THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 3, 1994 TAG: 9412030002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor - ``That's all I can stands, 'cause I can't stands no more.''
In the past, I have withstood shocks to my personal dignity and suffered them like the government-issue item I am; I griped loud and fast, and got over it. What I cannot bear, however, are the deep wounds being inflicted upon my character and integrity and that of the good men and women I have had the privilege to serve with these past 14 years. What put me past my breaking point? Two things.
The first occurred in Haiti where I recently served as a member of the U.S. peacekeeping and multinational forces. While standing my duty within the Joint Task Force headquarters, we received a visit from the two generals charged with keeping order in Haiti until its legitimate leaders could resume their rightful place.
It was standard policy that all personnel cleared their weapons upon entering the headquarters to ensure there were no accidental discharges within such a confined area.
When I noticed the generals had a bodyguard and this bodyguard was carrying a loaded weapon, slung across his chest, barrel leveled at those of us who had been told to stand by for the general's walk-through, I was at first confused, then outraged. Not only was this practice unsafe (you don't point weapons unless you intend firing them), but I considered it highly insulting. Were we not all on the same side? Were we considered a threat by our own leadership? Am I missing something?
And, now, a member of Congress has taken it upon himself to indict all of those serving on active duty in North Carolina as being threats to the safety of the very commander in chief they serve. How dare he implicate the members of the armed forces through his partisan posturing and delusory visions. We are not a threat to our commander in chief or any other person, civilian or military, in our chain of command. To assume such, to speak such, is the height of insult.
We on active duty are as much Republican as we are Democrat (and I have met at least one libertarian). There are people who profess individual views from the far-left liberal to the far-right conservative and every political bent in between.
Our common bond, however, is that each of us has sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and have accepted the charge to follow those orders and directions of the individuals appointed over us.
We have all done this freely, with no mental reservation - we are a volunteer force. If any of us chooses to remove our commander in chief, we do it as our Constitution mandates: We vote!
R. J. WYSOCKI
Virginia Beach, Nov. 23, 1994 by CNB