Many of you don't understand why I believe in Winter Soldier, or what I think Winter Soldier is going to be about. It's hard to explain, especially when you find yourself coming up against gaps. You can read my piece in the SIT-REP, if you're lucky enough to be by a base where that hot little newspaper is going around.
But pictures and video are worth far more than a thousand words. Don't let me tell you-let the close friends of mine who made this video, Steve Mortillo and Jason Washburn, tell you, in their own words.
These guys are among those types of voices I've been talking about: young, strong veterans, proud of their military service, proud of the services they love (Trust me-you should be there when we all get going about which is better, Army or Marines), and with a strong love of their country. And like myself, they are proud members of Iraq Veterans Against the War. You probably haven't heard of them much-but hopefully you will. These guys are tough-they're doing a 25 mile ruck march next weekend to Valley Forge that I wish I could join them for.
And this video is nothing short of amazing. The footage is all soldier (yes, Jason, and Marine) shot.
If you've ever wanted to get inside my head, or those of the IVAW members like me. If you've ever wondered just what drives some people to speak out. If you are curious about just what this Winter Soldier means. If you are a friend, a frenemy, or even the gentleman-opposition peeking in.
Watch it. You won't regret you did.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Clearly, Marines are better than Army types...
Awesome! Sweet page! Thanks for posting our video, Army Sergeant. You freakin' ROCK, my friend. Semper Fi!
Are you going to be at the hearings next month?
I'm part of the security detail.
You crazy Marines!
Also, I will be at the hearings next month, and will look forward to being protected by you, unhappycamper. :)
No reaction to the video from your buddies yet, huh? TSO? Keohane? Anyone? Bueller?
V-word: frqtmc
"No reaction to the video from your buddies yet, huh? TSO? Keohane? Anyone? Bueller?"
Well, okay - Keohane! Me.
In that the video does show the terrible cost and tragedy commensurate with every and any war, and what the civilians and soldiers go through and bear, it is a commendable work.
Yet when Jason speaks of us all being lied to and "accepting it at face value", he makes the same mistake that many of your side do: you assume that people who disagree with you, including a great many soldiers and Marines who have and are fighting there, are simply "accepting", and further, have fallen for "lies". That is not the case.
The lying theme is popular among many who are operating in something like an echo chamber. So many say it so often it must be true. Many other folks know, though, that that was not the case.
Much of the horror and tragedy show and spoken about, and very much that of civilian casualties, could also have been shown and talked about in much the same way of the six weeks of Operation Overlord that began on D-Day. Between 12 and 20 thousand French non-combatant civilians were killed, mostly by Allied air and naval bombardment. Yet the world and even the French still recognize that in spite of that tragedy, loss and even horror, France was liberated from an evil despotism.
That was only one six week period in one theatre of that war. Much of the same happened elsewhere in Europe, Africa and the Pacific. War is terrible. Sometimes, there are things worse than war, at least to those who are not genuinely COs.
I commend you for a work that is no doubt the honest perspective from your side, but I would have been more praiseworthy if you credited to those who disagree something more than either lying or accepting lies.
The video will be warmly received by those who think as you do, which is fine. It will not, however, be convincing to those who disagree.
Yeah, I saw no need to comment but since I'm called out, slick production, lacking the context and logic one would hope for.
VFF sucks by the way.
"VFF sucks by the way."
Stick and stones, etc.
I stood with them in September (they allowed some of us geezers to join them), and I'll proudly stand with them in April if they need me.
You'll do whatever it is you do?
Sarge,
I posted this e-mail in its entirety. Reason is self-explanatory.
http://keohane.blogspot.com/2008/02/vietnam-vet-replies-to-ivaws-video.html
Post a Comment