Our Soldiers Sign Their Own Letters

Long before it was common knowledge that Bush and Rummy have been using facsimile signatures on the KIA letters, I had been thinking about a scene I saw in a movie.  In it an actor, portraying the President, was signing letters to the parents of fallen heroes. Saving Private Ryan had a similar scene where letters were written home to parents.  Several other movies have also ingrained this idea that our elected officials are really at that level of participation in the process informing relatives that their son/husband/father/brother or daughter/wife/mother/sister had given the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

More after the bump.

As I sit here, waxing nostalgic about my own time in the Navy, I think back to my days as a personnelman, a glorified records keeper. I have used a facsimile signature myself.  I used it to sign records at the direction of my boss, a not-so-nice Chief Petty Officer that, more often than not, disagreed with me in almost every way.  I used it on personnel records for officers that were retiring and for transient personnel sent to meet their ship, only to find out it had sailed last week. I never used nor would have ever used my boss' facsimile signature on something important. In fact, I asked him to sign my discharge after I typed it up.  

I feel it is the height of disrespect to use a facsimile signature on letters informing families of their loved ones' demise. It is really a simple, easily performed task for the Commander in Chief and the Secretary of Defense to sign those letters themselves.  As a part of my naval duty, I also performed on the color guard for military funerals. I have seen first hand the devastation of those left behind. And to think that our leaders do not even have the courtesy to sign their own letters at a time like this--and for a war that they wanted and continue to support.

This leads to my point.

I have been running my own miniature version of the "phone cards for soldiers" drive that was a hot topic here a week or ten days ago now.  I am glad to report that as a result of these efforts, a flyer with tear-off addresses to send phone cards to the soldiers has been posted in the following areas:

      ·United Airlines in Richmond VA (where my sister works)
      ·The Surveying/Engineering company my brother works for in Denver, CO
      ·Courthouse and Government complex, Cumberland VA (where I live)
      ·Stores, hair salons, restaurants and churches in this county
      ·My doctor's offices in Farmville VA
      ·School Board/District offices and the schools in the county

Add to this, the importance of the Cumberland County Democratic Party Committee's help in logistics and publicizing of the message and the support of my family in making this their cause, as well as mine, and you'll get an idea of how uplifting this show of support has been for me.

As I was going about my business this week, still recovering from back surgery, posting these fliers for phone cards, I went to the Post Office to get my mail.  Now, I am not so popular that I get handfuls of mail, anytime; however, yesterday I had a letter that had, as it's return address:  WRAMC-MEDFAC, Washington, DC.  With trepidation, I opened the letter, and it said:

Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave.
Bldg 2 Room 3E01
Washington DC 20307

3 December 2004

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your very generous donation to the Wounded Soldiers from Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Noble Eagle.  It is so gratifying to see the outpouring of affection for those men and women who serve our country so bravely.  It is you, the American people, who make this country what it is and makes us all proud to be Americans.

Again thank you for your generosity.

Very Respectfully,

Joseph D. Lee
SSGT, USA
NCOIC MEDFAC

I felt like someone had punched me in the face.  I felt weak in the knees. I went to my car and bawled like a baby.

As I looked at the letter later, I saw that the "signature" did not match the name. Just imagine--Sgt. Lee has had the embarrassing good fortune to receive so many letters and gifts of support, that he has to have help sending out thank-you letters to people. And you know what?  The helper signed his/her initials. There was no facsimile signature on my letter. It made me think: Why do I rate higher than the family of a fallen hero?

So--send more phone cards and/or Christmas cards to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital. Send anything you want, but don't forget that these men and women have gone to protect us from the rest of the world, in a misguided deed (at best), and a catastrophe for our entire military and our country.  They didn't choose which war to go do their jobs in.  Now they will pay for the rest of their lives and with parts of their bodies, just so we can remain free.

Disagree with the war all you want; but, let's not forget who goes and actually carries out the orders, illegal and legal, right and wrong.  Not that you would.  In fact, this community has lit so many fires of hope in people's lives already and ignited a change of perspective to the many and varied aspects of our most recent unpleasantness.

I am a Veteran.  I am a Father.  I am a Reform Democrat.

Mark