Other Columns by Thomas D. Segel
Thomas D. Segel Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

Iraq and Congress -- Both Make the Gray Lions Roar
By Thomas D. Segel
October 3, 2002

If any body of Americans can speak out on the issue of war with authority, the combat veterans and retired military personnel are the citizens who know the topic from experience. These are not the chatterings of talking heads and pundits from radio and television or uneducated reports from the daily newspaper. These are the voices of our Gray Lions. These are the people, who were our nation's solid wall of protection from World War II until today.

These former warriors first voiced their opinions during those dark days following the attacks of September 11. Some of the names here may seem familiar to you, because they were among the first to speak out and the first to offer their services again to our country. Though their political positions differ and they have always been reluctant warriors....they would still offer themselves again, if needed.

John Boring is a retired Marine who lives in Arizona. He strongly calls out for help to get the President his Iraq resolution and find a way to get this country strongly backing the war on terrorism. He sees a large decline in support since the mass murders of that September morning one year ago. "There have been a lot of casualties in just one short year", he says. " More than 3,000 dead Americans, politics, the economy, fear of the unknown, whatever? It's all taken a toll and I'm afraid if we don't keep punching, we're going to lose this fight. This is not whether Bush is a good president or not. It isn't whether he is Republican or Democrat. This is about sweeping the universe of its monsters and giving a sense of security to the nation and the world."

Retired Army Colonel Harry Riley from Florida agrees. He says, "If we do not exercise some common sense, evaluate the mountains of evidence, and take action against Iraq on our terms, the next incident in our own country will dwarf what happened on 9-11 in New York."

Jack Wine is a retired Navy Chief from Hidalgo, Texas. He wants to remind everyone that "Saddam's track record is well documented. He has no conscience and will use his weapons recklessly." Wine feels that if we delay there will be another commemoration of a terrorist event, with much larger loss of both life and property. "Our President made a bold statement to the United Nations several weeks ago. Congress can put an exclamation point to his words by passing the Resolution of Authority, which will advise the world that we are coming."

The Gray Lions still rage about our War on Terrorism and how members of Congress attempt to use the issue for their own purposes. "We hear the Majority Leader in the Senate screaming that our president is questioning the patriotism of Democrats and using the war with Iraq as a political issue... when his own calculated comments and those of other leaders in his party are as political as anything can get", says Art Finely, an Army Vietnam War veteran in Arkansas. "What he should be doing is supporting the President and getting Senate work on the war completed...including the resolution on Iraq."

A voice out of Napa County in California is that of Vietnam veteran and Marine Jay Adams. In a scalding letter to his congressman, Mike Thompson, which was also posted on the Web, Adams writes he is infuriated by the representative's trip to Iraq. Adams calls it political grandstanding. He also calls the actions of the congressman and his two co-conspirators from that legislative body despicable.

He is enraged at Mike Thompson, (D-CA), David Bonior, (D-MI) and Jim McDermott, (D-WA). All three members of the United States Congress traveled to Iraq. They became apologists for that country's dictator, and accepted his word as truth. Adams is further angered that either by commission or omission, all three, while on foreign soil have suggested the American president would lie and mislead his own people.

"I will contact all the Veteran's organizations in your district," says Adams, "to garner support for your opponent. I will contact the media to get the message out on you and the other conspirators against the President and the people of the United States."

Another California voice is that of retired Marine Major Robert Morrisey, who served as Special Assistant to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. He reminds us, "It is necessary to review carefully some of our country's history of wars. Vietnam is still in the minds of the younger generation of Americans who fought in that miserable war and in the minds of those who protested it vigorously, denying a U. S. president a second term. How many Americans bled and died in Vietnam? For what purpose? Were the U.S. not a superpower, would we be so anxious to flex our national muscles?"

Far to the east, in New Hampshire, Mort Cherim, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant says, "I am saddened that we must go forward. I am saddened to think of the killed and wounded we will suffer and the innocent Iraqi citizens who may perish."

He has a sincere understanding there will be casualties. Still, he feels those losses must be sustained if we are to save the lives of innocent Americans in the United States and abroad, as well as the lives of those who are citizens of other democratic countries.

"I am of a mind that the United States, with its allies or alone, should go forward to disarm Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein. I am of a mind that if we don't go forward at this time, we will still be required to act in the not-too-far distant future. The more time Iraq has between 'now' and 'later' will ultimately cost us more casualties.", Cherim concludes.

Jack Terwiel is a retired Air Force Captain who states his opinion from Osan, Korea. "I agree that the only defense against terrorism is a strong offense. We need to go in and dig them out, including the supporters of terrorism.

"The alternative, voiced by many (politicians) is to avoid war and focus on domestic issues such as health care, education and the economy. Going this route will result in a country full of healthy, well-educated and rich corpses. Because we don't fight does not mean that they will stop attacking us. It simply means that we make their job that much easier.

Terwiel also cautions, "Those who don't believe the level of hatred felt against the United States should read the sermons so prevalent in the mosques. They will not be appeased. If we fail to act, they will only be facilitated in the goal to destroy western civilization."

In Alexandria, Virginia resides one of the older sages of the combat correspondent clan. Norm Hatch has often answered his country's call and the retired Marine Corps Reserve Major, has some thoughtful advice, "I don't think our 'bully pulpit' president has made his point for everyone to understand the immediate need for the preemptive strike he advocates. I don't agree that the public is waffling from fear of the consequences of action as much as they are from lack of sufficient information on which to base such actions. If he, Rove, Rice and the vice president had released cogent parts of the information that 60 Minutes had as a result of visiting the huge collection of Palestinian records out of Arafat's headquarters, he (the president) could have persuaded the majority to follow him.

Hatch concludes saying; "this is not a political party decision! The Donkeys and the Elephants should form a considered position based on facts and then determine if we declare war. And we should declare war, if that is the intent, so it is legal in the eyes of the world. We do not need any more police actions."

And finally a reminder from Navy veteran Greg Johnson that should be taken to heart. "Step with caution though this minefield. We need to remove this 'snake' from power, and soon. However, there needs to be some serious questions answered first."

The Gray Lions have remained, as always, cautious, but firm in their vision. They want this country to proceed with all possible caution. They also want it to proceed professionally and void of political gamesmanship. Finally, it is their wish that our people and leadership all understand our country, as we know it, can continue to exist only as... one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.