McCain Understands

John McCain understands what happened in Vietnam when America lost its political will because of a press that misrepresented the facts, and lied to the people. John McCain was there, he spent five years in Hanoi, and came home and watched it all go down. Vietnam vets can see the signs of a repeat of history in Iraq; we must sound the alarm and jump into this election by supporting Senator McCain in all ways possible. Get involved, write letters, hit the internet circuit; as a veteran you know the truth of what happened almost forty years ago, and because we love our nation, we need to do all we can to prevent those forces from doing it again in Iraq. The enemy today is different and focused on our homeland, we must win this war. Vets step up for one more mission.

Listen to the Troops

It's time for all of us to pay attention to what is being sold to us from our media and anti-war crowd. Here is a note from Iraq, read it and write a few letters. The election is coming, and two candidates have said we will retreat with in their first 60 days. That means quit, surrender, desert our friends, whatever term you like. Wake up and get involved before it's too late.

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Last Sunday while most of America was enjoying the Superbowl severalmembers of our Task Force were commencing an assault on a terroriststronghold in Iraq. During the assault two of our brothers from the Navywere shot and killed while clearing a building that was occupied byterrorist insurgents. Ultimately, the building was reduced and all ofthe terrorists in it were destroyed by the assault force. Remember thesenames, Mike and Nate. They were good men doing honorable work in thename of freedom. The terrorists they sought to destroy were responsiblefor unspeakable acts of evil including the construction of improvisedexplosive devices and explosives to equip homicide bombers. For those ofyou who may not understand the enemy we face out here let me remind youthat the previous week this group of terrorists took two innocent andunwitting women who had Downs Syndrome, rigged them with explosive vestsand detonated them 20 minutes apart in a crowded market causing severaldeaths and hundreds of injuries. These terrorists used innocent peopleas unwitting vehicles to destroy more innocent lives. There is good andthere is evil in this world. The enemy we face is evil. Mike and Natewere fighting on the side of good to prevent further acts of evil thatwould result in the loss of more innocent lives. The next time you prayI ask you to thank God for giving Mike and Nate the talent and skillthat made them great warriors and thank God that he gave them the heartto apply those God given talents to destroy evil and further the causeof freedom in a land far from their home. Thank God for men like Mikeand Nate. Their work is done here now, but there are many of us who willhonor their sacrifice by continuing the fight against evil terrorists.They will be remembered through our actions.For any of you out there who are doubting the validity of this war andthe evil that resides in our enemy I ask you to study your historyagain. Over the last 20+ years dating back to the bombing of the MarineCorps Barracks in Lebanon, various factions of radical IslamicTerrorists have been committing heinous acts of terrorism against thefree world. We are fighting the same enemy here. The brethren of an evilideology that spawned the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001claiming almost 3,000 innocent lives. Take time to reflect on the typeof evil that would put explosive vests on innocent women with DownsSyndrome and use them to kill and maim other innocent people. While theAmerican media strives everyday to rewrite the history of the mostgenerous nation in the free world and cast disparity over all that we doas a Nation men like Mike and Nate are giving their lives to make surethe real history doesn't repeat itself. While the American media strivesdaily to erase the memory of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001and paint this war as an unjust occupation of a sovereign nation menlike Mike and Nate are out here hunting down and destroying the enemiesof the very freedom that allows our media to try and discredit us.Terrorism is real, evil is real, this war is real and real men and womenare in this fight because righteousness and freedom are worth fightingfor.If you don't support this war I'm calling you out. I've had enough ofpeople sitting in their living rooms watching the lying media andjumping on the bandwagon against this war. Don't ever say to me, "Isupport the troops, but not the war." You might as well be telling methat I'm committing a crime. You are in effect saying that my cause isunjust and everything I believe in is a lie. I have held my tongue inthe past, but I will never allow you to have it both ways again. Youcannot support me if you do not support this war. I am this war. Itembodies everything that I believe in. If you believe that what we aredoing here is wrong then you are in effect supporting the evil we seekdestroy. If you believe I'm wrong for trying to stop evil people fromtaking more innocent lives then I fear there is no hope for you. If youchoose to dishonor my service and the sacrifice of my fallen brothers bytaking a position against this war you are free to make that choicethanks to guys like Mike and Nate, but don't expect me to sit idly byand bite my tongue while you do it. Do it in my presence and be preparedto try and support your feeble position while I enlighten everyone elseon the reality of this war and the nature of the enemy we face. I willensure that you look like the fool that you are.The stuff I'm seeing out here you won't see on Oprah Winfrey. I'm seeingreally evil people doing really evil things and I'm doing everything inmy power to stop them. There's nothing wrong or unjust about that.Send this to everyone, and I ask that everyone adopt this principle. The lies being told say that what we believe, we who are fighting thiswar, is a lie. When someone lies, they need to be told. We owe it toour dead, and we owe it to the future.Rick HoppeCW2, USA (retired)Special Advisor, MNF-I C2X

Election Wakeup Call

Each day the election heats up, it is time for veterans to sit up and take part in the process. Veterans need to speak truth, we have experience from the Vietnam days of what political will is and is not. We are living in a time when few of the candidates can relate to serving, few are veterans, few have been to war. Our nation is at war, a different type, but war never the less. Veterans understand that, we must be active in this election and speak out for a strong America, and for victory in our war against terror. Pick a candidate who understands the threat, there are only a few, and who can lead in time of war. Our current President has stayed the course, and made the decisions which are now leading to victory in Iraq; veterans understand what has happened and we are thankful for his courage and leadership. We must elect someone again who has courage and leadership to continue to press the enemy until victory comes. Be active, be involved, our nation needs you for one more mission.

Victory Not Announced

Vets for Freedom has offered the following observation - how true!

What news have you heard about Iraq since General Petraeus and Vets for Freedom were on Capitol Hill in September? If you're like most Americans, the answer is "very little." Why? I believe it is because the situation in Iraq has fundamentally changed. And while the media has always been quick to report bombings and failures in Iraq, it is simply not reporting the good news. The change is that-today-most of the news coming out of Iraq is positive. There is no doubt that real and sustainable progress is happening in Iraq. The courage of our troops, and the nature of their new counter-insurgency strategy, is paying off.

Move on - Move on.org

Can we imagine a publication calling General Eisenhower or MacArthur " betrayers"; they would have been run out of town, or put in jail for treason. Now, we have the left political wing featured by moveon .org accusing a four star general, commander of our effort in Iraq, of betraying our country. The opposition in our country to a war, that began on 9/11 when we were attacked, is without reason is based on hate for our leaders and our country. These people are the worst of America, they are aiding and encouraging our enemies; America needs to let them know we have had enough.

Veterans and Patriots -

Here are three examples of the lack of support for the troops and the effort in Iraq, which is providing encouragement to the enemy.

Senator Schumer - "The success in Anwar Province was because of the inability of our troops to protect the population......".

Senator Reid - "The war is lost"

Senator Feinstein - "There is no military solution in Iraq....."


United States Senators making stateaments like this when we our soldiers are engaged with the enemy, and fighting and dying to be victorious. These three Senators, and there are more, need to hear from their patriotic constituency, write or call them today. Talk like this during a war should carry a price the next election.

Thank You Mr. President

Vietnam Veterans understand that we are seeing history repeat itself from our war to this war. Finally the President made that connection, here is my letter to him, I hope you will do the same.

Dear President Bush,

As a Vietnam Veteran, I have been frustrated over the inability of our country to recognize the lessons of history, and the analogy of the Vietnam experience to Iraq. In my frustration I began my own website and blog for the purpose of calling Vietnam Vets to action to alert America to the dangers of going down the same road again. We need to do all we can. I am disappointed in our political leaders who fail to recognize the strategy of the enemy, and the lesson of history.

Your speech this week did that! Recently, I published portions of a letter from Senator Hatfield (He was against Vietnam) on my blog that he wrote to me as a Captain in Vietnam. He gave me all the false resonating and thinking that drove us to the wrong decision in leaving SE Asia. His letter could have been written today by many of our current senators about Iraq; it is ironic that the thinking is so similar. Again, thank you for pointing that out; I only hope people listen this time.

You have our support and encouragement to stay in the battle, there is no alternative action to winning this war.