LTR FROM GENERAL PETRAEUS TO VETERANS!!!

Thanks to my fellow veterans:

I remember the day I found out I got into West Point. My mom actually
showed up in the hallway of my high school and waited for me to get out of
class. She was bawling her eyes out and apologizing that she had opened up
my
admission letter. She wasn't crying because it had been her dream for me to
go there. She was crying because she knew how hard I'd worked to get in,
how much I wanted to attend, and how much I wanted to be an infantry
officer.
I was going to get that opportunity. That same day two of my teachers took
me aside and essentially told me The following:
“David, you're a smart guy. You don't have to join the military. You
should go to college, instead.”

I could easily write a theme defending WestPoint and the military as I did
that day, explaining that USMA is an elite institution, that separate from
that it is actually statistically much harder to enlist in the military
than it is to get admitted to college, that serving the nation is a
challenge
that all able-bodied men should at least consider for a host of reasons,
but I won't.
What I will say is that when a 16 year-old kid is being told that
attending West Point is going to be bad for his future then there is a
dangerous
disconnect in America, and entirely too many Americans have no idea what
kind
of burdens our military is bearing.
In World War II, 11.2% of the nation served in four (4) years. During the
Vietnam era, 4.3% served in twelve (12) years. Since 2001, only 0.45% of
our population has served in the Global War on Terror. These are
unbelievable
statistics. Overtime, fewer and fewer people have shouldered more and more
of the burden and it is only getting worse. Our troops were sent to war in
Iraq by a Congress consisting of 10% veterans with only one person having
a child in the military. Taxes did not increase to pay for the war. War
bonds were not sold. Gas was not regulated. In fact, the average citizen
was
asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing unless they have
chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts. The only people who have
sacrificed are the veterans and their families. The volunteers. The people
who
swore an oath to defend this nation.
You stand there, deployment after deployment and fight on. You've lost
relationships, spent years of your lives in extreme conditions, years apart
from kids you'll never get back, and beaten your body in a way that even
professional athletes don't understand. Then you come home to a nation that
doesn't understand. They don't understand suffering.
They don't understand sacrifice. They don't understand why we fight for
them. They don't understand that bad people exist. They look at you like
you're a machine - like something is wrong with you. You are the misguided
one
- not them.
When you get out, you sit in the college classrooms with political science
teachers that discount your opinions on Iraq and Afghanistan because YOU
WERE THERE and can't understand the macro issues they gathered from books,
because of your bias. You watch TV shows where every vet has PTSD and the
violent strain at that. Your Congress is debating your benefits, your
retirement, and your pay, while they ask you to do more. But the amazing
thing
about you is that you all know this. You know your country will never pay
back
what you've given up.
You know that the populace at large will never truly understand or
appreciate what you have done for them. Hell, you know that in some
circles, you
will be thought as less than normal for having worn the uniform
Just that decision alone makes you part of an elite group. “Never in the
field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.”
-Winston Churchill- Thank you to the 11.2% and 4.3% who have served and
thanks to
the 0.45% who continue to serve our Nation.
General David Petraeus West Point Class 1974








--
Dana Hussey, State Adjutant
Department of New Hampshire
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Office: 603-335-5923
Fax: 603-335-5936
Cell: 603-557-6452

WHEN THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH!!!

How often have we told or heard someone say to a veteran, “thank you for your service”?  I know it is better to hear that than, “how many babies did you kill today”?  I’ve heard them both and certainly appreciate the first one more than the second.

The fact still remains there is a degree of hollowness with the first.  I know the intentions are good; but, do you know what our service to our country was and is like? 

Does anyone, other than a veteran, know or understand the pain and suffering while in the service and afterwards?

Let’s take Korea for an example in the life of an infantryman.  While you were on patrol in the winter north of the Im Jin River inside the DMZ, the temperature could drop with the wind chill to 40 below or more.  It would be so cold the water in your canteen would freeze, the radio batteries would freeze causing your radio to die and the battery to your sniper scope would freeze rendering it inoperable.  You might be wearing 7-9 layers of clothes to try and stay warm; but, that didn’t work.  You would feel the cold starting to come through the layers of clothing; then your skin would start to feel cold, then prickly, then numb which meant you were starting to freeze, slowly; freeze.

If you were lucky around 0430 AM. You would be able to move either to your pick up point or to place where you could catch some sun when it came up to help warm yourself; knowing that somewhere out in the cold darkness was a North Korean Special Forces Team waiting for you to make a mistake, locate you and kill you if they could.

There are horror stories too painful and graphic to describe in a blog or letter to the editors I am going to save those for my book; but the next time you say “thank you for your service”.  Try to say “thank you for the pain and suffering you went through for our country and for me”.  I think a veteran would be more grateful that you understand even if just a little.

So while we sit at home, safe and warm for the holidays, two of the loneliness’  holidays of the year for our service men away from home, think of our troops who are defending us around the world and try to understand the pain and suffering they are going through to do it.

Ask yourself if “thank you for your service”, is enough?

PLEASE I AM TRYING TO WRITE A BOOK!!!

 

As I am spending more and more time collecting my thoughts for 40 years ago, I keep getting distracted by the lunatic fringe stabbing the Town Manager and BOS members in the back over issues that the fringe creates.

The latest issue is Frank Ferraro becoming emotional when, at the last selectmen’s meeting, argued against going into a non-public session to discuss an issue that if all the information was made public could hurt the reputation of the people the town is negotiating with for overdue water and sewer bills. In the past the BOS dealt with this issue in non public session and Ferraro well knew it because at the time it was dealt with in a non public session he threw a public hissy fit as well as members of the fringe.

The issue is quite simple; Ferraro is the BOS representative to the Water and Sewer Commission.  When this issue came up before the Water and Sewer Commission it was ferraro’s job to explain the position of the BOS to the Commission that this was a non public issue at least for the time being while negotiations were on going.  Very simply Ferraro failed to do this, and by failing to do so, deliberately undermined and stabbed the other members of the BOS in the back.

Members of the water and sewer commission claim they were not aware of the non public position the BOS had taken.  It was Ferarro’s job to tell them and not feign ignorance.  It appears that Ferraro and his small band of merry men were trying to create an issue to attack the Town Manager and BOS on.

How many times can someone get stabbed in the back before they slap the person doing it upside the head?  Well Frank I think you need to cut out your negative back stabbing behavior because members of the BOS and voters in Exeter are getting sick it; I believe they are sick and tired of dragging your reprehensible behavior behind them like a sea anchor while trying to deal with the many issues facing the town and moving the town agenda forward.

In my opinion Ferraro, you are not a selectman you are simply a distraction to the progress of the town.

I think we owe a debt of gratitude to Matt Quandt and Dan Chartrand for having the courage to finally point out your negative and destructive behavior to the voters of Exeter.

Frank put your name on your blog and stop hiding behind “anonymous”.

A SALUTE TO THE EXETER FIRE DEPARTMENT!!!

 

It was a personal honor to be invited to the Exeter Fire Department’s Awards Ceremony.  To be able to see firsthand the quality of the men and women who staff our Fire Department is quite humbling.

Award after award went to individuals for courage, kindness and dedication to the town of Exeter , ambulance calls, car accidents and all of the other duties too numerous to mention.  It was interesting to see the humility for those getting awards which only enhanced the pride Matt and I felt for those who do risk their lives to provide the very important services to the town and those in need.

I’ve come to realize that Exeter has a unique relationship to our fire fighters and EMT’s and it shows when they need new equipment and periodic raises.  When they show a genuine need for whatever they are asking the taxpayers for and we can afford it, it usually gets voted in.  That is because of the respect that is reciprocated to the respect the firefighters show us and the credibility we place in them.

Matt and I would kid the firefighters in the legislature by telling them we thought they were nuts, no one runs into a burning building to save the lives of not only people but pets. They do it because that is their job and career field they have chosen and dedicated their lives to. 

What more can a person say except THANK GOD WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE, COMMITMENT AND SENSE OF DUTY.

WHAT NEXT???

The government shut down has proven to be quite interesting.  I think what is missing is the understanding that the Tea Party movement has been hijacked by the conservative/radical wing of the libertarian party.  In my opinion the fight over Obama care is a smoke screen to do what they wanted to do and that is to shut down government which they did.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the Tea Party movement had its roots in basic Republican ideals, less spending, less government, and personal rights; but, now it is no government.  It started out as a Republican revival of principles. 

This appears to be a large scale remake of what happened in NH a couple of years ago when we had the lunatics running the asylum in the House of Representatives.  How many times did the more common sense Senate have to step in and use their common sense to deal with the anti government legislation coming out of the house.  Keep in mind this was all done in the name of Republicanism.

Now the US Senate is fighting with the US House of Representatives over common sense issues.  John Boehner is not as bad as the President and the press make out.  The problems appear to be him hanging on to his leadership position and, because of that, having to deal with the loonies in DC.  Couple all of this with a President who cannot lead, manage or tell the truth and we have a recipe for disaster, financially and for the security of our country.

When we step back and think of our political future it is apparent that we do not have any leadership ready to step up to the plate and run for political office.  It is starting to wear thin when we have to vote for the lesser of two evils.  The old guard Republicans appear to be tired and disenfranchised by the so called leadership of our party who are better at name calling then coming up with productive ideas; both parties are doing it so there is plenty of blame going around.

I cannot tell you what the fix is going to be, politically we haven’t hit bottom yet; but, I do know the voters have to engage in the process, we have to take back our government and the process.  If we don’t there will be a very short future for our country and our families  

 

 

 

 

THE WORLD IS AN AMAZING PLACE!!!

The world is much diversified and it is wrong and short sighted to try to judge other parts of the world by Western Civilization standards while forgetting that war is a contact sport.

Take Iraq for example, we lost thousands of our kids over there and countless, arms, legs eyes and traumatic brain injuries.  The Iraqis wanted us to leave and we pretty much have, selling their oil contracts to the Chinese.  Now they want us to come back because they cannot deal with the up surge in violence.  It sounds like a job for the Chinese to protect their interests.

Then we have Afghanistan, almost the same story and we do not have any interests in that country, we do not want to colonize them like British or Russians, we just wanted to track down and kill  the militant Muslims who have and  will come to the US and kill us if they get a chance, and it has been proven.  The Afghans sold their mineral rights to the Chinese, time for the Chinese to protect their rights and let our kids come home as soon as possible.

Now most of the world is in an outrage that somebody in Syria used poison gas on the Muslim militants who left fighting NATO in Afghanistan (mostly our kids) to fight the government in Syria.  Now our President is sending arms to the militants who again are be-heading anyone who will not support them, and at times eating their body parts. The more militant Muslims that are fighting in Afghanistan the less are fighting our kids.

Now that I am getting old I am trying to remember when the Towers were hit.  I was sure I saw Syrian civilians and their allies dancing in the streets celebrating yelling Allah Snack Bar or something like that; in short we do not have a dog in that fight and should stay out of it.

Unfortunately we have a President who knows nothing about foreign affairs, nothing about the military and out of fairness to him does know about entitlement programs and re-distributing wealth.  Many people are disgusted when they see pictures of him putting his feet up on the furniture in the White House, as I am.  Our Country is well on its way into bankruptcy while the president continues on with his unrealistic and ruthless spending spree.

I have many democrats that are my friends and respect their philosophy and ideals; but, they are taking notice of what is wrong and are as much as we are as to how to fix it until the next election.

SEAIU 1984: UNION OR SOCIALIST CHANGE AGENTS!!!

I have been a member of SEA for over 20 years and always wondered why they always lean liberal.  If you look at the membership numbers the lowest amount is Republicans who feel the SEA does not represent them but always push for a different liberal socialist agenda.

It is not so much the union membership that has caused this but, the union leadership, most of which is liberal and pushing the socialist agenda.  A few years ago SEAIU1984 was pushing the liberal democrats anti war agenda of “Save our troops pull out of Iraq”.  In fact those signs that were popping up along our State Highways and rights of way, according to the little message on the bottom of the signs were paid for by SEAIU1984.  That agenda didn’t go far due to many SEA members being veterans, the high veterans count in NH and it brought back some real bad memories of the anti war protesters of the Vietnam era. 

Now they are pushing the Obama health care agenda, which, if there is an upside should bring down the Democratic Party within the next two elections.  Most people recognize that this health debacle is huge and we are just starting to get into it.  I was told that 40,000 AFL-CIO workers quit the union because of them pushing this health care program.  I think one of the main reasons the state employees voted against the state contract is because of the Obama care issues, it scared them and rightfully so.

Now SEAIU is pushing to take money away from those who work for it and make it and give it those people who don’t.  I think their catch word is economic equality.  So the old saying that our parents told us is, do good in school, work real hard, and make a good living now has been thrown out the window and the new saying is if you have more than I do, we need to take some from you and give it to me; that is not the American way.

The other socialist agenda item is gun control. I was told that the NH SEA President and the first vice president were at an anti gun rally, they denied that SEA supported this because they were there as private citizens.  When your president and first vice president of a union that is what you are, you don’t always have the luxury of hiding behind “I’m a private citizen”, if you want to be a private citizen that it will up to the union membership to vote you out of office and you can go back to being just a good union member and can do what you want. In fact the first Vice President and members of the Board of Directors were at subsequent Bloomberg rallies which were videoed. 

The issues that are facing us are Social Issue versus Union issues.  What issues that I have mentioned are union issues?  Are they pay raises,   Working conditions, Health insurance issues, a safe work environment?  No they are mostly socialist issues pushed by a union that thinks they are a socialist change agent and they are using the union membership to do it.

There is a lot of discontent within the SEA membership over what I have discussed.  There is an argument to be made that if a union doesn’t represent their membership then why the disenfranchised group is is being forced to pay agency fees.  If the more conservative and moderate wing of the union feel they are being used for a political agenda and not a union agenda, they should not be required to pay the fees.  If any legislation comes up to do away with these fees I think not being represented is a good argument.