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Thursday, August 21, 2008

McCain campaign excuse is always "POW"

Was John McCain a POW? Yes, but so were all of these. Does that mean they get to run for President too and cover anything they did after with the fact they were a POW? Does the fact McCain was a Senator after in any way, shape or form take away from these others? Does it mean that whatever McCain did after does not matter because he was a POW? See, this is what the media keeps missing.

12 February 1973 was the beginning of Hanoi's release of U.S. POW's and the last 67 held by the DRV left Hanoi 29 March 1973.

http://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~ebolt/history398/PeaceAccords&ReleaseOfPOWs.html




Nam-POW List
543 POWs who are active members of NAM-POWs Corporation are listed alphabetically with Rank & Service at Capture, Country where captured (see code), A/C Flown or Ground, Missing Date, Release Date and the number of days they spent as POWs. It should be noted that deceased POWs and non-members are not included in this list. Full listing of 802 POWs can be found at the following address: http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/pmsea/files.htm Look under Status "EE" (Escapee) or "RR," (Returnee). This page has been accessed times since December 31, 2001.

http://www.nampows.org/nampowslist.html



What caused this? Today, yet again, McCain and staff used the fact McCain was held as a POW when they were trying to address the fact McCain did not know how many homes he owns. They came out with McCain only had one home during Vietnam and that was a prison. Big problem is that if they keep using the POW part of McCain's life to excuse all he has done after, then that would mean it's all McCain has to run on. He cannot run on his record as being a veteran because simply, his record as a veteran stinks. He doesn't vote for them and now he's even talking about a draft. He didn't stand up and say the troops need the rest time between deployments and he never once came out and said how he would "win the wars" he claims he knows how to win or how to catch Osama when he says he knows how to do it.

Aside from the Vietnam POW's and the missing who still have not been accounted for, we also have the missing from Korea, which was over 8,000 and the other wars. We also have these from Iraq who were held as prisoners.

Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41 Army reservist assigned Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad Ann Arbor, Michigan On October 23, 2006, Altaie was categorized as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon changed his status to missing-captured on December 11.


Spc. Edgar Hernandez 21 507th Maintenance Company Mission, Texas Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad.


Spc. Joseph Hudson 23 507th Maintenance Company Alamogordo, New Mexico Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad.


Spc. Shoshana Johnson 30 507th Maintenance Company El Paso, Texas Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad.


Pfc. Jessica Lynch 19 507th Maintenance Company Palestine, West Virginia Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 2, 2003, by U.S. troops from Saddam Hospital in Nasiriya.


Pfc. Patrick Miller 23 507th Maintenance Company Walter, Kansas Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad.


Sgt. James Riley 31 507th Maintenance Company Pennsauken, New Jersey Was missing after an Iraqi ambush at Nasiriya on March 23, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad.


Chief Warrant Officer David S. Williams 30 Company C, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment Florida Captured after his AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter was shot down near Karbala, Iraq, on March 24, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad.


Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young 26 Company C, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment Lithia Springs, Georgia Captured after his AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter was shot down near Karbala, Iraq, on March 24, 2003. Rescued April 13, 2003, north of Baghdad.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/pow.mia/



When it comes to being a POW, McCain has a lot of company. When it comes to being a veteran, he has even more. But when it comes to answering for what he says and does after, he needs to answer for it all and stop hiding behind all the other people who have been also held captive as a POW. McCain may be the most famous POW this country has known, but while we know his name, the truth is, none of us really know him. By the looks of it, we never will. He says one thing one day and then something else the next day. If he has his way, no one will ever ask him any serious questions about what he's done since Vietnam.

Now his latest is Jim Webb's GI Bill was not good enough and that's why he didn't want it to pass. The truth is, he was saying it was just too generous and would cause the troops to leave service. McCain's biggest problem is not that he was a POW, it's what his mouth has done. He forgets he's on tape. As for him claiming he's a "war hero" that one really doesn't hold him up higher either when it comes to the truth. We lost a Medal of Honor hero from Vietnam who finally got the award. We've also lost heroes who have given up their lives for the sake of others. McCain, well, he's been living his life as if he's owed anything more than any other veteran or POW. And I do mean "more" because he doesn't want them to get the best care possible and doesn't want all of them to be taken care of by the VA either. It's really a wonder why more veterans are not standing up and demanding McCain finally earn the glory he's been given all these years while he takes away the real honor we owe all of them.

Hero, well that belongs to all of the men and women who have served and yes, a special place should be held in our hearts for all the POW's, but that special place does not dismiss accountability. It does not allow him to do and say whatever he wants and everyone in the country is supposed to be afraid to ask him to explain himself. It does not allow him to call or elude to anyone who disagrees with him as being any less patriotic. It does not allow him to get a free pass on anything. Especially when it comes to taking care of the troops and our veterans. If anything it should require him to be held to a higher standard considering the power he's held as a Senator all these years. A position he wouldn't have come close to being afforded had he not been a POW during Vietnam. He wants to use it instead of thanking God he survived it and show appreciation by taking care of all who came after him. McCain thinks he's the only one who should matter because he's the only one who matters to himself.

I am not writing this as a chaplain right now but as a person who thinks McCain has let down veterans and the troops while he wants to excuse it all away by being a POW veteran. It just really is a shame he didn't use his power for the greater good instead of himself.

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