For those of you who are not yet familiar with the story that General Petraeus received the Bronze Star for Valor under questionable circumstances, try this diary or this one which is snarkier and has pictures.
Possibly they were in a state of "homosexual panic"
(see above). But when the folks at Redstate saw my note to CENTCOM, they freaked and even blocked my IP address. Seems they are losing the courage of their conviction that Petraeus is a military saint.
From Howard Kurtz's column, Washington Post, September 21st
Erick Erickson at RedState notes how ugly things have gotten after what he calls "MoveOn.Org's attempted smear job. So, how is the left responding? Simple. They are calling into question General Petraeus's bronze star and whether he really has earned all the medals he wears." He links to this Kos posting on the medals question.
I'm sorry I can't put the same Redstate link Kurtz did into the above - my browser is immediately misdirected when I attempt to go anywhere at Redstate.
While Redstate, like all conservative blogs, faithfully disseminates all Al-Qaeda videos. They felt my note was too "enemy-ish," I guess. I'm still fuzzy on how the opinions of a left-wing, blood-curdling atheist support Salafism more than dissemintaing Islamist propaganda, but here is the offending note:
Subject: "Request For News Event Confirmation"
Soldiers,
Thank you for your service.
The Defense Department has released a great many stories of the heroism of the winners of the Bronze Star for Valor and higher awards. It has allowed Americans of all political opinions to keep their eyes on the sacrifice our service members make for their county when in the fight.
I was, however, unable to find a story about the presentation of the Bronze Star w/ V device to one of the most senior officers ever to be recognized with this award, General David Petraeus.
The Fort Campbell public affairs office did not have the story of their commander's winning the award in his first combat, but helped me to understand that the underlying information would be in the General's "201" which, as I understand it, would follow him to his new command.
Obviously the officers involved in the citation and award were very few and senior and the entire circumstance must have been extremely notable. According to a study released by the Army:
"American solders expect their senior leaders to exhibit physical courage and to face the dangers of combat without flinching," and these exhibitions of bravery, "...positively affected the confidence and morale of soldiers far from the actual fighting" during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I would imagine, therefore, that the story of this award and the unusual events of valor which led up to it are available somewhat readily and in a reasonably short form, similar to this:
http://www.defenselink.mil/...
....if not as detailed. I would appreciate the opportunity to share in that story, if some small document may be made available at your early convenience.
Thank you again for your service. All of you please take care of yourselves and those in your command, should you have that burden and high privilege. Everybody shoot straight and true and get home quickly and safely.
Honored,
[My Name]
Of course I did also reprint this note I wrote "Tank(top)" of National Review Online about a week ago. The term "0-8" refers to a Major General in the army or person of equivalent rank in another service.
Subject: How Many 0-8s Have Gotten the Bronze w/ V? Ever.
Dear Mr Smith,
I think you will not look into the question of the highly unusual awarding of a combat valor medal to an 0-8 somewhere in the period between 2003-2004 because that person's name is Petraeus and it would be politically inconvenient for you to do so.
Or, I am wrong and this is an insult to your journalistic ethics and you will do your job.
Hoping I will need to apologize,
[My Name]
And, okay, I did get a little snarky when I related how I wrote two weeks ago to the BGA's over at the Tom Clancy Homosexual Romance site "Blackfive" (ooh, shivers) and they have not answered.
And I do apologize to the decent, honest, patriotic, much-disrespected, homosexual Americans who might read this that I love making light of the Republican combination of pig-ignorant backwardness and closeted homosexuality. But I do. And they can't stand it. But it's not nice.