I’ll come straight to the point: The VFW and American Legion are so painfully out of touch with today’s Iraq and Afghanistan veterans that they have rendered themselves ideologically useless to those of us who have served in the current wars.
I wish this were not so. As America’s newest crop of veterans, we could really use their help right now. But instead, we get statements like this from the American Legion’s commander, Paul Morin:
Thank God there was no mandated timetable after the Battle of the Bulge or Iwo Jima. Thank God, there was no mandated withdrawal or imposed exit strategy at Valley Forge or our Country would have lost the American Revolution. Absent the removal of the restrictive language designed to influence military operations, The American Legion calls on all Members to defeat the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act.
I’ll forego picking that statement apart word-by-word, as to do so would only leave me drooling on the keyboard, staring at my monitor in utter amazement at the logic Morin uses. I only bring it up to illustrate how far removed from the front lines these service organizations have actually become.
While groups of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans like VoteVets.org have worked tirelessly over the past several weeks to ensure passage of both the House and Senate supplemental war funding bills, the American Legion couldn’t restrain itself from trying its very best to undermine VoteVets’ efforts with statements like this from Commander Morin:
This is an attempt to implement a congressional strategy by imposing timelines for the withdrawal of military personnel from combat zones through a "slow bleed" process by eventually reducing military funding.
And now that the Feingold-Reid bill is in the works, the VFW has nearly outdone itself by plastering this on the front page of its website as the main headline:
VFW Tells Congress to Set Aside Troop Withdrawal Language: New Reid Proposal Tantamount to Surrender
In explaining his rationale for the VFW’s view on the matter, George Lisicki, the senior vice commander-in-chief of the VFW, had this to say two days ago:
"The funding package contained artificial troop withdrawal deadlines that would ultimately break the morale of our troops in the field and directly jeopardize their safety.
. . . .
Along with Lisicki, VFW Commander-in-Chief Gary Kurpius was also disappointed to hear today that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) may introduce legislation that would immediately cut off funding for the war.
"By proposing this type of legislation, Senator Reid would be abdicating his responsibility to help protect and defend our nation, and his responsibility to the men and women serving in our armed forces," said Lisicki. "Simply put, it’s reckless and tantamount to waving a white flag of surrender to the enemy."
Lisicki said that if such legislation is introduced, the senator can be assured that the VFW will strongly urge its membership to work to defeat its passage.
I could stop here, moving on to commenting about how these groups don’t really support the troops as they say they do. But before I say what I want to say, let’s take a look at some more choice cuts that have recently come from the American Legion and VFW:
Last year, the VFW refused to endorse Iraq veteran and double-amputee Tammy Duckworth for Congress, and instead chose to support the chickenhawk Peter Roskam. It was explained this way:
World War II veteran Joe Buttice, a Wood Dale resident speaking for the national VFW’s political action committee, was unable to explain much about the endorsement other than to say Roskam "supports a strong defense for our country but also he took care of our local veterans at the same time."
I guess that’s to say they didn’t believe Tammy Duckworth would support a strong defense or take care of local veterans.
And last month, the American Legion’s Paul Morin meticulously rehashed George W. Bush’s hysterical Republican talking points on the current wars. Like this gem here:
Saddam Hussein’s outright defiance of U.N. weapons inspections not only violated the terms of his 1991 surrender after Operation Desert Storm, but it also made his regime a prime suspect in the spread of Middle Eastern terrorism.
His ties with al Qaeda were documented in an indictment brought forth by the Clinton administration. He provided medical treatment for al Qaeda terrorist leaders in Iraq and, as American forces closed in on Baghdad in 2003, he withdrew vast sums of money to fund the insurgent counter-attack.
Hahaha!
Two weeks ago, Morin continued kissing the President’s ass:
Recognizing our history as a Nation, The American Legion supports the Commander in Chief, the commanders on the front lines, and the men and women serving in harms way. We entrust Congress to do the right thing in supporting our military men and women who are fighting to protect our values and way of life.
That’s right. As a Bush supporter, that must mean wholesome values like unleashing a civil war, killing civilians, and wasting our once-vaunted military. Good job, Paul. Way to support the troops: By sending us into a meat grinder for no good reason without so much as a fucking plan.
Yet one reason why groups like VoteVets are hesitant to attack the American Legion and VFW is because of the advocacy work the two organizations do on behalf of returning veterans. While I applaud their efforts at assisting veterans, they are still doing more long-term harm than good. When you support a President that engages in elective warfare, you do not support the troops. When you support a President that sends troops into combat without proper equipment, training, and rest, you do not support the troops. When you support a President who cuts veterans’ benefits, you do not support the troops.
For every recent veteran the VFW or American Legion has assisted in filing a disability claim, they’ve helped to send dozens more into an unjust and stupid war in the desert. For every homeless Iraq or Afghanistan vet they’ve found shelter for, they’ve helped support a policy that has sent hundreds more to their deaths in Iraq.
Fortunately, today’s Iraq and Afghanistan veterans aren’t clueless enough to join the VFW or American Legion in large numbers. In fact, they’ve been staying away in droves. The reason is because these veterans are pissed. . . and they’re avoiding the older, more established and well known organizations for one reason: Those organizations—like the VFW and the American Legion—don’t get it. They’re too inflexible in their views. Providing a place to socialize, while doing some good advocacy work is great, but it doesn’t address the root problem of their potential members which is this: That troops need a group that will fight tooth and nail for their interests in Washington—and that includes getting veterans elected to higher office. And like the ignorant frog that remains in the water as it gradually comes to a boil, these groups seem genetically incapable of understanding that the Republican Party has betrayed them and their beloved military. They don’t get it. But Iraq and Afghanistan veterans do. And that’s why the VFW and American Legion are hemorrhaging members and closing posts all over the country.
In fact, the VFW won’t tune in to reality even when confronted by Iraq and Afghanistan vets who tell them just how wrong they are—as evidenced yesterday by Daily Kos’ DemMarineVet in his article called Nevada Democratic Vets Stand Up to National VFW Leaders.
If Commander Morin of the American Legion wants to talk about a "slow bleed," he should look at his own organization and its faltering membership. That’s a slow bleed. And it’s going to continue until the American Legion and VFW start actually supporting the nation’s most recent veterans—and stop undermining them. As it stands, these groups don’t support the troops. They support a failed policy and a failed Commander-in-Chief. They’re so consumed with fighting their own 40-year old battle with the ghosts of Vietnam that they’ve failed to grasp how times have changed.
UPDATE
6:13 CDT
Turns out that American Legion Commander Paul Morin is actually a phony. He never served in Vietnam as he has previously claimed. But would you expect any less out of these guys? The article is great. -- Hat tip to Steve M in the comments.
Full disclosure statement: While I am a member of VoteVets, I am neither paid by the organization, nor do I speak on its behalf on Daily Kos. The opinions expressed in this diary are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of VoteVets.org.