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 Greetings! You are reading an article from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by! September 30, 2004 Dear Ms CoccoBy GreyhawkI understand that CBS (an unreliable source) claims that regarding the draft you're "so concerned she is involved with the organization 'People Against the Draft,'" and that you've appeared on television helping to promote your anti-draft agenda. I don't think CBS has any credibility, and I don't watch much TV here so I didn't see the program you appeared on and can't comment on specific details. But if the claim is true I certainly want to salute your efforts and offer you my sincerest thanks. Speaking only for myself, an American serving in uniform in Iraq, there's little I fear more than having the determined, confident, and competent young sons and daughters of our nation that I see here daily replaced by some group of conscripts torn kicking and screaming from their mothers' skirts and forced to become something that only faintly resembles the effective members of our armed forces that are currently far from home and risking all for a cause they believe in. I decline to engage in partisan political commentary here but I do wish to point out that any Americans who are serious about assisting Ms Cocco in averting this disastrous course of action should contact representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) and request they withdraw their proposed legislation aimed at restoring that heinous option. Likewise I suggest Americans note that the Army and Army Reserve will meet their recruiting goals this year as stated here: The Army's goal was to recruit 77,000 new active Army troops and 21,200 Reserve troops. As of Aug. 31, the Army had 70,479 new recruits and the Army Reserve had 19,642. The Navy and Air Force are turning people away. Not having seen the CBS program I can only apologize if I've repeated critical facts they've already made clear. Ms Cocco, it's my understanding that you are a mother of two young sons and you fear their being sent unwillingly to war. Preventing such a course of events is one of the things that motivates me to do what I do, to be here willingly and voluntarily. Many of my fellow members of the Armed Forces have given their all for the freedoms we Americans currently enjoy, and none of us should surrender those freedoms easily. Believe me, I'm determined to do all I possibly can to deny any opportunity for those who would so callously attempt to control your sons' (or any other American's) lives and destinies. For as I hope I've made plain, such a future is exactly what we are fighting against. It's terror of a different sort, don't you think? Wish us well, Ms Cocco, and rest assured. If our efforts succeed, your sons are safe. And with America united behind us I'm quite sure we will not fail. And once again ma'am, my sincerest thanks. Posted by Greyhawk / September 30, 2004 6:39 PM | Permalink 7 TrackBacksINDC Journal snags a three-part interview with the movers behind CBS News' controversial Draft reinstatement piece, which aired Tuesday evening and was subsequently cited by several commenters as an example of CBS's penchant for advocacy ... Read More
CBS dedicated one of about six or seven news story-segments to this hoax and the baseless worries of some anti-draft activists. That is, it based 14% of its 30-minute news program on a story with a false premise. So basically, CBS did a story about a h... Read More Is right here. LW... Read More Greyhawk’s letter to the anti-draft, anti-war activist featured Read More Okay. Listen up. I'm busy. I feel like a Hamas terrorist with no arms, no legs, and no dick, trying to stone my wife to death for infidelity after the French-funded, German-built electric wheelchair I was cruising in broke down... Read More ... Go read it all. Read More 23 Comments |
November 26, 2010America@war [Greyhawk]
I think anyone who's ever pondered the "comment" option - once only available on blogs and bulletin boards, now ubiquitous on almost any web site - will appreciate this:
The so-called faculty of writing is not so much a faculty of writing as it is a faculty of thinking. When a man says, "I have an idea but I can't express it"; that man hasn't an idea but merely a vague feeling. If a man has a feeling of that kind, and will sit down for a half an hour and persistently try to put into writing what he feels, the probabilities are at least 90 percent that he will either be able to record it, or else realize that he has no idea at all. In either case, he will do himself a benefit. That's wisdom from the past, captured for posterity at the US Naval Institute, shared via the web on the institute's 137th anniversary. From their about page:
"The Naval Institute has three core activities," among them, History and Preservation: The Naval Institute also has recently introduced Americans at War, a living history of Americans at war in their own words and from their own experiences. These 90-second vignettes convey powerful stories of inspiration, pride, and patriotism. Take a look at the collection, and you'll see it's not limited to accounts from those who served on ships at sea, members of the other branches are well-represented. I'm fortunate to have met USNI's Mary Ripley, she's responsible for the institute's oral history program (and she's the daughter of the late John Ripley, whose story is told here). She also deserves much credit for their blog. ("We're not the Navy nor any government agency. Blog and comment freely.") We met at a milblog conference - Mary knew (and I would come to realize) that milbloggers are the 21st-century version of exactly what the US Naval Institute is all about. Once that light bulb came on in my head, I mentioned a vague idea for a project to her - milblogs as the 21st century oral history that they are. "Put that in writing," she said (of course - see first paragraph above!) - and here's part of the result. Shortly after the first tent was pitched by the American military in Iraq a wire was connected to a computer therein, and the internet was available to a generation of Americans at war - many of whom had grown up online. From that point on, at any given moment, somewhere in Iraq a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine was at a keyboard sharing the events of his or her day with the folks back home. While most would simply fire off an email, others took advantage of the (then) relatively new online blogging platforms to post their thoughts and experiences for the entire world to see. The milblog was born - and from that moment to this stories detailing everything from the most mundane aspects of camp life to intense combat action (often described within hours of the event) have been available on the web... And et cetera - but since you're reading this on a milblog, you probably knew that. And you know that milblogs aren't just blogs written by troops at war, that many friends, family members, and supporters likewise documented their story of America at war online in near-real time, as those stories developed. The diversity in membership of that group is broad, the one thing we all have in common is the impulse to make sense of the seemingly senseless, and communicate the tale - for each of us that impulse was strong enough to overcome whatever barriers prevent the vast majority of people from doing the same. Everyone at some point has some vague idea they believe should be shared - we were the people who, from some combination of internal and external urging, found and spent those many half hours persistently trying to write it down. But where will all that be in another 137 years? Or five or ten, for that matter. That's something I've asked myself since at least 2004 - when I wrote this:
Membership in the ghost battalion has grown in the years since, and an ever growing majority of those abandoned-but-still-standing sites are vanishing. Have you checked out Lt Smash's site lately? How about Sgt Hook's? If you're a long-time milblog reader you know the first widely-read milblog from Operation Iraq Freedom and the first widely-read milblog from Afghanistan are both gone from the web. If you're a relative newcomer to this world you may never even have heard of them - or the dozens upon dozens of others who carried forth the standard they set down. If you have a vague notion that something should be done about that, (a notion I've heard expressed more than once...) then you and I and the good folks at the US Naval Institute are in agreement. Preserving the history documented by the milbloggers is just one of the goals of the milblog project, the once-vague idea that we're now making real. And it's a big idea, if I say so myself - too big to explain in one simple blog post, so stand by for more. Likewise, it's too big a task to be accomplished by just one person. So if you're a milblogger (and exactly what is a milblogger? is a topic for much further discussion on its own) I'm asking for your help. All I'll really need is just a little bit (maybe just one or two of those half hours...) of your time, and your willingness to tell the tale. We've already made history, it's time to save it. (More to follow...) Posted 4:02 PM | Permalink |
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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
 
 
 Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house. I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email. Original content copyright © 2003 - 2011 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed. Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com  Tending Distant Far from hearth and home, watching What tales we'll tell When things grim Some distant sunset, vision fading Saluting fallen friends whose names - Greyhawk, Baghdad, December 2004 |
Democrats want to bring back the draft so they can blame Bush. What kind of crass idiocy is this? They've gone around the bend.
Well said and my Thanks can never be enough to express my gratitude for your service and sacrifice.
I am a veteran and father of three sons. While I hope my boys never have to fire a shot in anger, I would be as proud to have them serve wit you as I would be. Rest assured that your efforts are appreciated.
Soldier, you are loved and revered here at home, and I thank you for the wise words you have shared. I also want to thank you for your service and sacrifice.
I have just printed out your letter, and I will be faxing it to Dan Blather's office (212-975-1998), as well as the Senators in PA, where she lives. With any luck, we can get your sincere thanks delivered to her. ;-)
Brilliant, and thank you, sir, for your service.
Thank you for your service, your patriotism and your wisdom. As a twenty year military veteran who retired in 1979, men like you, serving with honor and bravery make us proud to be part of the military family.
i forwarded this link to Ms. Cocco just now. should you choose to send her mail directly, one might use the contact email for her at this link to "People Against the Draft"
http://www.nodraft.info/contact.html
Just your average, ordinary American soldier --- doing their usual above average, extraordinary things.
Thank you sir, may God bless and keep you and yours.
I FULLY am in line with your comments. When I was in the Army during the last days of the Cold War, we spitballed the question from time to time. Noone I ever served with wanted to have to put up with draftees in the Unit. We were there for various reasons, but we all wanted to be there. We knew we could count on each other - but to count on a draftee? Too risky. All Volunteer Army, all the way.
85-88 3 AD, 1st BDE, 2/3 FA
USAR 88-93, 378th Checmical
Greyhawk, I thank you for putting yourself on the line so all of us can live in freedom. Please convey my gratitude to those who serve with you.
Beautifully put, and far more courteous than I would manage in the same position. Please pass along our (not an editorial or royal "we," but recognition that I'm but one voice among many) thanks, gratitude, and deep respect.
Well said. We are so appreciative of what all the brave men and women are doing to serve our country. Thank you!
Well said. We are so appreciative of what all the brave men and women are doing to serve our country. Thank you!
Dearest Greyhawk-
I am, at this very moment, I am sending up a prayer for you. I wish I were so courageous. I've always felt a little lousy that I went the Army Reserve route (circa 1970). If God hears my prayer (and without doubt He will), you will be blessed!
Thank you for your service to America (and me!).
Pete Goddard
Columbia, SC
Well said! You and your fellow servicemen and servicewomen are a credit to the USA. I feel honored just reading your text. May the Lord bless and keep you safe.
From a retired USN type.
Greyhawk, you are my hero, along with every other soldier like you. Sincere thanks!
Cognitive dissonance: I believed for years that only senior NCOs had the ability to deliver polite but effective slapdowns like that. Other things I've read on this site lead me to believe that the mysterious Mr. Greyhawk is an officer. The site continues to make me think.
I trust the powers that be understand that if it ever becomes necessary to change the rules they'd better served by raising the age limits for enlisting than by reviving the draft. I wish I could be there with you, sir.
Hooo-ah. Well put soldier. I'll see you over there next spring. Be good.
Thank you. Well put. I served in the Vietnam Era Marine Corps when the last of the draftees were leaving. There were a lot of good men who were drafted, didn't like it, did their duty well, and left. However, their contributions were far overshadowed by the disgruntled and the "join or jail" crowd. I have the utmost respect for the careerists who revived the military from the damage that lot caused.
There’s a lot of talk going around these days about bringing back the draft, and I suppose many of the reasons its proponents give are valid and legitimate. But it strikes me that that a lot of these very same people spent their salad days thirty or forty years ago shouting “HELL NO! WE WON’T GO!!!” Which may be neither here not there; I certainly wouldn’t want to be judged by opinions I held thirty years ago; but it does lead me to suspect that calls for the resumption of the draft have very little to do with fairness and everything to do with recreating the anti-Vietnam War movement. Without the power and anxieties of the middle class behind them the antiwar movement in this country is just a tranquilizer away from the lunatic fringe. The greatest proof of this is what happened to the student movement after the draft ended in 1973. The student revolutionaries on the campuses, who thought they were going to lead the great upheaval against the evil, corrupt, warmongering AmeriKKKan establishment, found themselves abandoned by their foot soldiers, the scions of the middle classes who found that life in the USA was fine once they found they wouldn’t have to get shot at by the Vietnamese peasantry. The great revolution never came because it was strictly a one trick pony, and once the war went away so did the revolution. I strongly suspect that most of these antiwar types know deep down that they are largely irrelevant without the middle classes they despise so much, and that thought makes them nauseous. But politics makes for strange bedfellows, to coin a phrase, and so long as the answer to “HELL NO! WE WON’T GO!!!” is “so who’s asking you to?” these people are going nowhere. On the other hand, I don’t think they’ll mind strange bedfellows at all. They are all for letting people do what they want in bed.
Thank you so much ,not just for your service to our country, which I appreciate more than I can say,but for giving me the perfect ammunition to show to the idiots who can't be bothered to run a search for themselves,to see that the only ones who are talking of a draft are Democrats.
May God bless you and keep you safe, you and all the others who are in harm's way.
Well done Greyhawk. We know our armed forces don't need or want a draft. So does the current president. The only people talking about the return of the draft are the commies in the democratic party and and libtards in the media.
Your eloquence is brilliant your sentiments touch me , deepest thanks.