Letters - Marine Corps Community, discussions, blogs, photos & video - Marine Corps Times

Letters

A CASE FOR MISSLE DEFENSE

Unlike President Barack Obama’s plan [“Obama enacts new missile defense plan,” Sept. 28], we need a long-range missile defense system. Long-range missile systems can be used on short- and medium-range missions, but short- and medium-range systems can not be used on long-range missions.

What long-range missions must we prepare for? NASA wants a system that can bump or nudge near-Earth objects and redirect them so that they miss the earth. NEOs, asteroids and comets can end life on Earth.

The president must be convinced to keep and improve our long-range systems.

— Army Capt. John Sweeney (ret.), Portland, Ore.

THE BIGGEST FAKER?

In June, Colorado veterans learned that Rick Glen Strandlof, a high-profile, politically active man who claimed to be a former Marine captain and Iraq war veteran was a phony.

His story of deception garnered national media attention following his interview by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. On Oct. 1, after a U.S. Attorney in Colorado filed charges against Strandlof for allegedly falsely claiming a Silver Star and Purple Heart [“Embattled Colo. Man charged with violating Stolen Valor Act,” Oct. 12], his story again generated a media frenzy. Eight days later, he was arrested in San Diego and for a third time, he headlined national news.

What is the fascination with Strandlof? Compared to the many cases I and other faker watchdogs like the POW Network review every week, Strandlof’s is minor.

Two weeks before Strandlof was charged, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California filed Stolen Valor charges against Kenneth Jerome Nelson, who falsely claimed the Silver Star, a Navy Cross and three Purple Hearts. His case is more egregious, and yet other than a Marine Corps Times article [“Memorial caretaker accused of wearing unearned medals,” Oct. 5], not a word has been written about Nelson. He even duped a California TV station that profiled him as a hero last fall.

I support what is happening to Strandlof. He brought it upon himself and deserves everything he gets, which unfortunately — based upon what we’ve seen in Stolen Valor sentences in past cases — will probably be less than he deserves. But compared to Nelson’s case and many others, Strandlof’s case is not the worst. Why doesn’t the media cover others as thoroughly?

— Former Army Sgt. Doug Sterner, Hall of Valor Curator, Pueblo, Colo.

WAR IS NOT A GAME

There is no alternative to victory.

The last time the U.S. decided to truly engage in a war, our leaders designated Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, known as a patriot and a warrior, to plan, gather his troops, equipment and supplies, and with determination, take us to war to win. He won.

Since that time, our leaders have “played” war, spending money and American lives without the determination to win.

Warriors do not play war. They fight to win. There is no substitute for victory.

Americans are tired of our civilian and military leaders wasting American money and lives. When America’s true leaders decide to stop playing and win this war, they will send not a few battalions for six months to a year, but sufficient numbers of Marine and Army divisions with sufficient equipment and supplies to fight for as long as it takes to win.

To do less is criminal, cowardly and un-American.

— Army Capt. Joseph A. Edwards (ret.), Oceanside, Calif.

SOCIAL WEB SITES USEFUL

Commander’s and senior noncommissioned officers look at social networking Web sites as security threats. They should get with the program.

They don’t see the potential of such sites, even though President Barack Obama uses them. Social media can be harnessed for useful purposes. Troops check social networking sites more than their government e-mail accounts.

The military community should have our own version of these sites and encourage more use of public ones.

— Senior Airman Markeis McCray, Charleston, S.C.

NO HARM TO READINESS

I’m writing in response to your article on Air Force Col. Om Prakash’s essay that favors allowing homosexuals to serve openly [“Essay in DoD journal makes case for openly gay troops,” Washington, Oct. 12]. As the article noted, the essay appearing in Joint Force Quarterly does not mean the military agrees with Prakash’s conclusions. I believe most active-duty senior officers disagree with him. However, in today’s politically correct climate, few are willing to speak out and risk their careers.

I am bothered that the article says 12,500 people have been discharged for being homosexual since 1994 without putting the figure into context. First, some of those discharged for being gay or lesbian were self-referrals, meaning they told their command their sexual orientation knowing they would be discharged.

Also, 12,500 might sound like a lot, but it is the total for a period about a decade and a half long. Only a fraction of a percent of the armed forces numbering more than 2 million was discharged for being gay during this period.

The bottom line is that discharging homosexuals, when put in context, is not a significant drain on military readiness. On the other hand, there are those who predict that if the law is changed to allow gays to serve openly, a significant number of people would not enlist or re-enlist.

— Cmdr. Wayne L. Johnson (ret.), Alexandria, Va.