Sunday, May 25, 2008

Thanks to Our Military this Memorial Day Weekend!

(Stockton, California)
 
    I was at a John McCain rally in Stockton on Thursday and was struck by how many people in uniform are supporting him. McCain, of course, is a Vietnam veteran. He was a Navy fighter pilot who was shot down and spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war (POW) in the dreaded "Hanoi Hilton." So, it's not surprising to see a lot of veterans at his rally.
 
    Al Lennox was in the Navy, serving in Vietnam. "John McCain understands the needs of veterans," Lennox said. "He will be such a great President. He completely understands dealing with veterans in the modern world."
 
    Certainly there are other veterans who support other candidates. For example, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), a retired Navy Admiral, is backing Hillary Clinton. And retired General Tony McPeak, who once commanded allied forces in Iraq, is backing Barack Obama. My point is, that without the military, our freedom to vote for whom we wish would not exist. A strong and well-supported military means we can vote Democrat, Republican, Green, Independent, etc. So this weekend we need to remember those who died defending our country and the others who fought with them and are still with us today.
 
    Al Lennox is a McCain backer, but he is also the incoming State Commander of the American Legion. With that in mind, I asked him for a more bipartisan comment about what his hopes are for this weekend in terms of public recognition. "It's huge," he said. "If everybody would just pause and reflect on our country - reflect on how many veterans died and fought for our freedom - we, as veterans, would be extremely grateful." He also added, "Enjoy your families!"
 
    
Depicted in this photo are veterans who now reside in Sutter Creek, California. From left to right they are: Kit Meitinger (Army, Vietnam); Bob Cozad (Air Force, Vietnam); Al Lennox (Navy, Vietnam); and Richard Barghooan (Navy, Vietnam).
 
    
Also present at the McCain rally was a group of Lao veterans. They fought on the U.S. side in Vietnam and now live in freedom in California.  God bless those, young and old, who have served and protected our country.
 
    I will be in Wisconsin and Michigan this week, covering Memorial Day and looking ahead to this week's big Democratic National Committee meeting concerning the fate of the disputed Michigan and Florida delegates.
 
 



Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)