Thanksgiving in Baghdad: No Turkey for Critics

[ljb5]

Intervention Magazine (http://www.interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=668) has an interview with a U.S. Soldier just back from Iraq.

Remember Bush's Thnanksgiving visit with the fake turkey and the lies about Air Force One being spotted?

Well, now it turns out that before Thanksgiving dinner, soldiers had to fill out a questionnaire asking if they, "supported the president." Those who didn't were confined to quarters with MREs on Thanksgiving.

(edited because I got the name of the magazine wrong)

[ 03-15-2004, 12:45 AM: Message edited by: ljb5 ]

[imported_Conrad]

:rolleyes: Gawd, and this from someone who complains about sources!! :rolleyes: :eek: Let's see, no names, lots of generalizations, in short a "load"

And a quick review of the masthead shows balance and professionalism! Don't waste our time.
:mad:
http://www.interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=528

[Wild Wassa]

I wonder how many ended up being confined to quarters.

Warren.

ps, You guys ignore me and I don't go away, ... the real fascist tossers need a serious rethink on this one. Do you tossers equate, being ignored to what?, ... genuine posters showing a lack of spirit, I don't see it ever. Pull your heads in fascists. Go and supress freedom of speech on a kindergarten site you weak fascists.

[ 03-15-2004, 12:55 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[ljb5]

Jeff, just because I disagree with you doesn't make me a troll. Why don't you post something on the topic of the thread?

[Bob Smalser]

Originally posted by ljb5:
Jeff, just because I disagree with you doesn't make me a troll. Why don't you post something on the topic of the thread?Probably because it's a complete fabrication.

I've run....say, one or two....politician visits over the decades....for this fantasy to be true several dozen folks in the chain of command woulda had to have violated no shortage of punitive regulations, policies and perhaps even a UCMJ Article.

The Army just don't work that way, and I'm amazed anyone would be so naive and/or ignorant to believe it.

[Meerkat]

My dad had a few stories about "painting rocks" for political visitors. Cherry picking a visitor's audience is nothing new, although I agree that filling out a form is questionable (can't have anything on paper! :eek: ) - usually the NCO's are polled to see who's reliable and the suspect/unpopular/independent guys find themselves with duties that prevent them attending whatever event is coming up.

[ 03-15-2004, 03:13 AM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[ljb5]

Yeah Bob, this would be almost as bad as creating "First Amendment Zones" fenced off, miles away from the cameras and the politicians.

Definitely not the type of thing this administation would do.

The visit was staged drama. Even the turkey was fake. You think they're going to use a real audience? The whole setting was stage-managed for the cameras. The embarrassment of even a single dissentor would have ruined it.

[ljb5]

The story was also covered by Stars and Stripes (official newspaper of the armed services) (http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=18336&archive=true) and The Washington Post. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A57870-2003Dec11?language=printer)


...some soldiers were not all that happy with the President Bush’s pop-in, and some felt gypped out of a Thanksgiving meal...

The soldiers who dined while the president visited were selected by their chain of command.The soldiers who were not admitted did not have to eat MREs... they could have come back for turkey dinner as late as 1:30 in the morning the following day.

Mmmmm, nothing tastes better than fake turkey after a 13 hour wait.

[On Vacation]

Originally posted by Ironmule:
Please lets not feed the troll. I know I got suckered into it myself, but if we ignore him, he'll get bored and go away.

Jeff SmithMost good internet trolls have few original thoughts, all be them sometimes mispelled, ill written, and repeat the same Q&As, FWIW, and like to use the same line as "interested in the truth, while only being interested in repeating a well conceived thought and agenda. I forgot,I do like the job creation program by the Earned income tax credit. Very original, that time. Also forgot to mention, some do make us laugh on a daily basis, every now and then. :D :D :D :D

Throw them a curve ball of facts, just complicates and prolongs their denial of only self indulgence of mindless hours spent wasting life away. Some never go away, for sure, Warren, but some know how to reply to you. That makes the job easier. tongue.gif

Oh, on to the topic at hand. I do remember the rocks on the beachs of ahhhhh, was it Normandy? Lovely and moving tribute.

[ 03-15-2004, 08:05 AM: Message edited by: Oyster ]

[Bob Smalser]

The visit was staged drama. Even the turkey was fake. You think they're going to use a real audience? The whole setting was stage-managed for the cameras. The embarrassment of even a single dissentor would have ruined it. I've debunked some partisan but obviously false Kerry slams, too.

Like those...this is complete crap.

I spose I could look up the regs for this subject and freedom of religion, too and post them for you, but this is so grossly inane it ain't worth the time.

To believe that the dozens and dozens of NonComs and Officers in the several units who'd have to agree to this "screening" are all ardent Bush supporters and/or would compromize their integrity is an insult all its own from some dog watching television on military subjects.

[alteran]

"Remember Bush's Thnanksgiving visit with the fake turkey"

As I recall they had a centerpiece turkey as decoration and the President picked it up and his picture was taken. One of hundreds of pictures taken that day no doubt. Now lets think this through. An honored guest comes to celebrate thanksgiving at a large gathering. I'm the photographer. I have a pictures of him putting something in his mouth on a fork, a picture of him entering a large crowded room, and a picture of him holding a big ol turkey on a platter with smiling people surrounding him.

Which one of those pictures best tells the story?

-------

Yesterday I was at an elegant buffet in a fancy restaurant that had a very large, probably inedible, centerpiece at the entrance to the dining room. I suppose I should have complained that they were deceiving me. smile.gif

[ 03-15-2004, 10:00 AM: Message edited by: alteran ]

[Mrleft8]

"Yesterday I was an elegant buffet in a fancy restaurant"
Were you tasty? :D

[alteran]

Yes I was MRleft8. Theres some leftover, wanna eat me? smile.gif

[Allen Foote]

LBJ....the critics of the "commander in Chief, didn't get turkey while in a war zone over Thanksgiving? hahahahaah

:D :D serves them right, let them eat cake! :D :D

[Bob Smalser]

I disliked hosting VIP visits overseas...but it was a fact of life.

Letsee....Bill Clinton, Al and Tipper Gore, Madeline Albright, SECDEF Cohen, Warren Christopher, George Tenet...and even Jesse Jackson, among dozens of others.

I can think of several in that crowd where there would be a remote possibility of a soldier being rude and creating an incident....more so that with either Bush, who were and are pretty popular among the rank and file. But there was never a hint of an incident nor would I have tolerated any kind of "screening" to prevent one...for a wide variety of reasons not in any regulation. If you don't trust your own people, then you didn't raise them right and the lick is on you. Like I said...."dogs watching television."

But VIP visits were the occasional source of some good war stories...this one needing no embellishment:




The hilarious part of my '94 Blackhawk crash was we were ferrying the WH advance party for the Clinton visit to the ongoing Kuwait crisis then. The bird was full of bright, civilian 20-somethings, full of self-importance and used to the soft life and kid-glove treatment.

After the Crew Chief buckled everybody up in that complicated H-harness, I explained that they could ride with loose straps, as there's "plenty of time to tighten them up if the helo has a problem..."

Sure enuf, we get 100+ feet straight up (a defensive tactic in hostile areas) to cross the Camp Doha compound wall, and the compressor overhead decides to exit thru the upper cowling into the blades - with copious noise, flames and smoke...

...I get everybody's attention - grab my harness strap tails - and pull my bod tight into the seat so they'd do the same....everybody's eyes as big as dinner plates by then.

Pilots (one a 100lb but game female) could be seen in a contorted wrestling match with the dying cyclics to keep the thing level. Cabin filling with smoke and dripping cherry juice. Bird does a lopsided auto-rotation and bangs in next to the wall. Bounces and settles...and the quiet but real panic begins...I thought I heard the blade hit the masonry wall....

....I and the Crew Chief manned each still-closed door to prevent passenger exit until the damaged blades stopped - to rather significant passenger dissatisfaction in all the smoke....as I probably grimaced, waiting for a broken blade to slice thru the cabin.

After everybody was out and away safely, I ordered up a new bird to continue the trip - and had no takers! They now wanted to ride in the unairconditioned HMMWV’s they disdained before.

And the next day at an embassy meeting on the visit - I walk in a bit late to the conference room and the 20-somethings commented in unison to Ambassador Ryan Crocker, "There's the guy who tried to kill us..."

...it's so nice when some of your best work is appreciated...Ryan and I laughed nervously about that one for months.


[ 03-15-2004, 10:55 AM: Message edited by: Bob Smalser ]