-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! Former Rangers to begin protest march Trek to D.C. draws attention to Army's controversial beret decision ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- By Jon Dougherty © 2001 WorldNetDaily.com A pair of former U.S. Army Rangers is set to begin a 750-mile march from Ft. Benning, Ga., to Washington, D.C., to protest Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki's decision to allow all U.S. troops to wear the Rangers' coveted black beret. According to a statement issued yesterday by supporters of the march, former Ranger Dave Scott, 42, of Montana and David Nielson, 30, of Virginia will begin their trek today. The march is in protest of Shinseki's Oct. 14 decision to issue the elite beret to all soldiers, regardless of level of training. Current and former Rangers, as well as other members of elite Army units -- such as the Special Forces, who wear green berets, and airborne troops, who wear maroon berets -- have complained about the decision, but Scott has said one of the march's goals is to attract the attention of President George W. Bush and Pentagon officials and hopefully get the ruling reversed. If the decision is not rescinded, however, Shinseki will make it official during a commemorative event honoring the Army on its recognized birthday -- June 14. "Accompanying them on the first mile of the march will be Gold Star Mother Sandee Rouse and her husband Bill Rouse," the statement said. Dawn Markwell, the Rouses' daughter, will also join. All three are family "of Ranger medic James W. Markwell," who was "killed in action during Operation Just Cause in Panama." Operation Just Cause was launched Dec. 20, 1989, by President George Bush to depose Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega after the National Assembly of Panama declared war on the U.S. "When we wear the black beret, it will say that we, the soldiers of the world's best army, are committed to making ourselves even better," Shinseki said in a speech to the annual convention of the Association of the United States Army last fall. The Army chief also said the beret would be a "symbol of unity," but Scott and others have said they believe the decision may actually have an effect on unity and morale opposite to that which Shinseki is attempting to achieve. Scott said he and Nielson plan to hike 25 to 35 miles per day. They will be wearing customized boots resoled by a business in Montana, near Scott's home. Reports say he is planning on spending about $2,000 on the trip, with several groups -- including the American Legion -- expressing support for the march. Some have questioned whether Scott and Nielson's march will do much to persuade Shinseki or the Pentagon to reverse the beret decision. And, as WND reported Jan. 30, the Pentagon has already placed the order for the berets to be manufactured. According to a U.S. News and World Report "Washington Whispers" item published Dec. 25, the Pentagon has secured contracts worth $24 million to have the berets manufactured by a host of companies. Only one company -- the Bancroft Cap Corp. based in Arkansas -- is from the U.S. The majority of the estimated 3.7 million berets will be manufactured overseas, including 309,000 by Chinese firms. Bancroft is manufacturing a third; the rest will come from China, South Africa, Romania, Sri Lanka, India and Canada. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
