[Vision2020] Please Help our dying troops!

[Donovan Arnold]

Mr. Hansen,

I would gladly be lacking in maturity than to being a self-righteous cold 
hearted fool.  I would gladly take a battle injury in return for the years 
that I lost with my father. But you didn't get your injuries in battle did 
you? No, so don't play that card with me. I strongly support our troops, you 
don't. You want them to be picked off one by one like a bunch cattle in a 
shooting range and not complain about it.

Your write:
"You expect me to side with you simply because your father apparently had 
less maturity than you"

Insulting my father will get you no place you want to go with me. My father 
was a true patriot. He respects the men and women in uniform and they 
respected him. He has saved many lives in action. He designed the 
electronics for the Tomahawk cruise missile. Ever here of that?
As far as being immature, he was mature enough to rise out of poverty and do 
something with his life. And he was mature enough not to allow the men under 
his command to be injured. He went to great lengths to avoid that from 
happening. I wish your commanders would have done the same thing so you 
would not have been injured. It is sad and unfortunate.

And yes I have written men in uniform before, my father one, and my brother 
the other.

Yes, I have been to many military bases all across this country. I even 
lived on them, for many years. I was yanked from one place to another, back 
and forth, up and down, all across the country. I went to  eleven different 
schools between preschool-12th grades, that I can remember, maybe more.

"I know of several veterans whose children never got any closer to them than 
rubbing their fingers over a name on a wall in Washington DC."

As do I. I have been there.  And that is what I am trying to fight, why 
don't you? I was lucky, I got to know my Dad later on and I know that. You 
want to add to that list? Why? Why not fight it Mr. Hansen? Why not fight 
battle field injuries? Do you feel that it is necessary to have this 
continue? What did we gain being in Vietnam and Iraq? Is it even close to 
the cost of killing and wounding our men and women in uniform?

"According to your last posting, it reflects more bravery to write letters 
than it does to put on the uniform for 20 years

Nope, not at all, but it is the very least people can do to help out the men 
and women in uniform.
It is not patriotic to allow our boys and girls to die senselessly in battle 
over non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Our military is not suppose 
to be used as green plastic army men for the pleasure of Bush to promote and 
steal oil from an impoverish and suppressed people on the other side of the 
planet.

The beltway sniper wore a uniform. The men at West Point that tortured and 
raped women wore a uniform. Countless men in jail for theft, rape, and 
murder fill our prisons. Are they patriots? I don't think so. A friend of 
mines children were molested by a sergeant in the military, was he a 
patriot? He was injured in battle in Vietnam too. I still don't qualify him 
as a patriot either.

Just now on the news as I write this, another man was killed, next to a 
bank, another 4 wounded in the attack. That brings the number to 149 since 
the war was declared over. I ask you Mr. Hansen at what point will you write 
a letter and say something? 150 troops, 200? 300? 1000? 5,000?

I appreciate you service Mr. Hansen. But that is no excuse to alienate our 
troops when they need you now. I really have a hard understanding why that 
is so difficult for you?

Donovan J Arnold



>From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com>
>Reply-To: <thansen@moscow.com>
>To: "Donovan Arnold" <donovanarnold@hotmail.com>
>CC: <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Please Help our dying troops!
>Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2003 15:38:09 -0700
>
>Mr. Arnold -
>
>Your last posting reflect your definite lack of maturity.
>
>You feel you have the right to criticise a disably retired veteran such as
>myself (a lifetime member of DAV as a result of a training accident) 
>without
>having served one day in uniform.  You expect me to side with you simply
>because your father apparently had less maturity than you (if that is
>possible).
>
>You hadn't had the "pleasure" of your father's company until you were 12.  
>I
>know of several veterans whose children never got any closer to them than
>rubbing their fingers over a name on a wall in Washington DC.  And you
>consider yourself a patriot?
>
>.  Have you even visited a
>military installation?  Have you even writen a solder?  Or do you restric
>your immature banter to this forum and hide behind the comfort of your
>keyboard.
>
>Pro Patria,
>
>Tom Hansen
>SFC, US Army (Retired)
>
>

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