'Unit's' military expert has fighting words for Bush

[RockRambler]

Lyndon Johnson was a combat veteran also. He was given a Silver Star because the B-26 (bombing mission) he was in was hit by enemy fire several times on its way back to its home base. He was also the first member of Congress during WWII to go into uniform. Several members of Congress joined the war effort, but President Roosevelt ordered all Congressmen in the armed force to return to Washington, D.C.

Hmmmm...how many Congressmen now would join? Or even family members of the President or Congressmen?

Times have changed.

Richard Nixon was a Lt. in the Navy in served in the Pacific during WWII.

Gerald Ford joined the Navy in April, 1942. When Lt. Commander Ford left the Navy in 1946, he had 10 battle stars.

 

[Dragoon68]

Originally posted by The Galatian:
Talk about rationalizations ... It's not surprising that the men who did their duty don't care much for him.
...

Talk about repeating the same lies! Plenty of people who did their duty, and are still doing it, don't have a problem with President Bush. They don't claim everyone who did does nor everyone who didn't doesn't. That, on the other hand, is exactly the story you are attempting to pass off as truth.

 

[emeraldctyangel]

Originally posted by RockRambler:
Lyndon Johnson was a combat veteran also. He was given a Silver Star because the B-26 (bombing mission) he was in was hit by enemy fire several times on its way back to its home base. He was also the first member of Congress during WWII to go into uniform. Several members of Congress joined the war effort, but President Roosevelt ordered all Congressmen in the armed force to return to Washington, D.C.

Hmmmm...how many Congressmen now would join? Or even family members of the President or Congressmen?

Times have changed.

Richard Nixon was a Lt. in the Navy in served in the Pacific during WWII.

Gerald Ford joined the Navy in April, 1942. When Lt. Commander Ford left the Navy in 1946, he had 10 battle stars.

From http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/grf/fordbiop.asp

In April 1942 Ford joined the U.S. Naval Reserve receiving a commission as an ensign. After an orientation program at Annapolis, he became a physical fitness instructor at a pre- flight school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In the spring of 1943 he began service in the light aircraft carrier USS MONTEREY. He was first assigned as athletic director and gunnery division officer, then as assistant navigator, with the MONTEREY which took part in most of the major operations in the South Pacific, including Truk, Saipan, and the Philippines. His closest call with death came not as a result of enemy fire, however, but during a vicious typhoon in the Philippine Sea in December 1944. He came within inches of being swept overboard while the storm raged. The ship, which was severely damaged by the storm and the resulting fire, had to be taken out of service. Ford spent the remainder of the war ashore and was discharged as a lieutenant commander in February 1946.

I dont know what you mean about "10 Battle Stars".

 

[The Galatian]

Oops. Bush the Elder was indeed a combat veteran. Didn't know about LBJ, though. My bad.

Nixon never saw combat, but at least he was in a combat zone.

 

[The Galatian]

Several members of Congress joined the war effort, but President Roosevelt ordered all Congressmen in the armed force to return to Washington, D.C.

Hmmmm...how many Congressmen now would join? Or even family members of the President or Congressmen?

Most of the present bunch spent their war years finding ways to avoid service, or find a reserve unit unlikely to be sent to combat.

Patriotism isn't what it used to be. That is why so many real veterans have such a low opinion of Bush. Hackworth and Haney are just two of the more outstanding soldiers who were disgusted with him.

 

[RockRambler]

"Ford joined the Navy in April, 1942. Lt. Commander Ford left the Navy in 1946 with 10 battle stars on his chest."


The above taken from the book, "OUR PRESIDENTS" by Barbara Barclay, published 1977....page 417.

 

[carpro]

Originally posted by The Galatian:
Oops. Bush the Elder was indeed a combat veteran. Didn't know about LBJ, though. My bad.

With good reason.

LBJ's receiving a Silver Star was the joke of the war.

 

[KenH]

Yeah, right, carpro. Being shot at in war is a joke.

Is there a limit to the depths that you will go to defend Bush by bashing someone else?

 

[carpro]

Originally posted by KenH:
Yeah, right, carpro. Being shot at in war is a joke.

Is there a limit to the depths that you will go to defend Bush by bashing someone else?

You should do a little LBJ research before you go off the deep end.

 

[KenH]

I was born in Texas, carpro. I am quite familiar with LBJ.

For those not familiar with the incident, here ya go:

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/johnson.silver.star/story/storypage.html

 

[carpro]

Like I said and you have confirmed.

The joke of the war.

 

[KenH]

Yep. It's as controversial as Bush's military service record.

Not only are they in the same boat on this isue but Bush's Big Parent Government policies are very much like LBJ's.

LBJ = GWB
GWB = LBJ
GWB = LBJ = Big Parent Government
GWB = LBJ = foreign quagmire

 

[carpro]

Originally posted by KenH:
Yep. It's as controversial as Bush's military service record.

Not only are they in the same boat on this isue but Bush's Big Parent Government policies are very much like LBJ's.

LBJ = GWB
GWB = LBJ
GWB = LBJ = Big Parent Government
GWB = LBJ = foreign quagmire

I thought we were discussing LBJ!

Did Bush get a Silver Star for nothing, too?

 

[KenH]

Originally posted by poncho:
the CFR has been calling for a Three State Solution for Iraq for some time.

I approved of this idea long ago. I still think it's a good idea.

 

[LadyEagle]

Iraqi Vets Against the War - Read their stories here
And by the way, many of our troops are STILL without body armor and families have been holding bake sales and fund raisers to send body armor to their soldiers. It's rather disgusting that we have a COC and Rummy who still haven't seen to it that our troops in combat aren't as protected as possible.

 

[saturneptune]

The name is Lyndon Baines Bush

 

[emeraldctyangel]

Originally posted by RockRambler:
"Ford joined the Navy in April, 1942. Lt. Commander Ford left the Navy in 1946 with 10 battle stars on his chest."


The above taken from the book, "OUR PRESIDENTS" by Barbara Barclay, published 1977....page 417.

Thanks for clearing that up. Except you cant get battle stars for not beingA SHIP OR UNIT in combat. The ship USS Monterey (CVL-26) did received 11 battle stars in her CAREER in the Navy.

If youre still following this, then you must know that President Ford didnt earn them as personal citations (such as the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Navy Cross, Purple Heart, etc.)

 

[Dragoon68]

Many awards are well deserved but, unfortunately, some are given for less than they should be and others aren't given at all when they should be. I'm afraid this is total society problem these days and not just limited to military awards. We've come to expect far too much recognition.

Never the less, I prefer not to be critical of another person's military awards not knowing the exact circumstances which they endured. I leave the justification to the good judgment of the commanders who award them based on the facts they are given and upon those who review the decisions when such is required.

I'm always skeptical of public debate over a well known person's military awards whether it's a person I like or respect or not. It seems too much of it is designed to discredit an specific individual. I'd expect such is justified in some cases but it seems to do harm to the overall good name of the awards and casts doubts on manyl.

Service to the country is for the sole benefit of the country and not for accumulation of fame nor glory of those upon whom the duty happens falls. It is the whole team that wins wars so even those who don't directly perform some heroic act are, hopefully, supporting those that do. I love it when true heroes give credit to all the rest of their unit taking none for themselves.

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

Dragoon is right on about military awards. Often they are not given out to the right people or for the right reasons. Some of the most decorated vetarns I have known have given theirs away while I have heard many stories of active duty officers discraced for wearing unearned decorations.

Have any of you read "The Fighting Preacher," the autobiography of Col Logan Weston? Outstanding book by an outstanding solider and man of God. He was a three war veteran who was awarded the distinguished service cross in Korea. While the Korean action was something special he said it paled in comparison to things he did as a member of Merrill's Marauders in Burma during WWII. For those of course he received nothing because no one knew.

 

[emeraldctyangel]

Dragoon you make an excellent point as always. None of my comments were intended to insult the President.

If I were part of a unit that was awarded a Unit citation and not a personal meritorious award, Id want the record to be straight.

It makes a big difference.