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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Vietnam Memorial Closed to Vets so Obama Can Have Photo OP

I received an email yesterday that I had mixed feeling about. I was mad and sad at the same time. I thought surely this can not be true. I set out to try to find out more information on this. 
After searching I found that none of the main news station had anything on it. I could not find a story on MSNBC, CNN, Fox or any others that I checked.
What I did find was a few blogs and other websites that had information about it. After you read the email you can visit a blog that has pictures of how it looked on Memorial day and also how it should look.



Today as I usually do each Memorial Day and Veterans Day, I joined my fellow
Soldiers I served with in Vietnam to lay a wreath for our fallen at the
Vietnam Veterans Wall. We always gather at 0903 hours at the Three Soldier's
Monument. There we meet for a while and talk, see how everyone is doing, if
anyone needs help, introduce any new guys from out of town who are visiting,
new guys who are joining us for the first time, introduce any members of our
family or friends who have come with us, always followed by a few remarks
about fellow members of the Blackhorse Regiment who had passed since we had
last gathered and then we welcome each other home. Today after walking
across Memorial Bridge and rounding the Lincoln Memorial I saw our guys all
gathering outside of a barricade around the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. When
I joined them I found out to my total disbelief that we could not enter. No
veterans allowed. The reason was that Obama was coming there to make a
speech and the area was closed to everyone except special people with
special passes until his speech was over 5 hours later. I was stunned.
Thousands of Vietnam veterans gathering like us with wreaths in hand to
recognize our fallen and turned away so that a politician could give a
speech.
Most of us had been there when Reagan spoke, Bush 41 and 43 had spoken, even
Clinton, although most of us turned our backs on him in one of the largest,
silent protests ever...seen by everyone...stinging in its impact...totally
unreported by the media...but even then, we were not turned away. Today we
were. I saw where in a poll where Obama is over 25 points behind Romney with
Vets...if they all had seen what we experienced today and knew what had
transpired, the spread would be much wider. I doubt if this will even be
reported in the media. But, it should. This was not our day...it was their
day...the boys who lost their lives. But it was their brothers day to come
and touch their names on the Wall and remember them. It was also Decoration
Day...the day we recognize those who gave all for all of us. It was not
about our narcissist president and his attempt to appeal to the Vietnam Vets
for votes. Shut out, we met next to a hot dog stand under a shade tree and
held our semi-annual ritual for our fallen. Later that day, one of our men
stayed behind and saw to it that the wreath was placed at that section of
the Wall when we lost the most during the war. We won every battle in that
war and were denied victory. We had to listen to an illiterate world say
that we had lost our war. Our troops suffered more degradation, insult,
hatred, and disgust from our countrymen than all other US troops from all
wars combined. We came home to a country that didn't want us...and to many
countrymen who loathed us...but yet we persevered. Today...was just one more
cut...but it was a cut that will not heal any time soon.

Wayne



Pictures and more HERE

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

So sad that the Memorial would be closed to the vets and families that lost sons, husbands, fathers, during the Vietnam War, especially by someone that does not care anything about these men, & women, that gave so much for our country. I believe, if you haven't done military service for this country you should not be able to shut down any of the memorials for any reason. To be president of this country, I believe military service should be a requirement for this, the greatest office of this country.

Anonymous said...

As I understand it, there are many places closed off for THIS President if he's coming in, due to the threats against him.
Makes sense to me.
I can understand the vets being upset, but, it is American tradition to protect the POTUS at all times.

Anonymous said...

this president's entire administration has been nothing but a photo-op. it's time to get someone in the white house that will actually do something.

Anonymous said...

Wayne, he doesn't care about you. You probably did not vote for him, and will not in the future, so he cares not. This is a photo opportunity and no more. Piss on you and your brothers is his mantra. He doesn't know nor cares anything about VietNam nor the idiocy of the nightmare you guys went through. He's an idiot, and just has to be observed as such. I'm sorry that this bastard can't respect you and your brothers, but an idiot is an idiot, and canot become otherwise.
Thank you for your service, Brothers.