The Dishonoring of U.S. Veterans

Cross-posted at Stand For the Truth

Vet-shirtThis weekend marked the “Million Vet March” in Washington, D.C.  The march was comprised of thousands of veterans, young and old, who simply had enough of the Obama Administration’s attempts to keep them out of memorials and other sites owned by the “people” of the United States and earned by the veterans who have served this country.

The crowd reportedly demonstrated and then physically removed barricades that had been ordered by the President to be erected around memorials following the recent government shutdown.  The veterans were joined by several Republican Congressmen, including Senator Ted Cruz from Texas and Senator Mike Lee from Utah.

While the group remained peaceful, they were large in number.  At some point, the veterans decided to carry the torn down barricades (cleverly renamed barrycades) to the front of the White House where they eventually stacked them against the White House gate.  It was a show of frustration by these veterans and a statement to the President that the American people and not the government own the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial and even the White House.

BWeDMLXCUAER1a4The crowd sang “God Bless America,” other patriotic songs and yelled “Tear down these walls,” a reference to the famous speech delivered by then Republican President Ronald Reagan to then Soviet Union President Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” referring to the Berlin Wall.

Although, many of the demonstrators at this weekend’s march were elderly and non-confrontational, that did not stop this President from releasing the heavy artillery as a show of force against this unarmed and peaceful crowd.  Surely anyone watching the mounted police, officers in riot gear, armored trucks and the like, could see that this was a shameful act of intimidation by President Obama.  As you may recall, even though President Obama wanted this weekend’s group of veteran disbursed, he once welcomed Occupy Wall Street’s demonstrators and their long-term camping out in Washington, D.C.

BWeJlK9CIAAPuYAIn looking at videos and pictures of the veteran’s event, I was reminded of another shameful show of force against veterans; that of President Herbert Hoover’s use of military force against World War I Veterans in Washington, D.C. in 1932.

Approximately 10,000 veterans “bonus army” and their families descended upon Washington, D.C. to demand that the “bonus certificates” that they had received from the government, be cashed in for money.  The government had previously promised that they would honor these certificates upon request.  However, because of the Great Depression, the government reneged on its promise.

Even the Senate rejected these World War I Veteran’s demands.  After congress adjourned for the summer, the cowardly senators left or sneaked out of back doors and through underground tunnels to avoid the veterans because they knew that their decision would be unpopular.  Instead of standing in solidarity with the veterans, like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, those members in the U.S. Senate in 1932 turned their backs on them.

download (3)Like President Obama, progressive President Herbert Hoover also took a stand against the military personnel who had served their country.  He too called out the “big artillery” just like Obama, but in his day it was General MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower.  Also, in the ranks was General George Patton.

When the veterans refused to leave because they believed justice had not been served, 200 Calvary men along with 400 Infantry men with tanks, stormed the Washington Mall and tore down tents in their makeshift camps and destroyed their possessions.  If that was not bad enough, MacArthur, ignoring orders from President Hoover took it upon himself to also burn down their shacks.

Like Obama, who allegedly retired for the evening during the horrific attacks in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, when four men, including a U.S. Ambassador, called for backup from this President, history also recorded another president, President Hoover, who looked out the window and with full knowledge of the destruction that was taking place went to bed.  The American public turned against President Hoover after his disgraceful treatment of the veterans and did not re-elect him.

While President Obama’s acts this weekend did not equal those of President Hoover only history and time will tell whether Obama is willing to take more drastic steps as Hoover once did.  Nevertheless, Obama’s recent show of force was equally as disrespectful toward a group of men and women who have served this country honorably.

When will the American public show their disdain against this President as the citizens of America once did against another tyrant president?  Or, will history show that President Obama is immune from any condemnation for dishonoring America’s beloved veterans?

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Note:  Susan Knowles is an author, psychotherapist and former practicing attorney.  Her latest book, a political fiction, is entitled, “Freedom’s Fight: A Call to Remember” available on Amazon.com.    Her website is www.susanknowles.com.

References:

“‘We Are Marching to the White House’: ‘Million Vet March’ Descends on Washington, Barricades Torn Down,” at theblaze.com

“Bonus Army,” at Wikipedia.com

Pictures:

Pictures of the Million Vet March courtesy of The Blaze.

Comments

  1. Dr. Charles W. Heckman says

    It is significant that World War II vets are in the forefront of these demonstrations. They are the last large group of American veterans who were permitted to return to a normal civilian life. I served two combat tours in Vietnam and have been denied all employment opportunity in the United States. The records of my efforts to find employment can be found in court records and records of appeals before the Merit System Protection Board. The federal government and the governments of three states have spent much more than a million dollars just to make sure that I would never be able to find a means of self-support in the United States. I also had to sue the government to force the Immigration and Naturalization Service to prepare the papers for my wife’s American citizenship, which was wrongfully delayed for 18 years out of spite against Vietnam veterans by Justice Department “feminists.” Why did the government go through so much expense just to deny one veteran the chance to earn a living? Doesn’t the law say I am entitled to all kinds of special services from the Department of Labor to provide me with employment? What does the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service do with the more than $219,000,000 Congress gives it each year? Apparently, there is nothing about me that should justify the American government keeping me from employment for more then 45 years since I received my honorable discharge in 1968 other than the attempt by the radical left, which runs the U.S. civil service, to punish veterans for fighting against their comrades, who murdered about 4,000,000 people in Southeast Asia after their victory in 1975. In foreign countries, I was able to successfully work and support a family for a quarter of a century. I flew as a pilot in Southeast Asia, earned a doctorate and worked as a scientist in Germany, and worked on large scientific projects in Brazil. In the United States, I have faced fraud and discrimination every time I applied for a job. From the information I have obtained, it seems certain that at least half a million of my fellow veterans have been murdered by the government that sent them to war. These murders were committed in a manner similar to that used by Stalin, on whose orders, 7,000,000 people were deliberately starved to death in The Ukraine between 1931 and 1933. Withholding the means for people to earn a living can be fatal if continued long enough. The destitute veterans on the streets of American cities have been disappearing with increasing speed as they died off from the ravages of malnutrition and exposure over the years, often with their deaths unrecorded. Surprisingly, there have been no protests about this or about the killing off of our youngest war veterans.

  2. Thank you Susan for an inspired article. Obama and his congressional accomplices (including RHINOs like Senator McCain) should be removed from office, particularly those Senate Republicans who derided House Republican heroes like Cruz and Lee who stood up for Americans against the Unaffordable Care Act and stood for those veterans who have had enough of Obama, Reid and Pelosi and lockstep democrats who care more about their far left ideology and leftist party line than they do about those who have served to protect the Constitution and the system that for 230+ years have made this country what is the envy of the world, and rightfully so. I can no longer stand to even look at Obama and the other criminal lieutenants he uses to subvert American values. It is sickening.

  3. They may and DID show great disrespect for Our Military Men from all walks of life and different wars.
    BUT! They cannot take their HONOR AWAY FROM THEM because they have the respect from the Citizens of the United States of America.

    All they did was show their own lack of respect for Our Country and for those men.
    They also provided us with a great picture of what treasonous, America hating bastards they all are!

    WE LOVE OUR MILITARY from all of the wars they fought for us as well as other countries.
    GOD BLESS AND KEEP THEM ALL!

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