Thursday, May 14, 2009
Heritage Foundation Panel On Iraq
Pete Hegseth and I discuss our experiences as active duty military officers in Iraq at a Heritage Foundation Panel, "The War in Iraq: Views from Two Veterans."
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Who Speaks For Veterans (Part III)
The Washington Times
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
LETTER TO EDITOR: Remember to speak for veterans themselves
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
The Veterans of Foreign Wars national commander's lengthy, intemperate response ("The VFW speaks for veterans," Letter, Sunday) to my op-ed, "Who speaks for veterans?" (Opinion, April 30), confirms every major point I raised. Glen M. Gardner Jr. focuses exclusively on the benefits and funding that the VFW has helped secure for its members, praises the famously corrupt Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, and defends the Department of Homeland Security's recent anti-veteran report.
My generation of veterans is not willing to trade in our honor for handouts and has no interest in becoming welfare recipients at the expense of our legacy.
There is no excuse for endorsing a congressman who used his position to convict Marines of murder in the court of public opinion before the investigation was completed, as Mr. Murtha did with the eight Marines in Haditha. Mr. Murtha has never apologized for this slander even after the Marines were exonerated and veterans refuse to forgive or forget his betrayal. No sum of money and no quantity of benefits is worth the sacrifice of our values and our pride.
Mr. Gardner's continued defense of the infamous Homeland Security report is hollow and dangerous. This report creates a frame through which veterans and veteran-related incidents will be viewed by the media and subsequently by the public. It creates a false stereotype that will encourage generalizing the inevitable individual incidents to brand veterans as "extremists."
The VFW failed to defend Vietnam veterans from this type of public slander. We will not allow ourselves to be the victims of the same betrayal. We fought and continue to fight, honorably and successfully, and our legacy must reflect that. Veterans' service organizations exist to ensure that happens without compromise. Leaders like Mr. Gardner continue to fail us in this regard.
Mr. Gardner defends his organization's 110-year reputation and brags about its legacy. I wish he would do the same for veterans themselves.
GABE LEDEEN
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
LETTER TO EDITOR: Remember to speak for veterans themselves
LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
The Veterans of Foreign Wars national commander's lengthy, intemperate response ("The VFW speaks for veterans," Letter, Sunday) to my op-ed, "Who speaks for veterans?" (Opinion, April 30), confirms every major point I raised. Glen M. Gardner Jr. focuses exclusively on the benefits and funding that the VFW has helped secure for its members, praises the famously corrupt Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, and defends the Department of Homeland Security's recent anti-veteran report.
My generation of veterans is not willing to trade in our honor for handouts and has no interest in becoming welfare recipients at the expense of our legacy.
There is no excuse for endorsing a congressman who used his position to convict Marines of murder in the court of public opinion before the investigation was completed, as Mr. Murtha did with the eight Marines in Haditha. Mr. Murtha has never apologized for this slander even after the Marines were exonerated and veterans refuse to forgive or forget his betrayal. No sum of money and no quantity of benefits is worth the sacrifice of our values and our pride.
Mr. Gardner's continued defense of the infamous Homeland Security report is hollow and dangerous. This report creates a frame through which veterans and veteran-related incidents will be viewed by the media and subsequently by the public. It creates a false stereotype that will encourage generalizing the inevitable individual incidents to brand veterans as "extremists."
The VFW failed to defend Vietnam veterans from this type of public slander. We will not allow ourselves to be the victims of the same betrayal. We fought and continue to fight, honorably and successfully, and our legacy must reflect that. Veterans' service organizations exist to ensure that happens without compromise. Leaders like Mr. Gardner continue to fail us in this regard.
Mr. Gardner defends his organization's 110-year reputation and brags about its legacy. I wish he would do the same for veterans themselves.
GABE LEDEEN
Who Speaks for Veterans (Part II)
The Washington Times
Sunday, May 3, 2009
LETTER TO EDITOR: The VFW speaks for veterans
In the Op-Ed column "Who speaks for veterans?" (Opinion, Thursday), Vets for Freedom senior fellow Gabe Ledeen maliciously impugned the 110-year-old reputation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. because he disagrees with the VFW's response to a Department of Homeland Security threat assessment of radical extremist groups.
Had Mr. Ledeen actually read the report for what it was - and not for what he thought it meant - he would have seen that it is a poorly written report that merely states an inescapable fact: Extremist groups want to recruit veterans. The report is nothing more.
He then argues against the VFW Political Action Committee's endorsement of Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, in the last congressional race. Mr. Murtha is certainly known to make foot-in-mouth statements, but he also is a strong advocate for veterans, service members and their families, which is one reason why his constituents have elected him to Congress 19 times.
Mr. Ledeen has the audacity to imply that the VFW needs to recognize its mission "and abandon the petty pandering that continues to stand in the way of real progress and honest representation."
Oh really?
The VFW helped 95,000 veterans last year to recoup $1.2 billion in earned compensation and pension from the government - for free. We awarded $3.5 million in youth scholarships, volunteered 13 million hours in our communities and Veterans Affairs and military hospitals, gave out $2.5 million in grants to help 1,800 military families through temporary financial emergencies, and distributed 11 million free phone cards to deployed and recuperating military personnel.
On Capitol Hill, the VFW was the first veterans organization to support the Bush administration's war-on-terrorism objectives. Our lobbying efforts helped create traumatic injury disability insurance, helped devise a 21st-century GI Bill and provided special payments to Vietnam veterans whose children developed spina bifida. The VFW helped defeat the Obama administration's proposal to bill private health insurance for service-connected care, and it also was instrumental in thwarting previous attempts to create VA enrollment fees and increase prescription co-payments and military Tricare premiums. In addition, the VFW single-handedly got all U.S. airlines to waive third-checked-luggage fees for military travelers.
The VFW takes a back seat to no one. This is why we routinely are asked to testify before Congress on legislation that affects programs for America's veterans and service members.
Never has a Vets for Freedom representative been seated next to us at the witness table, which leads me to restate Mr. Ledeen's original question: "Who speaks for veterans?"
Success in Washington requires being pragmatic about issues without leaving enemies in your wake. I would suggest the next time Vets for Freedom - or one of its members - decides to challenge a military or veterans service organization, he or she does it in person and does not sit on the sidelines using the press as a shield.
GLEN M. GARDNER JR.
National commander
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Round Rock, Texas
Sunday, May 3, 2009
LETTER TO EDITOR: The VFW speaks for veterans
In the Op-Ed column "Who speaks for veterans?" (Opinion, Thursday), Vets for Freedom senior fellow Gabe Ledeen maliciously impugned the 110-year-old reputation of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. because he disagrees with the VFW's response to a Department of Homeland Security threat assessment of radical extremist groups.
Had Mr. Ledeen actually read the report for what it was - and not for what he thought it meant - he would have seen that it is a poorly written report that merely states an inescapable fact: Extremist groups want to recruit veterans. The report is nothing more.
He then argues against the VFW Political Action Committee's endorsement of Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, in the last congressional race. Mr. Murtha is certainly known to make foot-in-mouth statements, but he also is a strong advocate for veterans, service members and their families, which is one reason why his constituents have elected him to Congress 19 times.
Mr. Ledeen has the audacity to imply that the VFW needs to recognize its mission "and abandon the petty pandering that continues to stand in the way of real progress and honest representation."
Oh really?
The VFW helped 95,000 veterans last year to recoup $1.2 billion in earned compensation and pension from the government - for free. We awarded $3.5 million in youth scholarships, volunteered 13 million hours in our communities and Veterans Affairs and military hospitals, gave out $2.5 million in grants to help 1,800 military families through temporary financial emergencies, and distributed 11 million free phone cards to deployed and recuperating military personnel.
On Capitol Hill, the VFW was the first veterans organization to support the Bush administration's war-on-terrorism objectives. Our lobbying efforts helped create traumatic injury disability insurance, helped devise a 21st-century GI Bill and provided special payments to Vietnam veterans whose children developed spina bifida. The VFW helped defeat the Obama administration's proposal to bill private health insurance for service-connected care, and it also was instrumental in thwarting previous attempts to create VA enrollment fees and increase prescription co-payments and military Tricare premiums. In addition, the VFW single-handedly got all U.S. airlines to waive third-checked-luggage fees for military travelers.
The VFW takes a back seat to no one. This is why we routinely are asked to testify before Congress on legislation that affects programs for America's veterans and service members.
Never has a Vets for Freedom representative been seated next to us at the witness table, which leads me to restate Mr. Ledeen's original question: "Who speaks for veterans?"
Success in Washington requires being pragmatic about issues without leaving enemies in your wake. I would suggest the next time Vets for Freedom - or one of its members - decides to challenge a military or veterans service organization, he or she does it in person and does not sit on the sidelines using the press as a shield.
GLEN M. GARDNER JR.
National commander
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Round Rock, Texas
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