Senator Barbara Boxer (D, California) was among a panel that "grilled" (grandstanded in front of) Secretary of State Condolezza Rice. Her most repugnant question was "Who pays the price" for the decision to continue the war in Iraq. She didn't mean who ponies up the bucks either. It was a question intended to make herself and all the other war desenters look noble and concerned. Like they are all concerned about US Troops dying. Odd that I've never heard that question asked of anyone when a Democrat was Commander in Chief. Oh..... as a reminder to those of you who still are head over heals in love with our last Democrat President...... as of 2007 we STILL have over 1500 troops in Bosnia. Equally odd that I never hear the Democrats doing a BMW (Bitch, Moan & Whine) job about getting THEM out a quickly as possible. That aside I'd be more than happy to answer the question posed by Senator Boxer. This is the text of a letter I sent to her Senate office.
"Madam Senator,
In answer to your question to the Secretary of State I have this to offer by way of a reply for her; I'll pay the price.
I'm a medically retired combat veteran of the Viet Nam war. I volunteered for the Navy in 1967. I did not fear the draft because I love my country! Rather than go to college with the majority of my High School class I chose to serve my country.
I trained in San Diego California, at Coronado Island and Camp Pendleton and other places. I operated from DaNang north to the DMZ. Conditions for us constantly declined as the Congress and Senate got more involved in running (ruining) the war rather than leave combat operations to the military. "Rules of engagement" got so restrictive that we were actually expected to hold our position, while under fire, and radio back to HQ for PERMISSION to return fire in defense of our lives! Now you do the same thing to our troops in Iraq. Kindly lead from the front! If you can't, or are unwilling to do that, then do NOT presume to lead from the safety of the rear.
I left the Navy after four years. When I returned to my beloved country I was spat upon by the grateful citizens of your fine state. I see that most there still have no true appreciation of the freedoms they bask in or exactly how they came to be able to enjoy those freedoms. After a "break" of 16 months I enlisted in the Army and served world wide until my medical retirement.
Who pays the price, Senator Boxer? Patriots! People who truly LOVE this magnificent experiment in Democracy called America. People from all parts of this grand country. People of all race, color, creed, religion and economic strata. People who understand that freedom isn't free and that we must be on eternal guard to protect and defend our right to be free. People who all realize that in defense of that freedom we may be called upon to surrender our freedom and possibly our very lives. Yet, we never falter and we never loose faith in our country, our mission and our sacred duty.
If only our elected officials had the level of faith in us and our ability that we have in our country and our appointed leaders. We trust in our military leadership, right to the Commander in Chief, to do what they believe is right and in the best interest of the country. We do our best to accomplish our missions under conditions you cannot even conceive of. Sometimes in sweltering heat bitten by insects, skin irritated by sweat and salt in the uniform fabric. Other times we are soaked to the bone, freezing cold, hungry, dog tired and without sleep for several days. Yet, our faith in our leadership, our mission and our country never dims and we drive forward sure in our ability to overcome any challenge and defeat any enemy under any conditions.
Even knowing the level to which certain elected officials have gone to, and will sink to, to undermine the troops, their mission and their leadership in the Iraq war, I'd still put on the uniform, shoulder a weapon and head for the front in a heartbeat if I could. I have two son-in-laws. One served a tour in Iraq and the other just returned from his third! I have more pride in these two fine young men than you can understand. They both understand what is at stake every time they look at their children and my grandchildren. Like me they realize that freedom isn't free and that. from time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of patriots.
If not for people like me, the millions of proud patriots who came before us that those who will follow there would be no United States of America. Those who will not FIGHT for their freedom and their liberty will not have it for long. It doesn't matter if it's the playground bully who tries to take your lunch money or the despot on the other side of the world slaughtering his citizens, people of honor and good heart have to take a stand for the weak and oppressed who cannot, or will not, stand up for themselves.
The road that the weak of heart in the House and Senate want to drive us down is the same road of failure they achieved so proudly in Viet Nam. That grand plan lead to the murder of over 250,000 Vietnamese and over 2,000,000 Cambodians. Democrats are proud they got us out of Viet Nam but they take NO responsibility for the consequences of that politically myopic act. A recent CIA study concluded at our loss in Iraq would have far ranging negative consequences for the region and the world. Yet you seem to be blind to the facts and care more about a political victory over "Bush" (as he is so insolently referred to) than our military and their mission.
It would be refreshing to see AMERICANS who happen to be of different political ideology all working together for the good of the nation rather than polititicans striving for their own or their parties insignificant victories over each other. If we loose this war on terror as a nation politics won't matter a whit.
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