Taliban are coming back in Afghanistan as strong as or stronger than ever taking large swaths of country your comrades bled and died for?

Now…..What do you think it feels like to be an American soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq on your third tour and to not know when you’ll go home to your family because you’ve been involuntarily extended….again and your Commander in Chief has just referred to you and what you are doing in Iraq as a COMMA?

What do you think it feels like to be a mother, father, husband, wife, brother, sister, son, or daughter of an American soldier killed, maimed, or wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq and your President referred to your mother, father, husband, wife, brother, sister, son, or daughter as a COMMA?

For nearly three decades I was that soldier and today many of the soldiers I trained are those American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq and I will say this for myself and if I maybe so bold for those soldiers.

Mr. President I’m no damn comma!!

I am an American soldier and if you have no more respect for me than that, then I say to you sir that your words and indeed your deeds can only lead me to believe you are ignorant at best and a coward at worst and certainly not deserving of my respect and since you are in fact the President of the United States I must say I tend to believe you must be the later.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Have We All Become Such Cowards – Or What Is In Washington DC Is Not What This Soldier Fought For

During the course of my military career I received training on how to survive being a Prisoner of War (POW). In a very controlled training environment I was subjected to “torture” that included humiliation (being kept nude), physical abuse such as slaps, belly slaps, punching, sleep deprivation, hypothermia, threats of electrocution, and even water-boarding. We, I and my fellow soldiers, were exposed to this in training because it was made clear to us that as soldiers, should we ever become a POW we should be prepared for and expect this kind of treatment from the “bad guys”.

This treatment was put upon us in a controlled environment and we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that no matter what we would not be permanently or irreparably harmed in any way and yet it was still a life altering, horrendous and humiliating experience.

The training was particularly poignant to us in that it was conducted in conjunction with our training on the Geneva Conventions. It was made clear that we as American soldiers were expected to conduct ourselves in a morally upright and honorable manner no matter what ours or our comrades in arms treatment was at the hands of an enemy. We were given detailed in depth training on the Geneva Conventions and we were given extensive hands on training in how to treat prisoners of war should we be faced with that situation. I believe that we all, to a soldier, learned our lessons well because I can say without equivocation that in the ensuing nearly three decades of my military career, which included several combat tours, I never treated a POW, nor did I personally witness a POW being treated in any manner that could ever be construed as inhumane.

As a young soldier that training taught me something much deeper than just how to expect to be treated as a POW or how I should treat a POW. It taught me that America was a nation founded on the rule of law and a nation that still strived to achieve and maintain the moral high ground no matter how the enemy conducted themselves. It taught me that we weren’t a nation built on religious fanaticism but one build on human dignity and justice. We didn’t gauge how we treated others by how we were treated but how we as human beings expected to be treated.
Today in Washington DC we have an administration that has lost touch with America. It has lost touch with American and all that this great nation has stood for better than two centuries. The conduct of the war in Iraq has been and continues to be an embarrassment to this nation and has undermined our moral standing in the world to the point of making us virtually irrelevant. From the falsehoods that took us to the preemptive war in Iraq, to the atrocities of Abu Ghraib, to the shame that is Guantánamo Bay, and on to the injustices put upon innocent victims of rendition such as the Canadian Citizen, Maher Arar, and many others currently incarcerated in Guantánamo Bay, this administration has ceded the moral high ground. Indeed the chaos that is Iraq today serves only to shine a bright light on what I believe is this administrations ineptitude and moral depravity.

The debate that is occurring in Washington DC is one that should never occur and is a simple continuation of a policy that is lost. It is indeed a needless exercise that can only result in the further deterioration of what is left of our standing in the international community and jeopardize the well being of every American Soldier for generations to come. Torture simply does not work. This has been proven time and time again and I can personally witness to that fact and Senator John McCain can certainly attest to that fact even more strongly than I. Torture is not and instrument of extracting truth but is more accurately an instrument of revenge and extractor of fiction.

Have we become a nation of cowards who seek revenge at all cost? Have we become a nation that would resort to physical and psychological torture to extract information from another human being? These are the acts not of just and honorable people but of cowards and people of no moral stature. If the answer to these questions is yes then the constitution and nation that I and millions of other Americans dedicated their lives to and shed our blood for no longer exist.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Failures Of Diplomacy – Or What Price Lies

As a soldier I understand the consequences of failures in diplomacy. We soldiers all understand because the consequences of failures in diplomacy have all too often been a liberal spilling of our blood. And even at such a costly price we can accept the consequences when they are the results of “honest” failures. We can accept the consequences because we know that all other options have been exhausted and now we must do the difficult right thing. But what I and most other soldiers have great and real difficulty with is failures of diplomacy that are a result of dishonesty and that result in the dishonorable letting of American blood.


As I have witnessed in recent weeks the Bush administrations machinations as it has tried to un-lie the lies that were told to take us to war in Iraq and connect this dishonest and illegal Iraq war to a disingenuous and impossible “war” on terror I have become physically ill. I have become physically ill not just because of what they have said or because of my extreme dislike for this president and his dishonest and immoral cohorts in crime. I have become physically ill because of the gullibility and blatant ignorance and selfishness of a broad swath of the American people who glibly follow George W. Bush. I have become physically ill because this same group of Americans seem to fail to fully comprehend or show real understanding of the sacrifices of the American military and the carnage that has been put upon the Iraqi people as a result of the bald faced, in your face, lies told by George W. Bush and the members of his administration. I have become physically ill because this same group of American people sit blithely by in their overstuffed recliners in front of their 42 inch plasma screens as a Republican controlled House and Senate not only allow but in fact enable this administration to become an autocracy as a result of their own greed for wealth and power.


Are these people so engulfed in their own narcissistic delusions that they have lost the capacity to understand that this president and his Neocon henchmen are taking this country down the path to global isolation and irrelevance? Are they so engulfed in their own narcissistic delusions that they have lost their understanding of moral rightness and human compassion? Are they so engulfed in their own narcissistic delusions that they have lost their desire to maintain the laws, moral stature and democratic principals of the nation that was so graciously bequeathed to us by the founding fathers as set out in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.


As I look around I cannot believe that this is the same nation that I and my ancestors have fought, bled and died for since the Revolutionary War.


To those of you who follow George W. Bush; I ask you at what price? Think about 2,687 dead American soldiers. Think about 19,399 wounded and maimed American soldiers. Think about untold thousands of killed, wounded and maimed Iraqis. Think about thousands of killed, wounded and maimed innocent men, women and children.


Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

The Geneva Conventions – One Soldiers Perspective

Art. 3. In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions: (1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria. To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons: (a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture; (b) taking of hostages; (c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment; (d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples. (2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for. An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.

This article does not and has never held any ambiguity for me and I do not believe it has ever held any for the millions of American soldiers (to include the OSS and CIA operatives) who have served in our armed forces since the United States signed these conventions. I make this statement without reservation and with the backdrop of having served in the United States Army for nearly three decades including several combat tours of duty. I also say to you that I proudly carried the “Geneva Conventions Card” in my pocket every single day of my military career from the day it was issued to me in basic training. I carried that card proudly because it represented the moral stature of my nation. It said to me that no matter what, no matter how I was treated, if I was captured or if I captured an enemy soldier I knew what my country expected of me and what my country stood for and I would never violate that trust. I would never violate the trusts placed in me by the citizens of our great nation, my comrades in arms and yes, even my enemy.


I thought not to write this post. I thought not to write it because I have become convinced that Americans, at least that vast multitude that continue to allow themselves to be deluded by the Bush administration, don’t care about anything but themselves much less the Geneva Conventions and I would therefore be posting to the wind. I still believe that and unfortunately I believe it with all my heart but in spite of that stolid belief I had an overpowering need to express my utter disdain and contempt for George W. Bush and the actions of his administration. So I say to you that in my opinion, this administration possesses not one iota of common decency, honor, or moral character and these attempts on their part to change the United States interpretation of the Geneva Conventions are just one more example of an administration with no moral compass. This is to me just one more example of a Commander in Chief who has removed his cloak of moral authority and I say God help us all if our elected officials in the House of Representatives and Senate allow this grotesque interpretation of the conventions to become the law of the land because that will be just one more nail in the coffin of our democracy.


Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

What If They Walked Away

As you know I write about the military. I write about the pride that I felt as a soldier and as a retired soldier and I write about the pride I feel as the descendant of a long line of soldiers and as an American citizen. Virtually every time I write a post I get at least several and sometimes many not so nice comments about soldiers and the military. I’ll expound on this below the fold.

As I said I get some not so nice comments and this post is for those who write those not so nice comments but those of you who write nice comments or even don’t write comments at all are invited to read this too.

We are an imperfect nation of imperfect people. Yep, we are imperfect. We have, from our inception, done really, really bad things and really, really good things. We have done bad things on purpose and bad things not on purpose. We have done good things on purpose and we have done good things not on purpose. In other words we have been doing a lot of things good and bad. (My token paragraph for those who use Bushian speak.)

Now our forefathers sat down in Philadelphia some 225+ years ago and drafted some documents that created the basic outline and laws of our nation. You know the constitution. They tried, based on their limited intellect to create a really good country. Since that time a lot of really, really good and really, really bad people have controlled and governed this nation. It has been kind of a mix for the most part but generally a little bit of both but leaning more to the good. (I know that some of you believe that a group of nare-do-wells control the whole thing and that may or may not be true, I just don’t know.) The point is that our founding fathers created this entity we call the United States and left it to their progeny to manage into the future.

Now I believe that in the this country regardless of who is elected or who is in office, or even if the nare-do-wells are in control, that we as a nation have an incredible amount of freedom and an incredible amount of access to information which allows us to remain informed and educated on not only our nation but also the world. We have an incredible ability to educate ourselves and organize and to choose our path in the world. Some of us choose to teach, some choose to drive a truck, some choose to pursue elected office, some choose to be firemen, some choose to be policemen and generally everyone chooses to be or do something. Some even choose to be soldiers. Some also, unfortunately, choose to not be or do anything, but that’s another story. We all seem to generally choose to be and to do something within the realm of this nation state we call the United States of America. Most importantly though is that we all have the opportunity to choose to make a difference. We who blog here on this site are choosing to voice our opinions. We are choosing to organize and cajole and to put forth our opinions and influence people to become active and activist in order to make a difference. At least I think that is what most of us are trying to do.

What I am saying here is that we citizens, both born and naturalized, all share in the inherited and adopted responsibility for this nation. We are not helpless sheep being led to slaughter. We are cogent humans with an ability to make change and whatever this nation was, is, or is becoming we are responsible for it and how we go about fulfilling that responsibility is of our own choosing.

Now, about those soldiers. Today soldiers generally choose to become soldiers. That is how they have chosen to fulfill their lives and to contribute to this nation. It is my belief that unfortunately we live in a world occupied by nation states and entities and people who would do us and millions of other people harm. It is, in my mind, a simple fact and because of that fact we must have a military. Now you may disagree with me on this point but I’m afraid that I still prefer that we maintain a military just in case you’re wrong and there really are people out there who want to harm us. You might say that I want to error on the side of “our” safety. It is also unfortunately true that when it is necessary to maintain a military you subject that military to the control of the government that you put in office. Yes I said you put in office. Remember the “we are responsible” bit I mentioned above; well if the people in office aren’t very nice people then it’s our fault and we put the military under the control of those not so nice people and it doesn’t matter if we voted for the person or not it is still our fault. It’s still our fault because “we are responsible” and we should have worked harder to get different people in office.

Now this is directly for those who write the not so nice comments trashing the military and soldiers. Soldiers join our military to serve and defend the Constitution of the United States. If they are sent to say Iraq by your President then it is your responsibility because it is your President. It is your government and it is your country. Get it? If you don’t like it you should change it. If you want the soldiers brought back from Iraq then you need to do something about it. Write your Congressmen. Write your Senators. Write your friends and relatives. March in the street. March with a group or march alone. Do something but do me a favor and don’t blame soldiers or trash them because they are in Iraq spilling their precious blood and leaving their limbs behind. It’s called citizenship. And don’t say you don’t do that on Dkos or MLW or MyDD or any other blog because you do. You are the people out there who don’t assume responsibility and find it easier to wax philosophically about how nation states shouldn’t exist and Marx said this or Lock said that or some other BS. It is what it is and that’s reality. You have one other option if you choose not to do anything and that is move to Iraq.

Now that we’ve established who is responsible for this great nation let’s talk about what happens if “They All Walk Away”. Think about it. What if every soldier, sailor, and airman walked away?

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war, is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight; nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety; is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

I would add this. The battle field is not always one of dirt and blood but it can be and is sometimes the halls of government.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

I fought for God – Or Did I?

Did you ever wonder what soldiers fight for? Well I’m pretty sure the radical Christian right thinks that every soldier is a red blooded American boy (sorry girls) who goes out to fight for God and Country. I’m just as sure that every Neocon thinks that every soldier goes out to fight for the spread of Christian Democracy. Well you know what? They aren’t just red blooded American “boys” and they don’t just fight for God and Country and the spread of Christian Democracy. I’ll tell you who I think they really are and what they really fight for below the fold.

So who are American soldiers? During my 27 years in the United States Army I discovered that beyond the uniform soldiers had a lot in common but they also had a lot not in common. I found that if you took off the uniform you discovered soldiers are men and women; they are black, white, red, brown and every shade of ethnicity in between. They are tall and short and every other height. They are married and single and something else. They are mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and aunts and uncles. They are gay and straight and not so straight. They are from Angola, Greece, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Indonesia, Ghana, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Sudan, Egypt, Iran and every other country on the National Geographic map. They are educated, uneducated, smart and sometimes ignorant and some times yes just plain stupid. They are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Agnostic, and Atheist. They are brave and not so brave. They are scared and some even cowardly. They are honest and dishonest and something in between. Most of all, the soldiers I know are, or want to be, American.

Now just what is it that American soldiers fight for? During my 27 years in the United States Army I discovered that there was one thing that every soldier was fighting for and it’s summed up very well in the oath that the soldier takes on the day they join the military. Here is the oath that they take when they join the Army and it is essentially the same, with very minor variations, for all branches of the service and all ranks.

"I, (state your name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

This oath and my experience tell me that soldiers fight in support of and in defense of the Constitution of the United States of America or in other words they fight for FREEDOM. It’s that simple. Contrary to what a lot of people would like to believe the American soldier doesn’t join and fight for God or against terrorism or communism or Marxism or any other ism. American soldiers take and oath and fight for freedom as it is expressed in the Constitution of the United States of America. It is my humble opinion that the great men who gathered in Philadelphia to form our American government and ultimately write the constitution intended it so. Freedom was their focus. I have searched through the constitution and, believe it or not, I do not find the word God anywhere in the document nor do I find anti-Marxism, anti-communism, or anti any other ism. I do however find that every word of it and the construct of every phrase and sentence of that great document is focused on guaranteeing the freedoms of every citizen of the United States of America. It is this for which the American soldier fights and nothing else. This document does not guarantee a religion nor demand the spread of democracy outside the borders of our nation but it does guarantee every citizen’s freedoms and rights.

It is my belief that when you are elected to public office and you take an oath of office to uphold the constitution of the United States that you have incurred a solemn obligation and duty to obey the laws of the land an perform the duties of your office in the most honorable and faithful manner possible. If they believe in God they swear or affirm to God to do so. If they don’t believe in God they still swear or affirm to do so. The President along with the Vice President, members of Congress and all officers appointed by the administration take oaths of office. Below is the oath taken by the President and members of Congress.

The oath of President of the United States.

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The oath of members of Congress of the United States

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

I have included these oaths so that you may more fully appreciate and understand that the focus of our government is and always has been on freedom and the freedoms guaranteed to each and every citizen of this country under our constitution. It has never been on the establishment or endorsement of any religion or on the spreading of Jeffersonian democracy. When one views our government through the prism of our constitution one can truly appreciate and comprehend the gross failures of the President and Republican controlled Congress in upholding their oaths of supporting and defending the constitution and in guaranteeing the citizens of this great nation their constitutional rights and freedoms.

President Bush along with the Republican controlled Congress has sent our troops to fight the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time for the wrong reasons and they have done so through the use of lies and deceit. The President has added further insult to injury by denying the American people their rights to a free and open government by concealing the resulting carnage of his misguided war and further violating their rights under the 4th amendment to the constitution by authorizing illegal wiretaps.

American soldiers once again find themselves in the unenviable position of fighting, not for American freedom, but for Executive and Congressional hubris. It is self evident that there are grounds for impeachment of the President and it is time that the Congress did its job. Each day that Congress continues to shamelessly avoid their duty more American blood is wasted into the Iraqi sand, not for freedom but, for arrogance and political gain.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Honor, Integrity, Compassion, Courage

As the only “career” soldier in my family I have had the honor of inheriting most of the awards, decorations, and military memorabilia ever given to the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of my family. It is really quite a collection because as I have mentioned before every generation of my family has served in the armed forces of our great nation since the Revolutionary War.

This past weekend I had some quiet time to spend looking through this collection that includes such things as documents signed by my ancestor who was an officer during the Revolutionary War, a copy of my great-great grandfathers Civil War military records and even the scratched and worn “dog tag” that was my grandfathers and worn in France during World War I and even my fathers wings from World War II. I started with the oldest and picked them up one by one turning them in my hand. And as I touched each one I found myself thinking about each soldier who wore, carried or was represented by each of the items. I found myself remembering my father’s stories of World War II and my grandfather’s stories of World War I and the stories he passed on to me about the Civil War that were told to him by his father and grandfather. I also remembering that not once did my father or grandfather ever tell stories of the death associated with war but seemed to always focus on the camaraderie and the patriotic reasons they or their fathers, brothers or uncles served their country. It seemed to me that it was always about the ideals that our country was founded on and the need that every citizen sacrifice for the preservation of those ideals. It was never about their individual heroism or personal sacrifice but always how brave their friend was and how much their friends sacrificed. It was always obvious that they not only loved their country and respected the ideals on which it was founded and built but they really cared about their fellow soldiers and citizens.

I found that as I touched each of these mementos of my families’ history and as I reflected on my family both those long departed and those still on this earth two things began to occur. First, deep in my soul, the memories of my families’ shared and common experiences were stirred and as they were I grew very, very sad; then as I dwelled on all of their individual sacrifices I grew very, very angry. I grew sad and angry not because they were gone or because they sacrificed or suffered. No, I have long since mourned their parting and basked with pride in their accomplishments. I grew sad and angry because unfortunately we have a government that has lost touch with the sacrifices of past generations and are shaming our nation with their arrogance, intolerance, and false pride. I became sad and angry because all that I and my family and millions of other Americans have sacrificed and fought for and believed in is being systematically destroyed by those who know no honor, those who have no integrity, those who have no compassion, and those who have no courage.

Honor, integrity, compassion and courage. Dwell for a moment on the definitions of these four powerful traits. Take just a moment to read and think about them and then ask yourself this simple question. Which member(s) of the Executive branch, the United States Senate, Congress, and Judiciary Branches of our government can I describe using any one or more of these words?

Honor – Principled uprightness of character; personal integrity.

Integrity – Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

Courage – The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.

Compassion - Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.

As of this writing 2,448 soldiers have been killed in Iraq. As of this writing 17,869 soldiers have been wounded in Iraq. As of this writing somewhere between 35,101 and 39,258 Iraqi’s have been killed in Iraq.

Five, Ten, Fifteen, Twenty years or more from now a son, daughter, mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, or uncle will be opening a box of military mementos. They will be taking the items out one by one and turning them in their hands. They will begin remembering the stories that their brother, sister, father, mother, grandfather or grandmother told them about World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the First Gulf War or the war in Iraq. What will their thoughts be? What will they feel and what will the country they live in look like and represent to the world? What will this generation have left them?

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

As Rome Burns – Or It’s Not Just George That’s Fiddling

Last night, at the end of The News Hour, I watched sixteen young faces materialize and then dematerialize on my screen. They were almost all between 18 and 22 years old. Young, innocent faces much like my youngest daughter who is just 22. As their young faces faded from my screen I thought to myself, ‘thank dear God that none of them were my little girl’. And then I felt horribly guilty.

2,228 KIA – Iraq Coalition Casualty Count
17,869 WIA – Iraq Coalition Casualty Count
39,258 Civilian – www.iraqbodycount.org

How much blood Mr. Bush? How much American and Iraqi blood is enough Mr. Bush? When will your thirst be quenched Mr. Bush? It isn’t your children is it Mr. Bush?

How much blood Mr. Cheney? How much American and Iraqi blood is enough Mr. Cheney? When will your thirst be quenched Mr. Cheney? It isn’t your children is it Mr. Cheney?

As the nation raptly follows the Republican soap opera that is Washington D.C. today our children die. The Bush Administration and the Republican Party as a whole have brought corruption, radicalism, and political and economic failure to the nation’s capital. These are not melodramatic hyperbole statements but simple and pure fact. Our children are dying both at home and abroad because this administration and the Republican Party in control of our government lack the capacity to develop and strength of character to implement a rational and cohesive domestic or foreign policy. And the Executive Branch in particular lacks the leadership and managerial skills to operate our government. That is simple reality.

I want everyone who reads this to understand that this is a partisan post. I am unashamedly pointing a partisan finger and placing blame and guilt at the feet of the Republican Party.

What is happening in this country today is a Republican fiasco. Republican…..purely Republican…..and nothing but Republican. Republicans are in charge of the Executive Branch. Republicans are in charge of the Senate. Republicans are in charge of the House of Representatives and Republicans are mostly in control of the Supreme Court so yes this is a Republican scandal and fiasco and the citizens of this nation are morally obligated, by any moral standard, to hold the Republican Party responsible. They are in charge. No if’s, no and’s, and no but’s. Each Republican member of the House of Representatives, each Republican member of the Senate, and each Republican member of the Executive Branch and the Judicial Branch are responsible for each one of those young people’s deaths. These individual Republicans and the collective membership of the Republican Party are responsible for the climate of corruption, lying, and deceit that is Washington D.C. today.

I am angry and each time I see the faces of those soldiers and I think of the children of Iraq I grow more angry and any American who doesn’t feel that same anger and sadness and moral outrage needs to hang their head in shame.

I read this today and then I could only think….Damn you George W. Bush!!!....Damn you Dick Cheney!!! DAMN YOU anyone who voted for them!!! You have no soul.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

It Is Your Government And Your Laws And Your Military And Your War

We have often discussed where the guilt of war might lie. It is at this point I must admit that I often become quite emotional about this issue because of my personal commitment to this country and it’s military. Having said that, I want to share a few thoughts with my friends who sometimes openly “pray” for the complete collapse of the United States military and sometimes denigrate the soldiers serving in it.

It is my observation that the world is a very hostile place. It is filled with dictators, petty tyrants, and governments that believe in every form of vile governance and acts against man and beast. If I am not mistaken I believe there are about 169 very diverse nation states in the world today and unfortunately many of them are of the perpetual vile type. The history of mankind is filled with instances of grotesque atrocities pitting one of these nation states against another and even one ethnic group within a nation against another ethnic group within that same nation. Uganda and Darfur come to mind readily as immediate examples and many others in history too numerous to name. Because of this unfortunate circumstance in the world of Homo sapiens it is a cursed reality and necessity that nations must maintain armies to defend against aggressor nations and groups and therefore I believe that it is because of this condition that the United States must maintain a strong military.

The United States military is unlike most if not all other militaries in the world in that our constitution places the military under the strict control of the civilian government. It is not only a constitutional requirement but it is a well established condition of which this country is fortunate to have a 250 year tradition of adherence to. This requirement of the constitution creates a very special relationship between the civilian government and it’s military. It creates a relationship in which the civilian government is solely responsible for the establishment of laws and treaties and absolute authority in determining when and where to use military force and the military is responsible for defending the nation and winning wars while following the orders of the government and obeying the laws and treaties created by and entered into by the government of United States. This is a very important distinction in that it squarely places very specific responsibilities on these two entities.

Based on the Constitution of the United States it is the Congress’s responsibility to declare war and or authorize the use of military force and it is the Presidents responsibility to serve as Commander in Chief. And based on the Constitution of the United States if the President were to request and the Congress were to authorize the use of military force then that force would in fact be “legal” under United States law. This can, and possibly in the case of Iraq may some day, be challenged but it is none the less at this point in time apparently “legal” under United States law. Whether such an act is legal under international law, with regards to Iraq, is I believe yet to be determined and I’m not sure that it has even been challenged.

In my earlier writings I have attempted to draw a distinction between orders on the battlefield and orders to go to war. I did this for a very explicit purpose. As I said before the military in general and soldiers in particular are required and conditioned to follow orders and question those orders when necessary but, it is the constitutional responsibility of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches to ensure that the orders the military receives to go to war and to conduct military operations adhere to the constitution and laws of the United States and adhere to international treaties lawfully entered into by this nation. It is not the responsibility of the individual soldier to do this. It is the responsibility of the individual soldier to fight the war and adhere to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and obey the laws of the land and tenets of the Geneva Conventions and it is the responsibility of their superior officers to ensure that those laws are lawful, adhered to and charges brought when they are not adhered to.

Because of this constitutional and traditional relationship and because the United States military is so very disciplined they diligently strive to follow their orders with not blind obedience but with just and balanced obedience. So it is when the Congress passes laws and the President signs those laws they become the law of the land and the military, like every other individual and entity, must obey those laws. It is really that simple and in this way the military is simply a tool of the government which is elected by and serving as the representatives of the citizens of the nation.

I believe that the military is a necessary tool for the survival of the nation. That is simple fact. You can wish it were not but it is still fact and reality. How that military is used is the responsibility of the United States government as the representative of the citizens of the United States. So I say to those who denigrate the military of this nation that these are your sons and daughters and brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles and neighbors doing the business you asked them to do. You can say I didn’t vote for him or her or I protested against this or that but the bottom line is this. This nation’s government is elected by its citizens and we citizens have access to more information than can be digested so the government in office is there because we put them there and it’s our fault and not that soldiers fault so you need to get over it and do something about it. The soldiers in the field are fighting for their lives because we put them there and we should be fighting for theirs and our lives here on the protest lines and in the voting booths and where ever else we can fight for America. The only way I see of bringing them home is to vote these fools and buffoons out of office so let’s get on with it. And while we’re fighting for America lets fight for the Iraqi’s too. It’s their land that’s being decimated.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Of Duty, Honor And Confusion

I have read quite a few posts and received quite a few comments on my own posts with regards to soldiers obeying and disobeying illegal and legal orders. One thing has burned through on all of these writings is what I believe to be a deep misunderstanding of the definition of and reality of an illegal order as opposed to a legal order. I am also getting the impression that many of the authors of these comments are confusing our presence in Iraq with obeying an illegal order. Let’s pontificate on this issue a little.

Let me start by saying that I have a deep appreciation for these posts because it shows a desire to connect with a soldier’s world that one does not often see and I sincerely appreciate such efforts. Now here’s my short take on this issue. It is my belief that the founding fathers probably thought of this nation as being in a constant state of orderly/disorderly revolution through the electoral process. I believe it was for this reason that they rightly placed the military always and forever in civilian control and made the President the commander in chief. I believe that they looked to and intend for the citizenry, and not the military, to control the government and that the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branch would also keep each other in check and from running amuck. I do not believe that they ever had any intention that the military would defend the constitution from within. It is because of this that I must disagree with some comments and writing in that I do not believe there is any conflict in a soldier’s oath with regards to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Soldiers not only take an oath to support and defend the constitution but also to follow the orders of the officers appointed over them and they take that oath in the belief that those orders will be constitutionally legal and that those orders will in fact be steps in and of themselves in defense of the constitution. We must remember that in addition to their soldier/military side there is another side to the soldier and that is the citizen side that has all the rights of any citizen to protest and vote and take any other action that is within the law to bring about change in our government. I would add that soldiers do this every day and with zeal.

Now let’s clarify a couple of very different dynamics that may or may not be occurring in Iraq that I believe are adding to or even creating some of the confusion. If a soldier is given an order that is obviously illegal, i.e. shoot that civilian or torture that prisoner, then that soldier has not only a right but an obligation to disobey that order. And order such as that is rather obvious in nature and could more readily be interpreted as legal or illegal by most people with common sense. But if a soldier (General) is ordered to invade another country by the commander in chief and with Congress’s apparent approval then the officer must believe that in the absence of Congress’s objection and in the absence of judicial interdiction that the order is legal. Therefore to disobey the order to invade the country would in effect be a blatantly illegal act. This would hold true for the Generals subordinates as well since they also have no reason to believe the order to invade and conduct combat operations is illegal. We must not confuse the reality that we are in Iraq “legally” with our individual perception of being in Iraq illegally. If the citizens of this nation perceive and believe we are in Iraq illegally, as I do, then it is incumbent upon us, the citizens, to change the Legislative and Executive Branch and it is not, that is a capital NOT, the military’s responsibility as a military entity to take such action. Thank God!

Let us not take the incidents that occur at Abu Grahib, Gurantanimo Bay, or anywhere else in Iraq or Afghanistan out of their context of individual instances of possible illegal orders and overlay them on the invasion of Iraq. These are two very different and separate things. So to those of you who point the finger of guilt at the soldiers I say look in the mirror. The guilty person is looking back at you unless you voted for Gore and or Kerry. ;-) The military is doing its job and it is not doing it illegally yet (Sans Abu Grahib and some other highly suspect operations such as certain activities at Gitmo). If the Supreme Court or Congress says or determines that the invasion of Iraq is illegal then I am sure all of the soldiers will be glad to come home but until then they have no option but to defend themselves and the nation as ordered to do with the greatest honor and dignity possible which is what I believe 99.9999 percent are doing.

It’s not your soldiers but your government.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Generals All – Or The Burden Of Duty And Conscience

Today I sat down and read through the comments of the General Officers who are now speaking up about the planning and execution of the Iraq war and subsequent occupation. As I read through their comments several things became crystal clear to me. The first was that these are soldiers whose conscience has come home to roost. I don’t want you to misunderstand what I am saying here. I am not denigrating these soldiers but simply recognizing their positions.

Generals are like Sergeant Majors in many ways but in at least one way they are painfully alike. They have both achieved or are beginning to realize the achievements of their life’s dreams. I have always believed that a soldier is the consummate professional. They take an oath when they join the military to support and defend the constitution and they dedicate their lives to that oath. Achieving the rank of General or Sergeant Major is, to these individuals, the recognition of having fulfilled that oath to the ultimate degree. But that is not all there is to it.

When you enter the military you are assimilated into a culture that dictates and requires that you dedicate your life to a belief that it is “mission first” and “soldiers always”. In other words accomplishing the mission and taking care of your soldiers are synonymous. One simply cannot happen without the other. And by doing this you are fulfilling your oath. Because of this it is my belief that these officers have fought the good fight and done their best to accomplish the mission assigned but have come to realize that they are not being heard and they can no longer bear to watch as their soldiers pay the ultimate price for the incompetence of this administration. It is only something so painfully ingrained in these officers that could drive them to break their discipline of silence as they have done. One must understand this in order to understand the gravity of what is occurring.

As I continued to contemplate these officers’ remarks another thought became crystal clear. Though not clearly spoken I believe that these soldiers are very, very concerned that Iran could be next. I believe this could well be the second major driving force behind them speaking up and I believe this should signal to the American people the gravity of the situation. These are not the kind of people who take talking to the public lightly. It is important to the military that they stand behind the civilian leadership. That is part of the bedrock of our constitution and these officers take that very seriously. So the mere fact that they are stepping forward and breaking their silence is more than significant.

As important as these officers coming forward is, I unfortunately do not see that it will be enough to bring about any real change. The Bush administration has shown a perpetual pattern of poor judgment and dishonesty along with a severe lack of foreign policy and military skills of any kind and they carry no credibility what so ever either at home or abroad. In an environment such as that I do not believe that simply the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld will bring about any significant change and besides Rumsfeld is not the root of the problem but simply a member of an incompetent band of Vulcan and Neocon Radicals that are bullying the nation and the world. I have no doubt that should Rumsfeld resign he would simply be replaced by more of the same arrogance and narrow mindedness that dominates this administration. The reality is that it will take an electoral change to make a real difference. Until the American people, Republican, Democrat, Independent or what ever political affiliation, wake up and demand change nothing will change and we will continue down the path to eventual total failure.
Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

NUTS!!!!

Now let me be clear on one issue. I, unlike many of my superior officers, am not a military tactician. I am just a crusty old retired Sergeant Major with exceptionally accurate gut feelings and enough combat savvy and luck to have stayed alive. Having said that let me say that I saw, while observing from the outside and from the beginning, where the nation was being driven by this administration and I along with many of my comrades in arms boisterously voiced our concerns to every elected representative that would listen and wouldn’t listen (Unfortunately there were more of the later and damn few of the former.). Because of this, I have only one thing to say, to those senior officers and civilian leaders in positions of leadership who had direct knowledge of the intelligence leading up to the Iraq War and subsequent occupation and who failed to speak up, that they will unquestioningly understand. With all due respect sirs and ma’ams, NUTS!!!!

These individuals have, as surely as George W. Bush has, let this country down. They are responsible, as surely as George W. Bush is responsible, for the unnecessary deaths and injuries of thousands of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Please understand that I am ecstatic that these officers are now coming forward. I laud them and applaud them. We need them to raise their voices and to shed the bright light of truth on this administration and its wanton disregard for the rule of law and the safety and security of this nation. As they do so I thank them from the bottom of my heart but I must also say this to them. It will take some time for me to get over your failure to come forward sooner and save this nation and the people of Iraq the many lives lost and broken and the suffering endured as a result of your failure to act sooner.

April 12, 2006 = KIA’s: 2,364; WIA’s: 17,469; Iraqis (Estimated): 100,000 +/- or WTFK’s

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Death, Honor, Honesty, And Other Fairy Tales

Have you ever had one of those seemingly very rare moments of absolute crystal clarity? If you have then you will know what I’m talking about in this post. For me these moments of clarity are moments when you look around and the whole world is in sharp focus and you think to yourself, “So this is what it’s all about.” I had one of those moments this weekend and the focal point of that moment of clarity was something I have known for a long time.

At the time I experienced this moment of clarity I was thinking about two very related subjects that I often think about and those are, the casualties of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and the reporting of deceit, dishonesty, and corruption by the media. These two subjects are closely linked in my mind and I will expound on that in a moment.

I would like for you to take a moment and think about death. I realize this is not a very comfortable subject to discuss but I would like for you to just dwell on the idea of death and I would like for you to really try to understand the permanency of it. I would really like for you to try to think of what it is and what it might be like. Take a moment and really, really think about death and the emptiness of it. Think about not just death from the point of view of the person dying but also from the point of view of those left behind without them in their lives. Now if you have children I would like you to think about how you feel about your children. Really think about your children or if you don’t have any then think about the children of your brothers or sisters or close friends. Think about how you feel when your child hurts or injures themselves. When you are really into the emotion of your child being injured I would like for you to snuff that life out. That’s right, just snuff it out. They aren’t there anymore. They’re gone from your life permanently. Just imagine and dwell on your life without your child.

Now I would like for you to take a moment and think about a young man or woman about 19 or 20 years old and about what their life might be like. Really imagine what this young person’s life might be like. Think of them and think of your own child at that age and really dwell on it for a moment. Now think about that child’s mother or father. Think about how that mother or father feels when their child is injured or hurt. Now when you are really in that other parent’s head I want you to snuff that child’s life out. I want you to imagine life suddenly without your child and transfer that feeling over to the parent of that 19 or 20 year old child who is no longer there.

Now just think about those same children alive but horribly crippled and maimed for life. Think about those children missing legs, arms, eyes and even their ability to speak to you. Think about your child and the children of your family and friends in wheel chairs and in beds that they will never leave.

Over the weekend, as I read the headlines and then reviewed headlines of the past 4 or 5 years, one over riding and overpowering theme screamed from the pages and that theme was dishonesty. Oh, the headlines all read differently. Some were subtle and inferred, “influencing” and others were not so subtle and stated blatantly that they were accused of perjury or bribery or fraud but the theme of dishonesty was always there regardless of the adjective or noun and seemingly regardless of the subject being addressed. They might discuss “shielding” the president or employing “plausible deniability” but still the theme remained dishonesty. They might state that the president didn’t “authorize” the leak but he declassified the information after the leak and the theme remained dishonesty. The most telling and obvious of all the headlines though were the direct quotes about the war with and occupation of Iraq that were consistently diametrically opposed and spoken by persons representing the administration if not always the president himself. The point is that the theme was always dishonesty and it seems to me that when the theme is always dishonesty then dishonesty is fact. It also seems to me that this administration is the personification of repetition. Unfortunately, they are consistently repeating misinformation, disinformation, deceptive information and blatant lies. They would appear to be attempting to confirm the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt when he said, “Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.”

The lose of a child is a horrible and unspeakable thing. When one contemplates such a thing it is often a fruitless struggle to understand that which is not understandable and to justify that which is not justifiable. And so we find ourselves asking the unanswerable. Why is my child gone? What did my child die for? It is because of this unspeakable pain and these unanswerable questions that when the leader of a nation request authorization for and directs the use of military force it is imperative that it be a just and humane cause and a just authorization conducted in the bright and focused light of honesty. To ask for less is to ask that which should not be asked and to do less is to do the unthinkable.

The reality, the moment of clarity for this nation, is this. The children of America are giving their lives and limbs for lies. The children of Iraq are dying and being maimed because of lies. For this reason alone the citizens of this nation must stand before the gates of Washington D.C. and shout, ‘Mr. Bush, bring our children home!’

Where is there dignity unless there is honesty? Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC)


Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Of Irony, Sacrifice, and Betrayal

As I drove home today I was listening to a report about the Moussaoui trial. The segment I was listening to was about the testimony of a Firefighter who, on September 11, 2001, was watching as his friend and fellow Firefighter was killed by the falling body of a victim of the al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Center who had jumped to his death. The irony of this event wasn’t lost on me nor was the pain that I felt and understood as I heard this report. The narrative triggered a series of thoughts and emotions that began as a flashback. I found myself reliving the lose of my friends and comrades in arms and I was seeing all of them falling and dying all over again but this time it was all of them at once. For anyone who has experienced such an event the shear horror of it cannot be expressed and the knowledge that on that day events such as that were occurring all around the Trade Center sickened my heart.

I then, in my minds eye, fast forwarded to the present and my thoughts moved to each of the 2,345 soldiers who have given their lives since the beginning of the Iraq conflict and each of the 17,469 soldiers who have spilled their blood and left parts of themselves in the deserts and streets of Iraq and then on to each of the estimated 100,000+ Iraqi deaths since the beginning of the conflict. My mind just kept reeling with the images of the men, women, and children dying and being crippled by the ravages of war.

The nausea was still with me earlier this evening as I watched the news and reports on how I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby testified before a Grand Jury that Vice President Cheney told him that President Bush had authorized him to leak classified information in the Valerie Plame case and Alberto Gonzales’ testifying before Congress that the President can authorize warrantless domestic wiretaps if they are al Qaeda related and then report after report of corruption and political cronyism. As I watched these reports, just as vividly as my flashbacks, came my remembered images of the endless series of interviews and speeches by President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Codolezza Rice, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld spewing a never ending series of purposefully deceptive statements, deceitful misrepresentations and plain lies. And just as vividly the never ending line of Republican Senators, Congressmen, and of course the sometimes suffocating masses of conservative talking heads spewing the same vile deceit and attempting to justify the grotesquely incompetent actions of their President and his administration.

As I watched and experienced these things the sickening reality came into crystal clear focus that on September 11, 2001 this nation was assaulted by a terrorist organization led by Osama Bin Laden that took the lives of thousands of Americans and the only member of that organization who has been brought to justice is a delusional “wanna be” named Moussaoui. The sickening reality came into crystal clear focus that our nation’s leadership, aided by both the active and complicit support of the Republican leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives and a parade of conservative pundits, misled and lied to the American people and took the nation to war and into an occupation of a sovereign nation that had absolutely nothing to do with the assault on the United States. As I watched these things the sickening reality came into crystal clear focus that thousands upon thousands of people have died as a result of their deception and immoral and illegal actions.

This nation has been betrayed by the President of the United States, his administration and the Republican Leadership of the Senate and Congress. They have been betrayed and the cost of that betrayal is absolutely inconceivable, disgusting and sad and stretches from the banks of the Tigress River to the Gulf shores of Mississippi and Louisiana touching the lives of Iraqis, Americans, and countless others.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

A Tribute To A Young Journalist

This is just a short post in tribute to what I believe is the heroism of Jill Carroll. I have never actually read anything written by Jill Carroll but that doesn’t stop me from respecting and admiring her. I have read a lot about her over the last 82 days and I must say that what I have read has impressed me and left me with nothing but respect and admiration. I have been left with a picture of a young woman trying to report on the truth of the horror that is the Iraq war and the plight of the Iraqi people. I can think of no nobler cause for a young journalist to pursue so I can think of a no more appropriate place to be than where she was when she was abducted.


My experience with the military, of which I’ve had a little, has also left me with a deep appreciation for the fate and experiences of prisoners of war and hostages. I would tell you that even with my depth of experience I can only imagine the ordeal that Jill Carroll experienced over those 82 days of captivity. They were, I’m sure, those things of which nightmares are made. Just knowing these things are what make me see her as and believe her to be a true heroine. I believe that for her to be home in what appears to be good health and whole, at least physically, is a blessing for her and her family but what scars she may bear mentally will only really begin to be seen with the passage of time and for whatever those may be I am deeply saddened.


Now, as I said this post will be short, but I cannot bring it to a close without a comment on what I consider the grotesque conduct and comments of some all knowing, all seeing, heroic conservative bloggers and talking heads that have belittled the actions of Jill Carroll. From what I have seen in the past a returning hostage would never be questioned as to their conduct while in captivity but unfortunately in the politically hyper charged and divided political media world created by the radical Neocon, Vulcan, Rovian, Republicans of the Bush administration and those influenced and controlled by them it has become the norm. For you Rovian savants I want to tell you that whatever Jill Carroll said or did while in captivity that helped her to gain her freedom was the dead on correct thing to do or say. What I mean by that is that I laud and commend her for whatever she said or did that convinced her captors to free her. She was not a prisoner of war but the hostage of a bunch of radical criminals. So for you slim sucking ultra conservative radicals, for those of you who would point an accusing finger of shame at Jill Carroll as though she were a prisoner of war in your little make believe world I say this. First, it’s and Iraqi civil war and an American occupation. Second, when you have gone to Iraq and been taken captive and held for 82 days and returned, call me and I’ll have time to listen to you. Until you have completed that little mission I would ask that you simply shut the f**k up because you have no credibility.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

I’m Pissed

I’ve been posting on dkos for several months now and as most of you know I post about the United States military and soldiers. On many, many of my posts I keep getting excuse the expression, a bunch of “whack jobs” that must be from some other country or planet. Here’s why I’m saying this.

Our soldiers, American soldiers, are in Iraq and Afghanistan because, as I have said in other post, the Commander in Chief, your president, sent them there. Yes I said your president because he came to power in your system. These soldiers are not 130,000+++ criminals. They are soldiers, your soldiers, your neighbors, your neighbors son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandson, granddaughter, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, mother, and father. They are NOT criminals!!!! Do you get it?

Now some of you come on and post comments to my posts that accuse these young men and women and talk about how they should disobey orders and revolt and every other such ridiculous act you can dream up. Well let me tell you something. You better bend down and kiss the ground they walk on or continue on around and kiss you ass good bye because I have news for you. If those young men and women didn’t obey their orders this country would be just like any other third world second rate dictatorship. What sets this nation apart from all the others is our system of government and the controls on our military. If you want that changed then either get involved and change your government politically or pick up a gun and call me when you finish the coup.

These young men and women are just like you and me. The difference is they happen to be serving their country. The operative word here is serving by the way and that would be something you cerebral lounge chair whack jobs don’t want to do or don’t have the kahoonas to do. They must obey the laws of the nation just like you and me plus the laws of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Geneva Conventions and every treaty this nation has signed. What is it that you want; for them to revolt and have a little coup. Well it isn’t going to happen because they are better than that.

One last thing on this short pissey post. As I said in yesterdays post and this post, this is your government. Those soldiers are in Iraq and Afghanistan and every other hell hole in the world because George W. Bush sent them there. In other words because “YOU” sent them there because he is your president whether you like it or not because it is your government that put him in the job. If you want them home as much as I do then get off your criticizing pissey little butts and do something about it. For those of you who want to continue to point a finger at these young men and women serving their country and accuse them of crimes I can only say this. You are amazing gods. I did not know that one could just sit in their living rooms and watch TV and read their blogs and other “intellectual” and historical papers and become the judge, jury, and executioner for 130,000+++ soldiers. The last time I checked that took a court of law in this country.

Do and say what you want but until hell freezes over I’m going to support and believe in my comrades in arms. Or at least until the jury comes in which is more than some of you’re doing. And we wonder why “OUR” progressive left is having trouble winning elections.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

Some people just don’t get it.

This great nation is a bloody mess. That’s right; the United States of America is a great big bloody mess. We have Dick, Don, and Doof running things with the incompetent Doof as Commander in Chief rounding out the stooges; but I’m damn proud of this country anyway. Please notice that I said I am proud of the United States of America, our nation, our country. (I’m actually ashamed of the stooges.)

I’m sure that you’ve heard time and again that “democracy is a messy business” and of course it is. We all know that. I just said it’s a bloody mess and Dick, Don, and Doof are heading it up so you know it’s a mess. But I didn’t make those statements to rehash the old adage. I made those statements to make a very different point and here is that point.

The United States is a country that makes mistakes, lots of mistakes, more mistakes than I care to think about, and it does a lot of things I wish it wouldn’t do. But, I must also say that it has done and does a lot of things that I’m damned glad for and proud of. The United States joined in World War I and World War II and helped win those wars against some very bad people. The United States was responsible for the Marshall plan that rebuilt Europe and it was the dominant power during the Cold War helping hold the line until the old Soviet Union collapsed and China was somewhat tamed. The United States has done a lot of things correctly but it has also done a lot of things incorrectly. Depending on who you talk to we did or didn’t botch the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Conflict. Depending on who you talk to we did or didn’t botched innumerable other foreign adventures and misadventures. All of this is true to some extent or another but there is another truth buried in all of this.

To me the simple reality is that the United States, for what ever reason, continues to strive and struggle, making mistakes and having successes, but always trying to move forward to a better tomorrow for themselves and as often as not for the rest of the world too. Now you may or may not agree with me and it really doesn’t matter but there is an even deeper point I want to make and that is about a subject that I always come back to. That subject is the United States military and the American soldier.

It is my belief that, in all of our adventures in foreign affairs, the United States military’s greatest value has been and is in its use as a tool of foreign diplomacy. I believe it was best said by Theodore Roosevelt when he said, “There is a homely old adage which runs: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." If the American nation will speak softly, and yet build and keep at a pitch of the highest training a thoroughly efficient navy, the Monroe Doctrine will go far.” America has too often ignored this sage advice from, what I believe was, one of our greatest presidents. We would be wise to reflect on that and tailor our future endeavors accordingly. What must not be lost in all of this though is the American soldier. American soldiers have been serving their country for over two hundred and twenty nine years. They have done everything asked of them consistently and courageously. They have stuck by this nation through every endeavor, adventure, and misadventure in her history. The latest misadventure included. They may belly ache and cry and they may praise and smile but they always stick it out and get the job that they are asked to do done. Sadly some soldiers go bad and do bad things and some just crumble under the responsibility. Some soldiers sacrifice a part or all of themselves and some serve simply and steadfastly while others show courage that is almost unfathomable but through it all the American soldier has always been there for this nation.

Now let’s talk about the military and soldiers today. I don’t like George W. Bush and I think he is an incompetent blemish on the posterior of the nation. I don’t like the conflict in Iraq and I believe many soldiers do not like the conflict in Iraq but they are there because George W. Bush, on behalf of this nation, sent them there. They are there carrying out the mission given to them by the Commander in Chief. We may not like this but we, as a nation, must face the fact that our system of government has placed George W. Bush in the position of President and Commander in Chief and as a result he has taken this nation into a conflict which I believe, as do many other Americans, to be illegal.

In light of what I have written above I would ask you to consider the position the American soldier is in. The soldier must, by oath and law, go where, and do what, his or her Commander in Chief says. So when you sit there, angry about what is happening in Iraq or Afghanistan or any other part of the world where the Commander in Chief has sent the soldiers, do not be angry with the soldiers. It is not the soldier’s fault but ours and the reason it is our fault is because it is our government. It is our system. Those in the Congress and the Senate and the Whitehouse that make up that government are there because we, the American people, put them there. If we want these things changed it is our responsibility to change it. I would also suggest that it is disingenuous to suggest that well it is not my fault because I voted for Sam or Bill or Sue. I would suggest that just voting isn’t enough. Enough is when you put all of your available and a little more energy into changing things. If we are willing to ask our soldiers to put their lives on the line for us then I believe it is our responsibility to put our everything on the line for the soldiers.

One last thought. Soldiers are ordered into combat. They are there by law and oath. Once there, they have no option but to fight. It is not an, I’d like not to, kind of thing. You either fight or die. Think about it.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.

A Cancer Called Evil and Soldiers

Those of you who have read my posts in the past know that I come from a long line of American soldiers. That line begins with the American Revolution, encompasses virtually every interim military action and currently ends with the first Gulf conflict. I am intensely proud of that tradition and because of that when I read or hear something I consider derogatory about soldiers I grow angry and incensed, and that brings me to the reason for this post.

I believe there is evil in the world. I say that because I have traveled all over the world and I have witnessed evil up close and personal. I have witnessed evil in the actions of groups, large and small, and I have seen it in the eyes and actions of individuals. I believe evil is a cancer. It can occupy a single person or it can spread and consume an entire group. I have seen this cancer manifest itself in the ability and desire to take a life or torture another human being while relishing the act and I have seen it take the form of pure greed and desire so strong as to enable a person to totally disregard another human life. The historical best example of this type of cancer of course is Adolph Hitler and the spread of evil through the Third Reich. And like a cancer I believe that evil must be treated and or destroyed and removed. During World War II the world had a cancer that was spreading and the world treated itself. Those nations who had the disease under control were able to surgically remove the cancer from and treat the residual malignancies in the other nations of the world.

Today the cancer that is evil still exist but in new and different forms. It exists in small malignant pockets such as al Qaeda and in larger groups such as the former Taliban government of Afghanistan and metastasizes itself in regimes in Africa which results in genocide such as in Dafur. There are malignant cells of evil in every nation in the world and every organization in the world and unfortunately it even exists in the United States military as we saw at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. But each of these cancers requires a different treatment. Some, such as the Taliban government of Afghanistan need to be removed by radical surgery using total and overwhelming force. Others such as al Qaeda must be searched out and eradicated malignant cell by malignant cell and still others such as those infections in the United States military and the chain of command that resulted in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo must be examined and treated by being brought to justice.

What is most important to me though is how the physician treats his instruments and medicines. To me the United States military is like a fine surgical instrument or drug that the surgeon should be proud of. Sure, during the surgery or treatment, the instrument or drug can get contaminated with malignant cells but you don’t deride the instrument or drug and throw it away. You sterilize the instrument and prepare it for the next surgery. So I ask that when you hear about the Abu Ghraibs and the Guantanamo Bays don’t ask that they throw the instrument away demand that they sterilize the instrument but don’t condemn it by treating it as though it were the disease.

One last thought I would like share. We need to remember that sometimes the physician can become ill also . Sometimes malignant cells spread into the organs of the body politic. I believe that that has happened to the government of the United States and it is time that the citizens take up the call “physician heal thyself.” We need to remove the malignant cells in our government and allow our nation to heal.

Those Are The Sergeant Majors Thoughts On That.