War and the Media and a Tad of Politics

I never like to discus my political views but I am sure by the end of this posting you will understand my views fully. Right now Defense Secretary Gates is bringing the battle to the EU for more support for Afghanistan in terms of more troops. Some of our own potential Presidents for the next election are speaking of total withdrawal from the battle zones. Yeah, our sons and daughters would have fought in vain and have fallen for nothing. Is this what we do as a Democratic society? My son was born on 9/11/86 and when the towers fell he wanted to fight these animals who brought terror upon us. He is not alone in this endeavor as all our soldiers serving me and you do so as a volunteer Army. Some of them have had to make choices and some have chose what is in their hearts. They are our children and deserve to have us stand by them. They deserve much more than they receive not only in pay but services. Looks like the General was right in regards to a surge in Iraq. Why wouldn't a surge in Afghanistan work? Please join me in writing your Congress person in requesting that the effort in Afghanistan is stepped up. In closing I want to share a passage from General Giap of North Vietnam.

Giap's memoirs...

(Gen. Giap was a very famous and knowledgeable

General in the North Vietnamese Army.)

General Vo Nguyen Giap.

General Giap was a brilliant, highly respected leader of the North Vietnam military. The following quote is from his memoirs currently found in the Vietnam war memorial in Hanoi:

"What we still don't understand is why you Americans stopped the bombing of Hanoi. You had us on the ropes. If you had pressed us a little harder, just for another day or two, we were ready to surrender! It was the same at the battles of TET. You defeated us! We knew it, and we thought you knew it. But we were elated to notice your media was definitely helping us. They were causing more disruption in America than we could in the battlefields. We were ready to surrender. You had won!"

General Giap has published his memoirs and confirmed what most Americans knew. The Vietnam war was not lost in Vietnam -- it was lost at home. The exact same slippery slope, sponsored by the US media, is currently well underway. It exposes the enormous power of a biased media to cut out the heart and will of the American public.

A truism worthy of note: Do not fear the enemy, for they can take only your life. Fear the media far more, for they will destroy your honor.

When placing your vote, do so thinking of your trooper. I apologize in advance if I have offended any one with this post. I do love all the Paratroopers with the 173rd and want them to come home proud of their sacrifices.

Larry Arnone

San Francisco

AKA Bluestardad (And I want to keep it that way)