Comments on: McCain on Veterans—Fact Check

By: What Rhymes With Failin’? « iamliberal.wordpress.com

What Rhymes With Failin’? « iamliberal.wordpress.com — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:32:58 +0000

[...] a cunt in public, his already stated flip flopping on issues, the nigh 99% of veterans against him even though he himself is a vet, and his 25% probability of dying before the end of his first term, if elected, [...]

By: timr

timr — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:55:15 +0000

My address is timbob2313@yahoo.com. Please do not disclose this address to others. Timr

By: D. E.Rodriguez

D. E.Rodriguez — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:02:48 +0000

timr:

First, thank you for your service.

Second, I am sorry to hear how our system has let you and other veterans down.

Please send me your e-mail address via DISQUS, and I'd like to "chat" more with you to see if we can bring what appears to be some badly needed attention to your and other veterans' cases.

Dorian de Wind

By: timr

timr — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:23:09 +0000

I was in the Army from 1968 to 1980. I was injured in Korea(the other war, from about the middle 60s until at least the middle 80s-that I know about- there were over 4000 combat contacts, over 2000 americans were killed along with almost 8000 injured.(over 4000 Korean military were killed durning this time frame and over 20,000 military and civilian were injured) At least 3 times we had reports of North Korean troops in our village at night. One time about 3000 Korean troops along with the US Army and Air Force chased a North Korean team over 500 miles around South Korea before they were finally caught and killed. It was a major operation, quite a big story on local Korean TV, yet never a mention in the american media. Call it the unknown war. I spent 1968 in Vietnam and was in Korea from 1975 to 1979. In my mind Korea was the more dangerous place. I lived within 4 km of the DMZ. We worked 24 hrs on duty and 16 hours off, 7days a week, 365 days a year. We had numerous North Korean incursions during that time period. I was married in 1976 and lived in the local village. I kept a weapon with me, and we had a shotgun at home. Korean curfew was from midnight to 6am every day. Anyone coming into our area was stopped and had their documents checked.
I have spent a lot of time over the last 25 years in various VA hospitals in both Michigan and Texas. Allen Park in Detroit was the worst until they replaced it with a brand new VA hospital called John R.(the story I heard was that it is named after John R Dingal-D, Mi- because he was the one who got the hospital, thru an earmark I think) I now live in San Antonio Tx where the local VA hospital has to serve way to many people. When I was in the hospital for 11 day a few months ago I met people from as far away as El Paso, Brownsville and San Angelo. Yet no republician rep seems interested enough in building a VA hospital in the Rio Grande Valley. Just a couple of clinics. When I lived in Michigan I was never more than 250 miles from at least 5 VA hospitals. Except during the Clinton years, the VA has been underfunded but never more so than since the bush years began in 2001. Underfunded every year. 1 year they had to go back, over bushs objections, and ask for $4 billion more. I was in the local hospital in March April of this year. I saw broken equipment, broken toilets, ingrained dirt and a very strong antiseptic smell. Over all one of my worst experiences in the VA system. I have met many people who fought in Iraq/A'stan while waiting for appointments for either my wife or myself. Sometimes we have to wait many hours, some of the Drs are very bad. Yet I have to say that the local VA dental clinic is one of the best around, esp since they moved to larger quarters. The hospital is very crowded and sometimes one can't find a parking place. Then I go and park at my VA clinic about 4 miles away and take the shuttle bus. The VA is still greatly underfunded, in some places veterans are treated as if we were in a free county hospital and looking for drugs.The VA does have a rep. for over medicating . This, I am sorry to say, is true.

By: kritt11

kritt11 — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:03:28 +0000

BTW- It would have behooved Obama to fact check McCain on his record of voting against the interests of veterans during the debate. I didn't notice him doing so.

By: kritt11

kritt11 — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:01:38 +0000

It seems that groups like DAV that rate members of Congress on veteran's issues are finally getting through to members of the military that the GOP is not always on their side, and that Democrats are actually fight harder to fund programs that they depend on.

By: D. E.Rodriguez

D. E.Rodriguez — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:40:08 +0000

Your comments and intentionsare well taken, SoCalGuy, and–on behalf of T
V– thanks for the kind words about our posters.

Dorian de Wind

By: JSpencer

JSpencer — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:34:46 +0000

Maybe this record of McCain's on veterans issues explains why Obama has been receiving a greater level of campaign contributions from military personnel than McCain has. Last time I checked it was pretty lopsided.

By: SoCalGuy

SoCalGuy — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:05:05 +0000

D. E.Rodriguez:

Thanks for your comments as well, and I agree that we don't want to get into the “Swiftboating” mode either. Just wanted to point out another side of the McCain POW story that I haven't seen reported until the L.A. Times article.

I'd also like to compliment the posters on this blog for their civil level of dialogue and discussion, sure is a pleasant change from most of the red-meat partisan blogs out there.

By: D. E.Rodriguez

D. E.Rodriguez — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:16 +0000

SoCalGuy:

Thanks for your comment.

While McCain's "maverick" actions may have contributed to his aircraft being shot down, I would still consider him a war hero for his sacrifices as a Prisoner of War.

I don't want to get in the Conservative mode, where some of them--through their swiftboaters ilk--shamefully attempt to turn heroes such as John Kerry and Max Cleland into villains. I will never forget--nor forgive--their characterization of Senator Mac Cleland's grenade accident that left him a triple amputee, as some kind of stupid, clumsy action nullifying his extreme sacrfice.

Nough said...

By: SoCalGuy

SoCalGuy — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 23:18:23 +0000

I would take issue with your characterization of McCain as a "war hero". A few years ago "Flying" magazine had an article with interviews of pilots who'd flown in Vietnam and were relating their experiences while in-country (the general consensus was that if you followed the rules, procedures, and were reasonably cautious, you probably survived and went home in one piece. On the other hand, if you decided to be reckless and "hot dog" it you were a lot more likely to get shot down).

I was withholding judgment McCain's own experience as a POW until there was some credible evidence one way or the other, but according to this article it would appear that the latter case applies to him as well. And while I sympathize with him (or anyone) being held as a POW, it would appear that in his case it was caused by his own (admitted) cockiness and disregard of established procedures for avoiding being shot down while on a combat mission (in fairness, he claims that he learned a lot of selflessness and humility during his time in captivity).

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-mcca...

[...]

He transferred to another carrier, the Oriskany. In August 1967, the squadron he joined had destroyed a power plant in Hanoi. Two months later, the plant had been rebuilt and was back in the Navy's sights.

McCain begged for the mission. "The earlier raid was the pride of the squadron," he wrote. "I wanted to help destroy it again. I was feeling pretty cocky as well."

On Oct. 26, 1967, in the air over Hanoi, an alarm signaled that a surface-to-air missile had locked onto his plane. He should have tried to evade the missile but decided to release his bombs first. The missile took off the plane's right wing; McCain ejected.

[...]