The New VA Chief Nomination.

The Prez's new appointment to be VA Chief sounds good on paper. I am a midget so not a big deal what I think. The big news is that he is a West Point Graduate and business type. His education at West Point costs us a cool mil, minimum. For a great education he had to pay back five years. What I have noticed with West Point, "ring knockers," as we call them: They have loyalty to West Point, not necessarily to the military that serves the country. So, is he a good choice and does touting his West Point connection make him the best. Maybe, he is a paratrooper and this gives him points. VA has some problems and I do think they overall get a bad wrap. Thinking one man is magic, what the f..k are we smoking!!! 

A NO HITTER

Sometimes in life, things happen to you that defy explanation. Not that it is all that unorthodox but still there are times in your life that are "gee whiz" events. I just had one. Sharon, a really good friend, fought breast cancer for two or three years. To say that she was pretty remarkable before the breast cancer diagnosis would be an understatement. After the diagnosis, she ramped it up several notches. 

Cancer is such an insidious disease and it never affects any two just alike. Sharon did everything right. She fought it: a double mastectomy, clinical trials, you name it. None of it worked. All of us who knew her had no doubt she would beat it. She didn't. 

Sharon's life had never been easy. Fighting for things, the child who had to be the parent to a mother with mental illness. Always she was charging. My goodness. A marriage that died because of a narcissistic physician husband who believed what people told him about physicians' place in the Trinity. Finally, divorced, relieved of this burden, she went to school; working, making contributions in her community, her church. In a word, she was fantastic. Her loss to the universe--the collective holes in our hearts; we thought the universe might possibly sink under the weight of our grief. 

Now gone a couple of years, her husband, Nick, calls me. "Want to go to a ballgame." Did I mention that Sharon's sport passion in life was baseball. She didnot just love it, she breathed it, her overwhelming interest; the SF Giants. Equally she loved the Oakland Athletics. Let's face it, she loved baseball. She knew the players, stats--she believed in the strategy. Want to get in a discussion? Start talking about the game being slow. "You have to understand the strategy," she would emphatically say. She could have easily been an announcer or better still, a manager. 

(To Nick, on a game) "Sure." 

"Well, there are a couple of day games." To be honest I was not all that excited (I love to watch baseball but mainly from the comfort of my living room where my ADD could multitask). She mildly chastised me a couple of times for getting restless at games. She only put up with me because I was always up for going mostly to anything, but, for her, my company at baseball was just fine. 

Nick mentioned, "I feel compelled, haven't been to a game lately and Sharon would want to go." I didn't take much convincing as a flood of memories swamped me. So, here we are going to the game. We don't even have tickets. We did make it: went to the ballgame. Saw a "no hitter," We were stunned. I am convinced that Sharon made it happen. She loved baseball and the two people she loved most in the whole world were at the game and she needed to make it special and what better way than a "no hitter." A miracle. ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾

Iraq

Watching these columns of ISSI trucks in the desert snaking their way toward Baghdad maybe. A half dozen F15s could have laid waste to this group. If we are going to do something, let's do it and get the hell out. Why would we wait on the Iraqis, we have been doing that for years and they haven't done s..t. 

VIETNAM Confession

I heard today a really interesting statistic: 75% of Vietvets are dead. Wow. It is true of my old unit. It reminded me of something confessing at this late date of my life. I am not sure if I told you but when I first got to Germany this Lieutentamt came to see me as he had orders for Vietnam and I had just returned. We had a talk and he left out of my office, got in his MG and defected to Sweden. It got to be a big joke: don't be letting people talk to the chaplain, they'll go AWOL (absent without leave).  Although most took it as a joke, the commander didn't. He became convinced that I talked the Lieutenant into deserting. The commander and I were already at odds, however.  It was a missile unit and he thought I was gone from the headquarters. I disagreed and felt my job was visiting the troops. The commander reported his suspicions to our higher headquarters. Some Major came out to question me. I denied saying anything to the Lieutenant that would cause him to go AWOL. The Major was gung HO, pretty arrogant and I eventually told him to kiss my behind. It was a very tough time in Germany in general. Many of the soldiers had just come from Vietnam. They had been at war and here the Army wanted them to soldier, spit shine boots, etc. They weren't having any of it. Lots got involved in drugs. Many, simply crashed and burned. I blame the Generals and higher ups. They didn't do anything to help. The racial climate was awful. As for my situation, it blew over. 

Did I suggest to the Lieutenant that he should consider another course of action. Yes. I told him what Vietnam was like. That he had a good chance of getting killed, that I had become disillusioned with the war and that I would probably go back to Vietnam because I had an obligation to the troops. Yes, I confess, I probably encouraged him to defect. 40 years later, how do I feel about it. I wish I had talked more into it. 

Richard Pearl

If I am not mistaken, Tommy Franks, the general who led the American invasion of Iraq, called Richard Pearl, one of the NEOCONS, the dumbest man in America. I heard Richard Pearl today on NPRs "Take Away." I think Gen Frank (Although he is not blameless on Iraq) had something but Pearl is in mainly a sense of denial about what is. No politician/General or someone like Pearl will admit they "fucked up."

INCOME EQUALITY

A couple of nights ago, NPR (National Public Radio) profiled a youngster in Washington DC who is the valedictorian of her class, Anacostia High. She is homeless. My wife went to Anacostia High.  

This youngster is an example of why "income inequity" is a crucial issue. Here's a rhetorical question. How many of us are moved/inspired by this story enough to get financially involved? I venture to say that most of the NPR audience would be more likely to help than most.  Those who have the big bucks probably wouldn't do s..t. 

My wife tells me, "wake up and smell the roses," greed is what drives the super rich, many of whom made enough money in the stock market yesterday to fund this homeless youngster through her entire college years. 

In a real sense, our philosophy is simply f..ked. F..ked being the strongest anachronism for the moral ineptitude of most  "Mericans."

"Of my father's children, I love myself the best. If the Lord provides for me, the devil take the rest." 

SCAM

"Mericans" are the most generous people on the planet, let's face it. The Sunday NYT had a story about how orphanes in Cambodia are using kids, many who have parents, to vigorously tug the heart strings of wealthy individuals. In other words, suckering the donors. 

I thought of my Army experience in Korea with orphanges. (We still have 40,000 troops in Korea). The soldiers invariably get involved with orphanages. And, not a bad thing. These orphans are not "orphans" in the strict sense but a cultural thing. Koreans don't believe in promiscuity. Oh yeah! Guess what? It exists in Korea. The female, sans husband, is hidden away; D day and then the baby, at some point is taken to some public place and abandoned, in a responsible way--very organized and never discussed. (Koreans, that I love, wrote the book on denial). The police come, get the baby, take it to a baby orphanage. "Mericans" in the military get involved. I sponsored a six year old. I would get him from the orphanage, take him to the American Camp and let him spend the day: good eats, a present. A feel good thing. I had to teach my little troop how to use an indoor bathroom. I demonstrated. He got it. 

STUPIDITY PERSONIFIED

Honest Abe is reported to have said, "I am not bound to win but I am bound to be true. I will stand with any man when he is right. Stand with him while he is right and depart from him when he goes wrong." I have been a big supporter of the President but if we are stupid about Iraq, I will have to depart from him. The very fact that he is uttering thoughts of intervening is beyond the pale. 

Intervening in Syria was a much better option. But, Iraq, a country that threw us out! Give me a break! Based on the present government, their absolute impotency; and an army that has alienated the people and deserts in the face of armed opposition, what the hell are we thinking. The Mideast is a caldron of confusion and we need to stay the f..k out of it. We have to take responsibility for many things--failure to have a "crystal ball" for one. But, allowing the NEOCONS to lead George W into the Iraq morass is almost unforgivable. Let's face it, for who they were and especially with hindsight, the Iraqis were doing fine with Saddam. 

I don't remember all the players and don't have the emotional energy to call up their mistakes. But, the first one was the General who was suppose to administer the peace. Then there was Paul Bremer. I don't want to give him the benefit of the doubt. Here is where we begin with the idea that we could screw up a two car funeral possession. Bremer was either incompetent or stupid as he singlehandedly dissolved the Iraq Army. 

What happens is what often happens is not only lack of commo but a bunch of civilians sitting around pontificating like war is some sort of f..king chess game. Colin Powell in particular should have known better. Originally, they were going to dismantle just the Republican Guard and keep the Iraqi Security Forces but in former SecDef McNamara's words, in the Fog of War, it all got f..ked up.  

We came in under an umbrella of stupidity--weapons of mass destruction being the major one. With the Army disbanded, along with the institutions of the country, there was no way of insuring the peace. Attempting to impose an American type democracy was like dropping a turd in the punch bowl. We f..k up. 

But, in our own way, we tried to rectify things and gloss over the mess we created by throwing money at it. We pumped billions of dollars into reconstruction in trying to create a democracy, even in the mist of corruption. It didn't work and then a wonderful thing happened, they threw us out. And, now, even hearing the president utter these words of possible "options." What in the f..k is he thinking? 

INCOME INEQUALITY

A couple of nights ago, NPR (National Public Radio) profiled a youngster in Washington DC who is the valedictorian of her class, Anacostia High. She is homeless. My wife went to Anacostia High.  

This youngster is an example of why "income inequity" crucial issue. Here's a rhetorical question. How many of us are moved/inspired by this story enough to get financially involved? I venture to say that most of the NPR audience would be more likely to help than most.  Those who have the big bucks probably wouldn't do s..t. 

My wife tells me, "wake up and smell the roses," greed is what drives the super rich, many of whom made enough money in the stock market yesterday to fund this homeless youngster through her entire college years. 

In a real sense, our philosophy is simply f..ked. F..ked being the strongest anachronism for the moral ineptitude of most  "Mericans."

"Of my father's children, I love myself the best. If the Lord provides for me, the devil take the rest." 

HILLARY

I just listened to an interview with Hillary Clinton about her book, "Hard Choices". None of these people ever admit they f..ked up. Every situation is told from their perspective which is more fiction than anything. What galls me is that scores of "Mericans" will buy her book and reinforce the fiction. 

POW or DESERTER

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the last known American POW, was freed after five years in captivity — an ordeal that began and ended in Afghanistan under a shroud of mystery."

The shroud of mystery becomes pretty clear once you read the exchanged emails between the soldier and his dad. In the weeks before he walked away into the shadows, he was becoming more and more disillusioned. Going AWOL in the Afghanistan environment would have to be some kind of dumb move. It is not like an experience I had in Germany with a LT who had orders for Vietnam. I had just come back and he was quizzing me. He left my office, got into his MGB and went to Sweden. Afghanistan ain't Sweden. 

There are so many issues surrounding this soldier. His email messages are crucial as examples of the type of wars we've been fighting and what role social media plays in them--crazy. Us Vietnam vets can't conceive of being in a firefight at war and it is over, "have to email home." What the heck is this! 

Unbelievable. Think about it: a lonely, disillusioned emotionally unsophisticated soldier in the wilderness of Afghanistan emailing his Dad these views of what is going on. At best the emails are a distraction and at worse, they often destroy morale or create disillusionment like that of Bergdahl. Bergdahl appears to have brought with him ideas that are wacky (at least to me) and at the same type, "Alice in Wonderland," wakes up in a new world every morning. 

I've read the Rolling Stone article. Good writing but with RS, always an angle. A Rolling Stone reporter did in General McChrystal. And, who knows about that. My Gen. Chrystal conspiracy theory is that he outsmarted the reporter. McChrystal knew that Afghanistan was a "fast train to nowhere" and this was a chance to escape. How best to do it, criticize the commander. 

In order to really get it, you have to understand the mindset of soldiers. It is a herd mentality and one that is geared, under almost any circumstance, to bitch and piss and moan as we call it, about their leaders. Look at Bergdahl's emails, putting the bad mouth on "Merica's" approach to the war. (This guy is a private, in military parlance, he is only allowed to breathe, not think).

"I am sorry for everything here," Bergdahl told his parents. "These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid, that they have no idea how to live."

 Is this true? Probably, but, his "perception" (a person's perception is his reality but does not mean it is accurate) of what is. (Tom, you are the first one I heard this from). He then referred to what may have been a possible traumatic event: (RS) seeing an Afghan child run over by an American vehicle. "We don't even care when we hear each other talk about running their children down in the dirt streets with our armored trucks... We make fun of them in front of their faces, and laugh at them for not understanding we are insulting them."  

According to Rolling Stone, he concluded his e-mail with what, in another context, might read as a suicide note. "I am sorry for everything, the horror that is America is disgusting." Then he signed off with a final message to his mother and father. "There are a few more boxes coming to you guys...feel free to open them, and use them."

Bob Bergdahl responded to his son's final message not long after he received it. His subject line was titled: OBEY YOUR CONSCIENCE!

"Dear Bowe," he wrote. "In matters of life and death, and especially at war, it is never safe to ignore ones' conscience. Ethics demands obedience to our conscience. It is best to also have a systematic oral defense of what our conscience demands. Stand with like minded men when possible." He signed it simply "dad."

His dad is also culpable in my opinion. Knowing his son, this is not the message to give hIs son in the wiles of Afghanistan. He gave his son permission to go AWOL. (Absent Without Leave). 

We too are at fault. It is a sorry war and we have put our soldiers in impossible situations. Did the president do the right thing in getting Bergdahl home? I think so but now Bergdahl has to face the consequences of his actions. I feel sorry all the way around. There are no winners here. We could learn valuable lessons but I doubt we will.