To all: The address provided below for Jon Williams takes you to his company’s business website, “I am a Texan,” and through it you can reach him. I’m still mulling over the content of his perspective regarding Bowe Bergdahl that I believe contains excellent after-return insights from an American who was there on the ground on 30 June 2009. Subject: Fwd: From A Gentleman Who was There and Wednesday Night dining “My perspective on Bowe Bergdahl Posted by Jon Williams on June 04, 2014 by Jon Williams (iamatexan/) As an Army Veteran who was working as a contractor attached to the 25th Infantry Division (same Division as Bergdahl) in a nearby FOB when Bowe Bergdahl went missing, I feel the need to speak out on the situation (notice I don’t ascribe rank to him, I will address that later). A few days ago, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel took the stage at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan and excitedly started with what he thought would be a big applause line. “We got him back!” he exclaimed. Silence. Not Even One Clap. Numerous White House leaks show that Obama and his team were convinced that Americans would greet the news of a returning POW with elation; that this would be the great moment in Obama’s second term. This shows just how clueless they are about the military. Let me clue them in. You see, when Hagel took the stage, he expected joy at the announcement that one of their own was returned! However, you have to see inside a soldier’s mind to understand what was going on here. I believe I can provide a little insight. When a soldier deserts his post, when he writes that he is ashamed to be an American, when he gives the enemy secrets (and he did), he is no longer “one of us”. He is a traitor. He is not a brother-in-arms. Soldiers risk their lives for each other every day on the battlefield, there is a trust and respect they have for each other. For Bowe Bergdahl to break that trust and the Secretary of Defense to announce a hero’s welcome instead of a court-martial is a huge let-down. He isnt one of their own. He is one of them. He is the enemy. Thats not something to celebrate. The message the White House is sending is that they value treason more than honorable service. Read that last sentence again. Let it sink in. THIS is what every soldier is thinking. In a soldier’s mind serving with honor means finishing your tour, even if you disagree with the way things are done. All bets are off if you serve with dishonor. I do not refer to Bergdahl as a sergeant, even though he received “automatic” promotions while in the Taliban’s custody because according to law, after 30 days his rank and pay should have been stripped from him. Due to political pressure, his was not. In fact, he probably has over $200,000 in cash waiting in his bank account. In my opinion, this money should be given to the families of the soldiers who died in the aftermath of his desertion. Bowe Bergdahl deserted his post. He served with dishonor. I know that firsthand. Our soldiers know that. They know they risk their lives every day. They dont get a hero’s welcome from the White House, they get fewer meals (due to budget constraints) and less safety equipment (due to the drawdown). Let me be perfectly clear. A Rose Garden Ceremony, a “hero’s welcome”, and automatic promotions to a person that deserted is nothing more than a slap in the face to every service member who has served honorably. That, Mr. President and Mr. Hagel, is why soldiers aren’t clapping and applauding for you. That is why you have lost any remaining respect from the military community.” From my perspective: Over the last several weeks I’ve been asked by others who are rattled by and/or bitter over the information that has surfaced about Bowe Bergdahl since his return and asked how I do feel about it. Here’s my position regarding our fighting for Bowe’s return based in a historical perspective: Regardless of war, not every person who ends up in enemy hands is a nice person. Some are exceptional. Some are not. In the POW/MIA Issue I believe we cannot/should not “pick and choose” who we will fight for in order to achieve his/her return based on the caliber of person he/she is. We need to fight for all of them – period. Keep in mind had Bowe been one of many coming home, as with our POWs after other wars, his behavior would not have drawn the same kind of attention and public scrutiny that his return has. The military would have been able to quietly and appropriately deal with him in accordance with the UCMJ (the Uniform Code of Military Justice). In point of fact, any charges levied, action taken and final disposition of his case might not ever have be made public if not for the fact that “he is the only one.” As for the price paid for his release – a thought: were the Gitmo 5 released in order to secure Bowe’s freedom OR was Bowe’s freedom the excuse used to release the Gitmo 5? Think about it - I have and continue to do so…..and often. Please consider that after Operation Homecoming in 1973, charges were filed against specific returned POWs who did not adhere to the Code of Conduct and the orders of their Senior Ranking Officers (SROs) by other returned POWs including Col Ted Guy. These charges were quickly dropped by the respective Service Secretaries “for the good of the country” in order to not tarnish the image of our returning “heroes.” Keep in mind the fact that the only commodity the USG wanted out of the Peace Accords was the return of our POWs. Our government did not want their public image altered or interfered with in any way. Many of these men truly were incredible, remarkable heroes of the first order even though they never thought of themselves in those terms. Each POW did what was necessary to survive the torture – the outright brutality – he was subjected to. Some were not as strong as others. After Homecoming some returnees could not live up to that larger-than-life-hero-status placed upon their/his shoulders and committed suicide. The first that I am aware of to do so drove his wife’s car into a cement bridge support at roughly 90-miles-per-hour. His name is not important; however, how he viewed himself in light of all of the publicity as well as how it impacted him is important. Right, wrong or indifferent it is what happened to our men. Back to Bowe and our fight to secure his release: We did our job. We fought for his return and I believe we helped achieve it. We did it well and I’m proud of our actions and what we accomplished. Now that Bowe’s been released and is back on US soil, he needs to stand up and take responsibility for his actions. As for me, like with so many others, I want to hear what he has to say. In the POW/MIA Issue where do we go from here: We tell the USG, “Thank you for bringing this man home from Afghanistan. NOW GO AFTER ALL OF THE REST OF OUR LIVE POWS REGARDLESS OF STATUS FROM ALL OF OUR NATION’S WARS.” Tell this administration that we do not care what it chooses to call our men and women in order to secure their release. With wording geared toward those held back after the Vietnam War, call them POW/MIAs, Yankee Air Pirates, war criminals, detainees, stay-behinds, war trophies or simply “bartered material” (intelligence assets) that the communists used in trade to pay for Soviet personnel and supplies during the war – whatever works. With the exception of Yankee Air Pirates and war criminals, all the rest of the terminology listed above fits the Korean, Cold War and WWII POW/MIAs as well. Personally at this point in time I don’t care what label is put on our military and civilian POW/MIAs if it helps get our people back home. Just get it done. We will sort it out on this end once they are home. No matter who they are, where they are or their condition, we want them --- every one of them. Remind the man residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that if he can secure the release of Bowe Bergdahl, he can do the same for the rest of our Countrymen from all wars/conflicts/police actions who are rotting away in one form of captivity or another! If he does that, then I bet he/they will hear clapping, a whole lot of it! Faith, Patty
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 15:35:41 +0000
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