Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 01/24/2005

Dear Sgt.Shaft,
Rush Limbaugh played a sound bite on his radio program last week from the Question&Answer session Secretary Rumsfeld had with our troops over in Baghdad during his visit with them.

A young soldier asked this question...and I have to paraphrase.... Secretary Rumsfeld, my family and friends back home tell me that all they hear on the news is the negative stuff. Whenever we help a little kid or build a hospital, the news does not cover it. HOW CAN WE WIN THIS WAR WITH THE MEDIA?

To hear this brave young soldier's voice asking this question both saddened me and infuriated me. How can the general media turn their backs on our wonderful troops who put their lives in danger so that we over here can enjoy our many daily freedoms!!!!!!

Please give advice on what the average American citizen can do to WIN THIS WAR WITH THE MEDIA....and thus, generate more support for our troops, God Bless Them.

and GOD BLESS AMERICA. Sincerely,
Collette B-R,
Lexington, Va.

Dear Collette
As Benjamin Franklin often said “there never was a good war or a bad peace.” Unfortunately the American media cameras and keyboards acting like Al Jazeera mainly focus on sensational negative events.

Recently six Navy SEALs and two of their wives filed a lawsuit against the Associated Press and one of its reporters, for revealing their identities in personal pictures published worldwide in early December. The case was filed in the Superior Court of San Diego, California.

The complaint alleges that Associated Press (AP) reporter Seth Hettena stumbled upon a photograph in a personal photo storage website maintained by one of the wives of the Navy SEALs that contains photographs both personal and Navy related. Hettena removed photographs from that site and published them on December 4, 2004, in a story stating that the pictures “could be” the earliest evidence of possible prisoner abuse in Iraq. The SEALs argue that the pictures actually depict special warfare operators’ standard procedures during covert operations. The Iraqis shown being captured in the photographs were leaders of anti-coalition attacks and Saddam loyalists.

“There was no need for the AP to publish the faces of the SEALs,” said James W. Huston, a partner at Morrison & Foerster who is heading the Navy SEALs legal team.

The AP chose to publish the photographs worldwide, clearly showing their faces and identifying information and showing them in operations in Iraq where they can be identified by the enemy. In the article to which the photographs were attached, the AP quotes the Navy as saying that revealing the faces or names of these special warfare operators could put them or their families at risk. In spite of that knowledge, AP made no efforts to obscure their faces or conceal their identities.

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
When my husband, Col. Robert D. Taplettt, USMC (Retired) and I read of the Injured Marine Fund in your article, we immediately sent money to them. Col. Taplett who had commanded the 3rd Bn., 5th. Marines in 1950 from Pusan thru the Chosen Reservoir and the long hike back died December 17, 2004 after a long battle with Parkinson’s and Congestive Heart Failure.

His obit asked all donations be sent to the Semper Fi Fund. He can’t be buried until January 31; mass at Fort Myer Chapel, full honors and burial in Arlington National Cemetery.

If it were not for your article we would not have selected this fund. I hope it is doing its’ job.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Robert Taplett
Virginia

P.S. Dark Horse is still the call sign for 3/5 in Iraq. It had been Naktong, but the present commander had it changed back to Dark Horse which Col. Sam Mundy had used going into Baghdad.

Dear Mrs. Taplet
Contribution to the Semper Fi Fund will certainly be a fitting memorial tribute to your husband’s Marine Corps Service. Pleas read on.

Dear Sgt. Shaft,
I'd like to take the opportunity at the beginning of the new year to thank you and all of your readers for the spectacular support of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. The nationwide response has been more than we could have ever imagined when we started the fund only seven months ago. I am thrilled to report that 100% of the tax deductible donations go directly to helping the families of injured Marines and sailors.

Throughout the nation, many of our wounded Marines and sailors were unable to leave the hospital for the holidays. Instead of the traditional celebration around the Christmas tree, many families spent their Christmas at the hospital bedside of their wounded Marine or sailor.

Due to the overwhelming support that the fund has received, we were able to provide an additional $1000 dollars to every combat injured Marine and sailor that was hospitalized over the Christmas holiday. Here in the Nation's Capitol the Christmas grants were hand delivered to The National Naval Medical Center Bethesda on Christmas Eve and given to each Marine and sailor during a catered buffet dinner served in honor of these fine young men and women. Maggiano's Little Italy even helped us on Christmas Eve by providing their food and service at no cost.

All of this was made possible by people like you and your readers who reached out to support those that defend our freedom.

Thank you again Sgt Shaft for your continued support.

Sincerely, Rene Bardorf

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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