WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! ARTICLE 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Changing Times. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Although Times are changing, good, up-front and caring leadership are still the foundation of combat ready units. Keith McWilliams is a true Citizen Soldier. He enlisted in the Army 1942 and served in the Iowa National Guard until his retirement as a Brigadier General in 1975. His civilian career was a distinguished as his military one. A lawyer by profession, he was a General Counsel for the selective Service System, served as a Bankruptcy Judge and as a counsel in San Diego for over 25 years. Keith McWilliams still shares his vast experience with his fellow soldiers as a member of the SFTT Board of Trustees. You can reach him at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************************************** By Keith McWilliams, BG AUS, Ret In 1952 I assumed command of "B" Company, 168th Infantry, 34th Division, Iowa National Guard. I had just returned from Ft. Benning where I had completed the Associate Advanced Course. We firmly believed we would be mobilized for the Korean War. It was incumbent upon us to have our units ready for the anticipated mobilization. "B" Company was the smallest company in the Regiment and the morale of the unit was rock bottom. Things needed changing and this was a challenge to me as a young captain and fledging lawyer. I had served as a platoon leader with the 349th Infantry in Italy, but never had the responsibility as a company commander. In 1952-53, we had recruited several new members, either veterans or non prior service men. It was "difficult" for some of the men to attend the training weekends or the drill nights. It was called AWOL. It was necessary, on occasion, to have two sergeants, with side arms, find the absentee and escort him to the unit for training. There were two habitual AWOLs, who were a problem. They became the example. Under the Iowa Code of Military Justice, a company commander had the authority to conduct a summary Court Martial. The two men were charged and convicted of AWOL. They were sentenced to 5 days in the County jail, incarcerated by the Sheriff and served their time. As I recall, I visited them each day, to insure they knew the "Old Man' cared. The end result: Two outstanding Soldiers. They were both ultimately promoted to NCOs. They didn't have any COO training nor ACLU defense lawyers. As a Company Commander I was able to use the authority granted to me, by Law. Neither the Battalion nor Regimental Commander "micromanaged" my rights and duties as a Company Commander. The attendance problem with the men in the unit was corrected. In a short period of two years, after this incident, the Company was the largest company in the Regiment. These principles of leadership are lost in today's society. I realize we cannot turn the clock back 50 years, but we can turn to some common sense wisdom and stop coddling the Soldier as reported in the pages of this Newsletter. =============================================================== ARTICLE 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mother of HMO that goes to War Hits the Road - Military / Veterans Health Care Update ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Our lawmakers are still half-stepping. Retirees must make a more concentrated effort to fight for their rights. ************************************************************************ By Pete Peterson, Contributing Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dr. Sue Bailey, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs for the last two years and a board-certified psychiatrist, is the administration's pick to be director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Senate, of course, must confirm her nomination to the next job she's not qualified for. If TRICARE wasn't in such sad shape following her tour, the move would be "Hillarious." Look for more grand schemes after she settles in. Time for the rest of the country to Buckle Up! Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-VA, announced sponsorship of a bill that would extend to all 1.3 million Medicare-eligible military retirees the same benefits that are now available to 450,000 of them. That includes an $8 co-payment (90 days) if the prescriptions are filled by mail order and a 20 percent co-payment (30 days) when acquired in retail pharmacies. There is no deductible. Warner called the measure "another step forward in the effort to keep commitments made to military retirees, primarily the promise of health care for life." Isn't that precious? Another half-step forward! Certainly not a full yard, Senator Lott! Of course, there was no mention of action on dozens of other health care improvements imbedded in House and Senate Bills that Warner, Lott and the congressional committees have been ignoring. This bone was thrown only to those retirees who have been unceremoniously dumped on MEDICARE. The rest of us will just have to continue to cope creatively with the fickle and frequent rule changes in TRICARE and VA until Congress gets the word. Warner was answered, in part, on 8 May when a "50 Star" Letter was hand delivered to him on the subject by Army, Navy and Air Force General and Flag Officers. It was signed by two 4-stars, six 3-stars, nine 2-stars, and six 1-stars, all Virginia residents. Politicians have always seen the military, retirees and veterans as politically safe targets. They've tampered at will with funding affecting every aspect of our lives for decades, but they can't keep them in sync, or more correctly, in "parity." We surmise Warner is still having trouble keeping his "horses" working together. We wonder how long this game would last if VET organizations and Retiree organizations started working together against their common threat, instead of working single issues along their own organizational agendas. Right now, it's not happening. This perpetuates the divisions between Vet and retirees and allows Congress to continue to treat us all very differently and unfairly. Wouldn't that be something? One voice with 28 Million members telling our government we're not going to take it anymore. It worked for AARP! VET organizations have, by and large, been AWOL in their support of the grassroots retiree health care effort and the bigger fight that includes overhaul of TRICARE. Turning from indifference to apathy, a hand salute to the 200 or so retirees and their supporters who turned out on 11 May for the "All Veterans Muster on the Mall" in Washington and at 'mini-mall' events across the country. A special salute to the lone retiree in California who manned his post in a congressional district that has 75,000 military retirees, none of which came out to help him improve our health care situation. It's hard to believe with so much at stake that 1.8 million victims of the broken health care promises could be so conspicuously absent from the fight. As one retired General we know recently put it: "They'll (the apathetics) be first in line for their benefits when we are successful." Yes sir, you're probably right. There's a lot of that "me-thing" going around these days. Speaking for myself, my pride in my retiree group is tarnished a little more every day by the apathy that seems to exist. A big salute goes to the active duty wives who could see in their crystal balls what lies ahead for their families if the grassroots effort can't get health care improved for all of us. They turned out while many retirees slept in. =============================================================== ARTICLE 11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GI HUMOR - Tips For Bosses of Military Planners ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Caution! Many of these sound funny but are nothing but the bitter truth. Power point and Perfumed Princes in charge make for hell on earth for many staff officers. *********************************************************************** 1. Never give me work in the morning. Always wait until 1800 hours and then bring it to me. The challenge of a deadline is refreshing. 2. If it's really a "rush job," run in and interrupt me every 10 minutes inquire how it's going. That helps. Or even better, hover behind me, advising me at every keystroke. 3. Always leave without telling anyone where you're going. It gives me a chance to be creative when someone asks where you are. 4. If my arms are full of papers, boxes, books, or supplies, don't open the door for me. I need to learn to function as a paraplegic and opening doors with no arms is good training. 5. If you give me more than one job to do, don't tell me which is the priority. I am psychic. 6. Do your best to keep me late. I adore this office and really have nowhere to go or anything to do. I have no life beyond work. 7. If a job I do pleases you, keep it a secret. If that gets out, it could mean a promotion. 8 If you don't like my work, tell everyone. I like my name to be popular in conversations. I was born to be whipped. 9. If you have special instructions for a job, don't write them down. In fact, save them until the job is almost done. No use confusing me with useful information. 10. Never introduce me to the people you're with. I have no right to know anything. In the military food chain, I am plankton. When you refer to them later, my shrewd deductions will identify them. 11. Tell me all your little problems. No one else has any and it's nice to know someone is less fortunate. I especially like the story about having to pay so much taxes on the new Navigator. 12. Wait until my annual efficiency report and THEN tell me what my goals SHOULD have been. Give me a mediocre performance rating. I'm not here for the money anyway. =============================================================== ARTICLE 12 - MEDAL OF HONOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ed.: Korea 1950. Leadership from the front in brutal hand to hand combat. The following comment says it all about the man this article honors: Colonel Carl Sitter USMC Retired died several months ago in Richmond, VA. He was a true American Hero. Carl was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions as a Captain at Chosen Reservoir. I met him in 1969. I was a young Army Captain. We were both in civilian clothes but the MOH rosette said everything. He was always modest and never enjoyed people fussing over him. But, he did enjoy talking about Pappy Boyington and others who would meet at the inauguration. Those of us who knew will miss this giant. Charles R. Rogers CWO4 USA Ret If you would like more info on MOH recipients and their stories, please email James H at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************************************* SITTER, CARL L. Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Company G, 3d Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein.). Place and date: Hagaru-ri, Korea, 29 and 30 November 1950. Entered service at: Pueblo, Colo. Born: 2 December 1921, Syracuse, Mo. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as commanding officer of Company G, in action against enemy aggressor forces. Ordered to break through enemy-infested territory to reinforce his battalion the morning of 29 November, Capt. Sitter continuously exposed himself to enemy fire as he led his company forward and, despite 25 percent casualties suffered m the furious action, succeeded in driving through to his objective. Assuming the responsibility of attempting to seize and occupy a strategic area occupied by a hostile force of regiment strength deeply entrenched on a snow-covered hill commanding the entire valley southeast of the town, as well as the line of march of friendly troops withdrawing to the south, he reorganized his depleted units the following morning and boldly led them up the steep, frozen hillside under blistering fire, encouraging and redeploying his troops as casualties occurred and directing forward platoons as they continued the drive to the top of the ridge. During the night when a vastly outnumbering enemy launched a sudden, vicious counterattack, setting the hill ablaze with mortar, machine gun, and automatic-weapons fire and taking a heavy toll in troops, Capt. Sitter visited each foxhole and gun position, coolly deploying and integrating reinforcing units consisting of service personnel unfamiliar with infantry tactics into a coordinated combat team and instilling in every man the will and determination to hold his position at all costs. With the enemy penetrating his lines in repeated counterattacks which often required hand-to-hand combat, and, on one occasion infiltrating to the command post with hand grenades, he fought gallantly with his men in repulsing and killing the fanatic attackers in each encounter. Painfully wounded in the face, arms, and chest by bursting grenades, he staunchly refused to be evacuated and continued to fight on until a successful defense of the area was assured with a loss to the enemy of more than 50 percent dead, wounded, and captured. His valiant leadership, superb tactics, and great personal valor throughout 36 hours of bitter combat reflect the highest credit upon Capt. Sitter and the U.S. Naval Service. can you find something on him??? ============================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EDITOR'S NOTE: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Article Submissions: as a rule of thumb, please try to keep article for possible publication to 750 words or less. We do make exceptions and will not turn away an 800 to 900 word piece. Please make every editing effort not to exceed these guidelines and SUBMIT IN WORD FORMAT, if possible! Much appreciate your effort. What we're into is getting the word to as many citizens as possible about what is causing our military machine to fly like a B17 with 3 engines on fire (and that plane still flew!). Watch your flanks - the bad guys are still out there!!! R.W. Zimmermann [EMAIL PROTECTED] ============================================= GLOSSARY OF MILITARY ACRONYMS: We've had numerous requests from troops in different branches of the military to establish this link so that we will all know how "all you others" talk that talk. Please see below: http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/acronym_index.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***** BOOK SALES ***** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hack's books About Face*, Hazardous Duty*, The Price of Honor* and The Vietnam Primer can be found at www.hackworth.com. They make a great addition to any library. We are offering them at special SFTT price. ==================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Defending America Newsletter: Administrative Volunteers: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ R.W. Zimmermann, Chief Editor, President of SFTT, Mine Detector and "Gunner" David H. Hackworth, Spirit Guide, and undisputed Y2K Expert Bill Rogers, Senior Assistant Editor and SFTT Vice President Kate Aspy, Contributing Editor and Oracle Barry "Woody" Groton, Chief TECH DROID and Medicine Man Ed "Edgar" Schneider, Copy Editor, Man of Letters and gentleman: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kyle Elliott, Book List Editor and Most Over-worked James H., MOH Editor and NCOIC =================================================== Defending America VOLUNTEER EDITORS/SPECIALISTS NOTE: The following list only includes the two primary assistant editors for each service or special area. Please refer to our WEBSITE for the complete listing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ALL Letters and Articles for considered publication should be submitted to one of our brave, resolute and caring volunteers. **************************************** **************************************** U.S. Army: Tig Dupre, Civil-Military relations, weapons expert and Senior Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] CPT Scott Key, Armor, Generalist, Assistant to Chief Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] Robert L. Duecaster, Legal [EMAIL PROTECTED] ********************************************** ********************************************** U.S. Navy: Mark Crissman, Naval Aviation, Generalist and Senior Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] John J. 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