-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! VOICE OF THE GRUNT, 2000-02-02-B =========================================================== ARTICLE 3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The McCain Mutiny - Attack on Hack! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: of Medals and POW status… ****************************************************************** Wow! I have to say I am quite shocked at the tone of Hack's column this time around. It seems to me that McCain is rather unfairly criticized by Hack concerning his medals. Whether they are for heroism or for service (for which a vast majority of officers receive their medals) the medals were not bogus or unearned. It seems to me on the face of the article that the accusation is that McCain told more than name, rank and serial number to avoid death by his captors, and that his survivor status somehow indicates some type of collaboration, collusion, or at least malfeasance on McCains part. This is not a Jeremy Boorda wearing an award that was never earned. It is not a case of a service member wearing a tab for a qualification not earned. It is a case of an officer who did his duty the best that he could, survived 5 and a half years as a POW, and returned. If he was given boilerplate awards, so what? Any soldier, sailor, airman or marine who has any time in service knows that officers are given awards for doing what they are supposed to do (and often times, for NOT doing the job they are supposed to do). In my opinion, inasmuch as I was not there and feel wholly unqualified to judge someone who has endured what McCain and thousands of others did, if a POW survives without committing treasonous acts, or without violating the code of the warrior (surrendering when other means to fight or escape are extant, etc), then they can rightly be called heroes. No, they didn't earn the medals by killing the enemy, or by running a gauntlet of fire to save wounded comrades or other typically heroic acts. They did, however, endure and serve as an object lesson to other Americans and military personnel that when captured you still do the right thing. You give motivation to our military personnel to fight onward when your motivation might be lacking due to the current situation. And isn't that what heroes are all about? Ribbons are given out for attitude and morale. What was it Napoleon said? Something about a piece of colored ribbon making his soldiers march another mile? In a time when war heroes are in short supply, this nation has always found some way of making people into heroes. In time of war we also make heroes, sometimes when they are not really heroes at all but their actions serve to be politically expedient, i.e. propaganda, etc. If this were Al Gore trying to make himself a war hero then the account would be more than well deserved. Brian H. ========================================================== ARTICLE 4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The McCain Mutiny - Reader Response -- Hack on Target!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: There is much more than the POW story… * ***************************************************************** By a Capt (name withheld), USN (retired) I was one of John McCain's flight instructors in the Navy's Advanced Training Command at Corpus Christi Texas, circa 1960. I have passed this story to many of my friends and I share it with you, willingly. LTjg McCain was positively one of the weakest students to pass our way, and received consistently poor marks, and a number of Dangerous Down grades, assigned by more than one instructor. He had no real ability and was clearly out of his element in an airplane, and way over his head, even as a junior naval officer. His fathers and grandfathers influence kept him in the training pipeline, even though he was better fit for an alternate profession. In his book, "Faith of my Fathers," he briefly mentions an incident wherein he escaped from an aircraft whose engine had failed. Well, there is much more to that story than he had had the courage to reveal. What really happened is known only to John, but by my witness he flew an AD Skyraider into Corpus Christi Bay while practicing landings that would prepare him to land on an aircraft carrier. I was only a few seconds behind him in the traffic pattern, being an airborne "chase" instructor, while two of my squadron mate instructors were coaching students from the end of the runway via radio. We always flew with our canopy open in the landing pattern as a safety precaution, but McCain had his closed, in that it was cool (40degrees) and light rain showers around the field. It was also a Saturday morning, and I suspect he was recovering from too much whoopee on Friday night. Despite repeated radio transmissions from the instructors, McCain flew the machine into the water, where it sank immediately in 35 ft of water. He surfaced within a minute of the crash and was recovered by a crash boat that was stationed nearby. The aircraft was retrieved by crane and barge and was in the hangar for inspection within two hours. It was evident that McCain had exited the aircraft unusually, in that he had cut a hole in the canopy with his survival knife, thereby allowing him to swim free. He ignored the four other "normal" means of opening the canopy, which were: 1 Hydraulically, via a highly visible handle in the cockpit which allowed 3,000# of hydraulic pressure, stored in an accumulator, to open it normally; 2 By moving this handle one inch past it's normal open position, he could have used the emergency open system, which used 1,000# of compressed air in a bottle, designed for just this purpose, to blow it open. 3, There were four explosive bolts that would literally blow the canopy free of the aircraft, even underwater, that were activated by a guarded switch on the left side of the cockpit console. 4, the canopy could always be opened manually, by placing the opening lever in Neutral, and hauling the thing open by muscle power. Three handles were installed for that purpose. I recite this only as some evidence that he was not thinking clearly, and probably fell asleep while at the controls. The engine was removed from the aircraft that afternoon, mounted on a test stand, a new propeller installed, flushed with fresh water, and started. It ran just fine. So, he theory of engine failure was proven false, on the spot. He was awarded another Dangerous Down (his third) and was sent to the Navy Admiral (RADM Joe Clifton) in charge of Advanced Training for disposition. The Admiral told us to "fly him," and we did. He was given his wings the following week, after a very poor performance aboard the Training Aircraft Carrier, the USS Antietam, in the Gulf of Mexico. Normal qualifications require six arrested landings. Mr. McCain made two, and was sent back to Corpus Christi as a precaution against wrecking the flight deck of the ship. Well, you know the rest of the story. I am convinced that McCain is an opportunist, and yes, I regret his time as a POW. However, it was a self-inflicted wound in my view, and a tough payback for being "given" his wings, instead of earning them like the rest of us. I especially liked your piece regarding all the awards and medals he has accumulated. It just prostitutes the entire awards system, which I guess doesn't matter to him. If you would like some authentication of the foregoing, I suggest you visit the Naval Aviation Museum, in Pensacola Fla. Therein, you will find two unique displays. One is a replica of the aircraft that George Bush flew in WW2, and near it is a display of all his flight-training grades, which were uniformly excellent. Nearby is a replica of John McCain's aircraft, same as the one he was hot down in over Hanoi. Near by is a glass case displaying his dress uniform and all his medals. However, no one would dare display his grades! I too am a Vietnam era vet, and flew 221 combat sorties from the USS Constellation, 1968-70. Prior to that I had some staff jobs that put me on the ground in SEASIA, and gave me a strong sense that I was glad to be flying over that territory, rather than on the ground. ========================================================== ARTICLE 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Army gets Sensitivity Training on Gays ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: This article appeared in The Washington Times on 28 Jan 00. A new policy update, the brass rolls over and we are adding more mandatory training and briefing requirements. The cost: more neglect of combat training and reduced readiness. I hope future enemies can be briefed into submission! ************************************************************************ By Rowan Scarborough The Army has ordered mandatory homosexual sensitivity training for all soldiers in the aftermath of the murder of a soldier at Fort Campbell, Ky. The Pentagon is also issuing written surveys to military personnel on how their commands view homosexuals. The survey, for example, asks if service members have heard jokes or negative remarks about homosexuals. The training order and written questionnaire are part of the military's drive to rid the ranks of anti-homosexual actions and statements. Pfc. Barry Winchell, the Fort Campbell soldier, was killed in July by a barracks mate who thought Pfc. Winchell was homosexual. Pvt. Calvin N. Glover was court-martialed for the killing and sentenced to life in prison. The actions also come after first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Clinton criticized his own policy on homosexuals -"don't ask, don't tell," which bars open homosexuality in the ranks. The survey and training is not sitting well with some armed forces members, who complain the Pentagon is promoting the homosexual agenda. In a message this month to commanders from headquarters at the Pentagon, the Army said it is also setting up a Web site explaining guidelines for the new training. Army Secretary Louis Caldera and Gen. Eric Shinseki, Army chief of staff, have ordered Army Training and Doctrine Command to incorporate the new sensitivity training into "all stages of professional military training," the message said. It did not specify what subjects soldiers will be taught. "In our Army we expect that all soldiers will be treated with dignity and respect at all times and will be afforded a safe and secure environment in which to live and work," said the message, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times. "Harassment of soldiers for any reason, to include perceived sexual orientation, will not be tolerated." A colonel stationed at a U.S. Army base said the new class work just adds to time away from combat training. "As you read the additional briefing requirements, again more and more time will be taken away from the real issues - training for combat," said the officer, who asked not to be identified. "Commanders of all levels seem to be obsessed with pleasing the political masters to get ahead, like little schoolkids." Another officer who has seen the Pentagon survey said, "I guess this would explain why the Navy can't give us a bigger pay raise because they are so busy spending our tax dollars on indoctrination and garbage like this." The debate over homosexuals in the military was revived in December by Mrs. Clinton, then by the president. "Don't ask, don't tell" began in 1994 and had received scant criticism from Republicans or Democrats until Mrs. Clinton spoke. Mr. Clinton, who relied on contributions and support from homosexual groups in the 1992 and 1996 elections, then called his own policy "way out of whack." Days later Defense Secretary William S. Cohen ordered the Pentagon inspector general's office to do a worldwide field survey to ensure the rule is being enforced fairly. A report is due March 13. The Army IG is also doing a review. The Army's Jan. 17 message is the first concrete response to political criticism over the young soldier's beating death. But the messages made clear the Army is not backing off enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell." The policy allows homosexuals to serve as long as they keep their sexual orientation private. An admission of homosexuality or engaging in homosexual conduct is grounds for discharge. "We expect commanders at every level to take appropriate action to prevent harassment of or threats against any member of our army," the message said. "Once again, we are determined to continue to implement the [Department of Defense] homosexual conduct policy with fairness to all because that is the right thing to do for our soldiers." A Navy spokesman said senior officials are due to meet soon to review enforcement of "don't ask, don't tell." He said there was no decision on anti-harassment training. The homosexual rights movement, which wants the ban lifted, asserts "don't ask, don't tell" is a failure because more people are being discharged today than in 1994 when the policy took effect. Proponents say the numbers went up because inductees are no longer asked if they are homosexual before joining the service - a practice under the old, outright ban. They also say people are announcing they are homosexual to gain an honorable discharge. The Pentagon IG is distributing the four-page, 33-question survey. It is divided into categories such as "Offensive Speech," "Harassment Based on Perceived Sexual Orientation," and "Policy and Training." One question asks: "How often during the past 12 months have you witnessed or experienced event(s)/ behavior(s) involving military personnel, on or off duty, who harassed another military person(s) because of perceived homosexuality?" The questionnaire states that the harassment can be a derogatory name, a hostile gesture, graffiti, denying career opportunities or unfair punishment. Another question asks if the person has heard derogatory names or jokes about homosexuals. Robert Maginnis, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and analyst at the Family Research Council, said the questions fit in with the homosexual agenda. "The IG's survey is a slap in the face to local commanders," Col. Maginnis said. "It communicates that Clinton's Pentagon is more concerned about pushing gay rights than other more important personnel issues like stemming the loss of quality personnel." "Every military survey has a message and this survey has a message. Not that we want to promote harassment, but this chills any criticisms of homosexuals. This communicates loudly that any criticism of homosexuals will be dealt with harshly." In August, the Pentagon, after saying "don't ask, don't tell" was generally working as planned, ordered the services to develop anti-harassment training "Don't ask, don't tell" is a compromise worked out by Mr. Clinton, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Congress after lawmakers rejected the president's bid to allow open homosexuality in the military. Since adoption, the Pentagon has fine-tuned enforcement with relatively minor rules changes, while certifying on at least three occasions that the regulation is executed fairly. The two Democratic presidential candidates, Vice President Al Gore and Bill Bradley, both say that as president they would lift the ban. But such action would require congressional approval, since lawmakers made the exclusion federal law. =========================================================== more in Part C ~~> **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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