A Mission in 2014

2014 could well be an historical year for America, we either change direction or we will see further decline of our Republic.  Veterans understand a few facts; our military is being reduced in size, degraded in capability, and seeing an erosion of benefits that were promised.  There is an ideology in our nation that says we have no enemy in radical Islam, we can negotiate and appease others to "leave us alone".   History is full of examples of why anything less than a strong and powerful military and the will to use it brings failures to a nation.  In America, elections determine direction, so in this coming election year veterans must have their voices heard at the polls and in  those candidates we decide to support.   It us never too late to recover because we have millions who ove this country and understand the dangerous road we are on.

Leadership in America

Can any of us really watch what is going on in our government and not wonder what happened to leadership in America.  We are a nation that is divided on most issues, but we have been there before only to be rescued by leaders of high character and love of country that knew how to bring people together rather than divide them.  As a veteran I have never seen it this bad, and I fear for our republic if real leadership does not rise up soon.

Lack of Leadership from the POTUS

As a veteran and citizen, I have to believe that most Americans are amazed at the president's lack of resolve and leadership.   One year ago, the president made his warning to Syria, then failed to act or even prepare to act until recently when he informed the country he would take action, and then backed away from any action and passed the ball to congress (which has been unable to accomplish any business lately) in the hope they will "authorize action".   This sends a message of weakness to friends and enemies that shows the decline of American power in the world.   What we have seen in this administration is a failure to lead; cover ups that demonstrate that failure (Benghazi), a focus on politics not national interests, and continued loss of confidence in our government by the people of our great country.   It would appear that we the people must work to hold the line until we can make a change in 2014 and 2016.  If we fail, we are part of the decline of America.

Veterans must insist on the truth

Today, the State Department made the statement in response to a question on Benghazi; "that matter has been fully investigated, and we will have no  other comments".  Unbelievable to us veterans that after a major cover up story, refusing to allow witnesses to testify, they want very badly to put the subject away.  We must must insist that congress get the real story, find and let the American people know the facts such as: what assets were available that night and within two hours , why did General Ham retire in the middle of his tour, who got  notified by the pentagon duty officer that night and how  high up the chain, and finally who  made the decision to not engage the enemy and let them kill four of our citizens.

Remembering Why We Fought

Memorial Day celebrations focus on those fallen comrades from the wars that America has fought.   Vietnam was the last war that included citizens who were drafted to serve their country.    The wars and conflicts since did not involve the draft, making Vietnam the last large group of veterans that understand and experienced what serving our nation means.  Most of us  have  grave concerns with the current direction of America.  Veterans still have a mission to step forward and defend our country, not with the force of arms, but with involvement in the political system to educate our citizens in understanding the current threats.   As we remember those who served and did not come home, it should remind us that our mission of defending America never ends.

Don't forget Benghazi

All Americans, and especially those of us who served, should demand that a special investigation be done on the Benghazi tragedy.   Anyone who reads the facts knows there is a cover up attempt to direct attention away from the POTUS and other senior leaders.   General Ham has admitted to having forces and "proximity" to launch a rescue operation,  but was not give the order.  Question for General Ham "did you ask permission to engage and rescue our personnel"?  Somebody said NO to a rescue attempt, we need to find out who refused to protect our citizens under attack.  We cannot let this go away which is the hope of those responsible.   Please keep the pressure on your elected representatives.

What Comes Next?

We have a closely divided country as evidenced over the past decade in each election. We have a culture that has changed in terms of values and expectations of government. The next four years will challenge us to decide if our country is worth saving from the current road we are on. If it is, and I believe it is, then we owe it to our past and future to do what we can to restore America to what our founders envisioned. We cannot give up, each of us can do something in our own circle of influence, and we must. Our message must state our values and the policies and roles of government and be clearly explained to our citizens, who although they may believe them, they have succumbed to another philosophy of big government taking over for the individual, and America retreating from the world stage. The message of our founders and past generations has not changed, but it has been misrepresented to the people. Because we love America, we must dedicate ourselves to spreading the truth of what made this country great, and restoring those values and define the proper role of government for future generations.