Basket of Medals No Substitute for Leadership

Letter to the Editor

After reading Mr. Hodges’ letter to the editor regarding the experience of John Mc Cain, I feel compelled to offer a few comments.

Mr. Hodges seems very impressed by the basket of medals the Senator bagged upon his release from captivity. And, on the surface, I can understand why such a gaggle of tin might impress the uninformed. But, upon closer examination, those with a military background are more likely to shake their heads.

Mr. Hodges also makes reference to Mc Cain’s “military combat command.” I’d like to know what he is referring to. Certainly NOT John McCain, since he has no military combat “command” experience.

I am, frankly, appalled that so many people buy into the “hero” status of Senator Mc Cain. I am particularly mystified that so many veterans think Mc Cain a worthy candidate. Ever since McCain got into politics, he has touted his “POW” status as being, somehow, relevant to the issues of the day. Nonsense! The very notion of the POW as “hero” is something the media came up with after the fall of Saigon. After spending years trashing the troops as “baby-killers” and “war criminals” it was the media who decided to crown the returning POW’s “Heroes.”

I don’t deny the terrible treatment and horrific conditions these men had to endure, but laying the mantle of “hero” on POW’s, while denying the same status to those who stayed in the fight, is the height of ignorance.

I find it ironic that McCain, who has frequently stated that “we don’t consider ourselves heroes”, has made his entire career based on his time as a POW.

Not to mention the unrelenting self-aggrandizing “Great American Hero” shtick he seems to find comfort in.

I spent two years in Vietnam. My first tour was as a grunt in the 5th Marines. I know, personally, dozens of real heroes. Men who spent month after month in combat, many returning to fight after being wounded. Many of these truly brave men got nothing in the way of medals and they were ten times the “hero” McCain ever thought of being.

Am I the only one who sees something very wrong with this picture?

Vote for McCain? Never! I’ll vote for Hillary or Obama first.

Richard Montgomery,

Florida

Alan Gray is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of NewsBlaze Daily News and other online newspapers. He prefers to edit, rather than write, but sometimes an issue rears it’s head and makes him start hammering away on the keyboard.

Content Expertise

Alan has been on the internet since it first started. He loves to use his expertise in content and digital marketing to help businesses grow, through managed content services. After living in the United States for 15 years, he is now in South Australia. To learn more about how Alan can help you with content marketing and managed content services, contact him by email.

Technical Expertise

Alan is also a techie. His father was a British soldier in the 4th Indian Division in WWII, with Sikhs and Gurkhas. He was a sergeant in signals and after that, he was a printer who typeset magazines and books on his linotype machine. Those skills were passed on to Alan and his brothers, who all worked for Telecom Australia, on more advanced signals (communications). After studying electronics, communications, and computing at college, and building and repairing all kinds of electronics, Alan switched to programming and team building and management.

He has a fascination with shooting video footage and video editing, so watch out if he points his Canon 7d in your direction.