My Photo
Name:
Location: United States

Volunteer, formerly in hospice and long-term care chaplaincy

Sunday, April 18, 2010

EMAILS - # 4 "news that wasn't on TV"

To: Friend 1
From: 
Date: March 30, 2010
Subject: Re: Fwd: Fw: news that wasn't on TV


I am thankful that both presidents visited the wounded and the grieving at Fort Hood.

I am disappointed that people invent stories. The writer asks for a sign that President Obama respects our country, but I think the question is, what does it mean that we have so many emails that don't respect the facts? There's plenty to debate without fabrications mixing in!

I believe we can be very proud of both presidents at that time.



Mrs. Randy Royer, wife of the soldier in the photograph, told Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/military/forthood.asp
"On Fri the 6th, Pres Bush and his wife made a visit to us, no frills, no press. It was awesome. They are down-home, normal people. They were able to visit with us and the other soldiers in the ICU. The pic was taken on my cell phone and I had sent it to a few people and somehow it got around, but we don't know who or why the email was started. We really appreciated Pres Bush and Laura taking the time to visit the soldiers, especially with all they had gone through. We also had many other visitors in the following days, including Pres Obama and Michelle. They were just as friendly and concerned and were able to speak to us after the Memorial Ceremony."



The Wall Street Journal reported:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125785674871941029.html
NOVEMBER 10, 2009, 6:20 P.M. ET
Thousands Honor Fort Hood Fallen

By ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON and BEN CASSELMAN
FORT HOOD, TX -- As President Obama saluted the 13 men and women gunned down here Thursday by a fellow soldier, sadness and patriotism mixed with anger and unease among thousands of people who crowded the memorial service Tuesday afternoon.
Soldiers in camouflage, family members and local residents joined army and government officials in mourning the victims of one of the worst incidents of soldier-on-soldier violence in U.S. history.
"Their memory will be honored in the places they lived and by the people they touched," Mr. Obama said. "Their life's work is our security, and the freedom that we too often take for granted."
The president spoke in the blazing sun on windswept parade ground, backed by a stark white stone headquarters building festooned with an American flag, snipers on its rooftop. On the stage, portraits of the dead stood before 13 pairs of boots, and helmets hung atop a rifle.
....
Many of those attending the service said they were grateful that the dead were being honored and their friends and family comforted.
"It means a lot that the president actually came," said PFC Marquita Walker, 30, there with her 13-year-old daughter, Diamond. "It's a really terrible tragedy."
But others were upset that nobody in the Army detected the major's problems before the shooting.
"I'm pretty angry that it was allowed to go on as long as it did," said Michelle Rutledge, who was there with her 13-year-old daughter Carrera. "He should have been watched more closely."
....
The memorial at sprawling Fort Hood—the nation's largest Army base, with its second-largest soldier population—was a traditional military tribute that included hymns, a roll call with the names of the dead and a firing of three rifle volleys.
Camouflage-clad soldiers snapped to a salute as the national anthem played, and many murmured along when Gen. George Casey uttered the words of the warrior ethos: "I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat."
....
Mr. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrived at about noon and began their day on the base with a private visit with the families of those killed in the attack. After the memorial they visited with those wounded in the mass shooting, more than a dozen of whom are still hospitalized.
Standing apart from the crowd after the service, Sgt. Lavell Lathan said the ceremony had been "one way to have a closing so that we can start healing." The president, he added, "made me feel like their sacrifice wasn't in vain."
Write to Elizabeth Williamson at elizabeth.williamson@wsj.com and Ben Casselman at ben.casselman@wsj.com
Copyright 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved



FactCheck spoke to a Bush spokesman and reported:
http://www.factcheck.org/2010/02/bush-at-ft-hood/
"The e-mail contains a grain of truth. President George W. Bush did visit the wounded at Ft. Hood only a day after the tragic Nov. 5 shooting spree on the base, as was reported publicly at the time by a number of news outlets. But since then, we’ve had a steady stream of queries about this chain e-mail’s description of the visit, in which the author embellishes the facts considerably. Army officials would not comment, so we spoke to Bush spokesman David Sherzer, who was happy to set the record straight.
"Sherzer described the visit as being "as spontaneous as a visit from a former president can be" — it was planned that same day. But Sherzer told us that Bush’s visit was coordinated with base officials, that he did not refuse escort, and that he did not overstay his welcome. As for the part about President Obama telling him to leave, Sherzer said that’s simply not true.
"Bush’s home in Crawford is a one-hour drive from Ft. Hood, and he did go to the base after being contacted by Ft. Hood’s commanding general, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone. "It is accurate to say he did drop everything to go," Sherzer said, but he added that "we went about it in the appropriate way, which was to coordinate with the base personnel and Secret Service." And Bush stayed for about two hours, not the six the e-mail claims.
"Sherzer told us that Lt. Gen. Cone had requested that Bush and Mrs. Bush visit with the wounded and their families, after Bush sent his condolences. The former president was "honored to be able to do that," Sherzer said, but he coordinated with the base to make sure he was coming at an appropriate time. He was not stopped at the gate, as described in the e-mail, because he was expected and because he had a Secret Service escort.
"Sherzer emphasized that Bush is very respectful of the Secret Service’s role, which includes escorting him safely from place to place. He does not simply barrel into the car without alerting them, as the e-mail describes. The e-mail also says that Bush told soldiers to "s hut up" when they offered him escort. In fact, Sherzer told us, Ft. Hood officials — who knew about his visit in advance — greeted Bush when he arrived and escorted him throughout the visit. "He would never do anything like what’s described in that e-mail," said Sherzer, of the claims that Bush rebuffed protection.
"Finally, Bush was not sent away by Obama. "The part about being asked to leave by the White House is completely false," Sherzer told us. Bush spent about two hours at the base and left, Sherzer said, because he did not want to take resources or time away from those who were helping the victims and families.
"As for the claim that Obama did not visit the hospital, the White House sent us press reports showing that Obama visited both ambulatory and non-ambulatory victims, and the families of the dead on Nov. 10, though much of the visit was not public. The e-mail is correct that this was several days after Bush’s visit on Nov. 6. But it’s not the case that Obama never went to the hospital."
–Jess Henig
Sources
Sherzer, David. Interview with FactCheck.org. 11 Feb 2010.



The Times' report:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/us/11hood.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print
November 11, 2009
President, at Service, Hails Fort Hood’s Fallen
By PETER BAKER and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
FORT HOOD, Tex. — President Obama took on the role of national eulogist on Tuesday for the first time since assuming office as he led the country in mourning 13 active and retired soldiers gunned down not on a foreign battlefield but here on their home post by one of their own.
Standing in front of 13 sets of boots, rifles, helmets and photographs, Mr. Obama vowed that the memory of those slain in a rampage here last week would “endure through the life of our nation.” One by one, he listed the names of those killed and described their hopes and dreams and the families they left behind.
“It may be hard to comprehend the twisted logic that led to this tragedy,” the president told thousands of soldiers and relatives gathered here at the nation’s largest Army post. “But this much we do know: No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts. No just and loving God looks upon them with favor. For what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice, in this world and the next.”
Although Mr. Obama had spoken at the funeral of Senator Edward M. Kennedy and made a post-midnight visit to Dover Air Force Base to salute the returning dead, this was the first time he had served as the nation’s comforter at a time of major tragedy. These are moments that can define a president, as when Bill Clinton eulogized the Oklahoma City bombing victims or George W. Bush gave voice to the anguish of a nation after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
.....
At American Legion Post 573 along Veterans Memorial Highway, a dozen veterans sat solemnly as Mr. Obama spoke. Kevin L. Bradford, 72, a Vietnam-era veteran who dislikes Mr. Obama so much that he said he would fly a flag at his house at half-staff until the president leaves office, praised his remarks. “I think it was a good speech, a very good speech,” Mr. Bradford said. “I know it was from the heart.”
But David Cronk, 25, a disabled Iraq veteran, was not so sure. “It was well-written,” Mr. Cronk said, “but I think he needs to do a little more from the heart. I can tell when someone is reading from a tablet and when someone is speaking from the heart.”
The service was on a bright, warm afternoon five days after the attacks at a processing center for deploying troops, where witnesses said Major Hasan opened fire after saying “Allahu akbar,” Arabic for “God is great.” Mr. Obama, accompanied by the first lady and military leaders, met with survivors of the attack and loved ones of those killed.
Security was tight amid the playing of taps, the singing of “Amazing Grace,” the roll call of the missing and the ceremonial volley of gunfire. More than 100 massive shipping containers were stacked to form a wall around part of the field, while sharpshooters were positioned on the roof of the III Corps building behind the lectern.
....
Many soldiers and relatives expressed gratitude that the president had come to help them grieve, with many breaking into tears.
“It’s great that the president takes the time to come when there is so much on his plate,” said First Lt. Steven Aoyagi, 24, a helicopter pilot. “It’s good to know this won’t get swept under the carpet, because a lot of soldiers don’t feel safe right now. They need to have confidence in their leaders.”
Staff Sgt. Lorena Brand, 40, tears welling in her eyes, said the visit would focus national attention on the troops and the continuing terrorism threat. “Those of us who serve, it seems we’re always being overlooked,” Sergeant Brand said. “So his coming, it puts the military and soldiers first, instead of feeling we’re always at the bottom of the list after the firefighters and police.”
As Mr. Obama spoke, soldiers wiped away tears. “It really doesn’t matter what he says,” said Specialist Beau Taylor, who was injured by roadside bombs in Iraq and watched the ceremony on crutches. “It’s his presence here that really matters.”
James C. McKinley Jr. and Ray Rivera contributed reporting.

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company


Lotsa love!


******************************************************
----- Forwarded Message -----

From:
To:
Sent: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:31:49 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Fw: news that wasn't on TV

Subject: Fwd: news that wasn't on TV


The doctor  had his TV on in his office when  the news of the  military base shootings at  Ft. Hood , TX came on.  The husband of one of his employees was stationed  there.


He called her into his office and as he  told her what had happened, she got a text message  from her husband saying, "I am okay."  Her  cell phone rang right after she  read the message.  It was an ER nurse,” I’m the one who just sent you  a text, not your  husband. I thought it would be  comforting but I was mistaken in doing so. I am  sorry  to tell you this, but your husband has been shot 4 times and he is in surgery."

The  soldier's wife left Southern Clinic in Dothan , AL and drove all  night to Ft. Hood.  When  she arrived, she found out her husband was out of surgery and would be  OK.
She rushed  to his room and found that he already had visitors  there to comfort  him.
He was  just waking up and found his wife and the visitors  by his side. The nurse took  this  picture. 

What? No news  crews and cameras? This is how people with  class respond and pay respect to those in uniform. 
I sent my  cousin in Fayetteville , N.C. (Retired from  Special Forces) that picture of Geo. W. visiting  the wounded at    Ft. Hood .  I got this
  reply:

What is even better is the  fact George W. Bush heard about Fort  Hood, got in  his car without any escort,  apparently they did  not have time to react, and drove to Fort Hood.   He was stopped at the gate and the guard  could not believe who he had just stopped.  Bush only asks for directions to the  hospital then drove on.  The gate  guard  called that "The President is on Fort Hood and  driving to the  hospital.."

The  base  went bananas looking for Obama.  When they  found it was Bush, they  immediately offered  escort.  Bush  simply told them to shut  up and let him visit the wounded and the  dependents of the  dead.   
 
He stayed  at Fort Hood for over six hours, and was finally  asked to leave by a message from the White  House.

Obama  flew  in days later and held a "photo" session in a gym, and did not even go to the  hospital.

All this I  picked up from two soldiers here who happened to  be at Fort Hood when it happened.   
This   Bush/Obama/Ft. Hood story is something that should  be sent to every voter in the  US .  Those who  wanted "change" certainly got  it. 

 Someone, PLEASE, show  me anything that will tell us that Obama has ANY respect for the country he leads! I'm  looking for just a little sign of respect!



                 The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from

                 your inbox. ....Get started.

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. - Abraham Lincoln

Attachment converted: Macintosh HD:image00111.jpg (JPEG/«IC») (0035CDE1)



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Labels: , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home