Comparing Messages Sent by Accusers — DoD War on Men

Posted on March 15, 2013 by BobMcCarty

Today, as part of my continuing series about the Department of Defense War on Men, I compare the handling of evidence in military court-martial cases to the handling of similar evidence during the prosecution of a civilian sexual assault case making news in Ohio ~~West Virginia~~.

ABC News broadcast a story today about the case of two Steubenville, Ohio ~~W.Va.~~, high school football players who stand accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl while she was drunk at an “alcohol-fueled party” the night of Aug. 11, 2012. If the report is reliable, then it appears prosecutors will rely heavily upon text messages and mobile phone photos exchanged by party attendees — and, perhaps, others — as they pursue guilty verdicts against the 16- and 17-year-old boys who stand accused.

Kelly Stewart returns from a mission in Iraq.

Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, the man whose life story and wrongful conviction are chronicled in my book, Three Days In August, probably would have benefited from having members of his court-martial panel made aware of some text messages sent by his accuser. But it didn’t happen. Instead, the highly-decorated combat veteran was convicted of a handful of sexual assault-related crimes and sentenced to eight years confinement at the U.S. Military Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Several months later, however, Sergeant Stewart’s defense team had the rare opportunity to present new testimony during a post-trial hearing in Germany. During that hearing, many people testified, essentially calling out the 28-year-old German woman who had accused the Solider of raping and kidnapping her in his Stuttgart hotel room as a liar.

Did it get him a new trial? No.

Not even the testimony of Tamara Buehler, a woman who had known the accuser for more than 10 years as a friend, housemate and employer, earned him a new trial. She reported receiving a text message from the accuser within 24 hours of the night she spent with Sergeant Stewart.

In the text message, Buehler said, the accuser described a lecherous night during which she “found my master.” Of course, she took this to mean that there was sex of the sadomasochist type and noted that there was no talk of something happening that the accuser did not like. And that wasn’t all! Buehler also stated that the accuser had claimed her encounter with Sergeant Stewart was “great SEX.”

Incredibly, the military judge ignored the testimony of Buehler and several others who combined to paint a portrait of the accuser as a woman who had had sex with at least two more men between the day she met Sergeant Stewart and the start of the court-martial proceedings. Her testimony takes on additional weight when one realizes the accuser had testified during the trial that she could no longer be around men after her night with the Soldier. More details here.

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, the deputy commanding general of support with the 82nd Airborne Division and Regional Command-South, speaks with Afghan media outside of a school near Forward Operating Base Howz-e-Madad in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Nov. 16, 2011. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Amanda Hils/Released)

Now to a more recent case — that of Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair; if he receives the same treatment as Sergeant Stewart, he’s likely to receive an even longer prison sentence.

In what appears to be a smart move, however, General Sinclair’s defense team has gone on the offensive, launching a website, Sinclair Innocence, where one can read important details about the case which, for the most part, seems to be going unreported by mainstream news media outlets.

Under the tab, The Truth Behind the Case, several questions appear along with answers that tilt in favor of the accused general. Two paragraphs from the bottom of the page, links to journal entries and text messages — described as having been sent by the accuser to General Sinclair — appear to reveal much about the consensual nature of their relationship. If genuine, the documents also seem to shed much light on the mental state of the general’s accuser.

While it will be interesting to see how the case of the high school football players turns out, I will be more interested in General Sinclair’s case, hoping to see evidence of fairness and truth in the midst of DoD’s War on Men.

Bob McCarty is the author of Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice, a nonfiction book that’s available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com. His second book, THE CLAPPER MEMO, is coming soon.

Is DoD Waging War on Warriors?

Posted on March 7, 2013 by BobMcCarty

Almost six months ago, news surfaced about Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, then 50, facing possible court-martial on sexual misconduct and other charges, and I promised to keep my eye on that case and others like it. Today, I share details about the general’s case and several others brought to my attention by readers of my first nonfiction book, Three Days In August, which chronicles the life and wrongful conviction of Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart on sexual assault-related charges. Combined, these cases make me wonder if Department of Defense officials are waging a war on men in uniform (a.k.a., “warriors”), often under the banner of stopping sexual assaults.

GENERAL SINCLAIR

Though the case involving General Sinclair has yet to go to trial, one reader contacted me recently to ask if I had heard anything about the case. When I told him I had heard little beyond the fact that it was still in the pretrial stage, he suggested I visit the website, Sinclair Innocence. I took his advice and found information about the case that seems, for the most part, to be going unreported by mainstream news media outlets.

Under the tab, The Truth Behind the Case, several questions appear along with answers that tilt in favor of the accused general. Two paragraphs from the bottom of the page, links to journal entries and text messages — described as having been sent by the accuser to General Sinclair — seem to reveal much about the consensual nature of their relationship. If genuine, the documents seem to shed much light on the accuser’s mental state.

Under the tab, Who is the Army Prosecutor?, information appears about Lt. Col. Will Helixon, the Army’s lead prosecutor in the case. Not surprisingly, the information paints the prosecutor in a less than favorable light and includes, among other things, a link to a partial transcript of General Sinclair’s Article 32 Hearing in which the prosecution admits to illegal and unethical conduct. I recommend you check it out.

COLONEL WILKERSON

Then-Lt. Col. James Wilkerson. USAF photo.

New on my radar screen is the case involving Lt. Col. James H. Wilkerson III, an Air Force fighter pilot and former 80th Fighter Squadron commander who, at 44, was charged and convicted in November 2012 of aggravated sexual assault.

On Feb. 26, his conviction was overturned by Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, commander of Third Air Force and the convening authority for his case. In turn, the well-respected colonel-select who had been serving as the 31st Fighter Wing inspector general at Aviano Air Base, Italy, was released from the brig where he had been sent to serve a one-year sentence.

When news surfaced about Colonel Wilkerson’s conviction being overturned, three liberal U.S. senators — Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) — issued a joint news release March 4, calling for General Franklin’s head on a platter.

In addition, Senator McCaskill wrote a scathing letter addressed to Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley and Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Dated March 5, the letter includes the senator’s demand that they “take the appropriate actions to restore confidence to the airmen under your authority.” It ended with the senator promising to review “whether formal legislative actions need to be taken to limit the authorities of military commanders to undo the work of military courts martial.”

In their minds, apparently, a military man is always guilty in a sexual assault case and, facts be damned, a female accuser is always innocent. Who cares if the man’s wife says he’s innocent; the sexual assault agenda must move forward!

Thankfully, according to individuals close to the case, General Franklin received approximately 100 letters of support — none of which came from the aforementioned U.S. senators — written on behalf of Colonel Wilkerson. Though I’m not at liberty to share specific details of the letters at this point, I can say that they came from two types of people — those who knew the colonel and those who knew the accuser — who sided with the accused officer.

Stay tuned as I hope to share more details of the case in the near future.

OTHER CASES

Though everyone who contacts me to tell me a loved one (i.e., husband, brother, son, uncle or friend) is innocent, I’ve refrained from sharing specifics details of most cases until verdicts are handed down and/or until appeals processes have run their course. Below, however, are tidbits from some of the cases about which I have yet to report specifics:

Sgt. Todd Knight. Family photo.

• Sergeant Todd Knight — While stationed in Germany, Army Sergeant Todd Knight befriended a young German woman while out with friends the night of Jan. 27, 2012. At some point during the evening, he and three other Soldiers — one of whom he considered a friend — accompanied the woman and one of her friends to the home where the sister of one of the women — but not the accuser — lived.

What actually happened at the home, however, remains a matter of much debate as conflicting stories were given to German authorities. Two things, however, stand without dispute: Sergeant Knight was arrested by German authorities the next day, accused of rape, and those same German authorities eventually decided not to pursue the case.

U.S. military officials, on the other hand, decided to move forward with charges of their own despite the fact that the alleged victim testified during the Article 32 hearing that she couldn’t remember what had happened that night and despite the aforementioned conflicting statements.

On Dec. 18, 2012, Sergeant Knight was found guilty of sexual assault, sentenced to one year behind bars and busted to E-1, the lowest enlisted rank and a rank he would hold until the end of his sentence when he would be dishonorably discharged from the Army.

Three months after Sergeant Knight’s conviction, people continued to show interest in proving the 25-year-old Soldier’s innocence. One who showed interest was the German woman at whose home the alleged rape occurred.

In a “To Whom It May Concern” letter dated February 28, she wrote that she has known Sergeant Knight for more than two years, and then she drops a bombshell, explaining that the sergeant’s unemployed accuser “told me SGT Knight did not rape her, and that she only said that because she didn’t want her boyfriend at that time to find out she was cheating on him.”

PFC David W. Lawrence. Army photo.

• Private First Class David W. Lawrence — Army PFC David W. Lawrence is an American Soldier from Indiana who, according to a Denver Post report May 25, 2011, pleaded guilty to shooting and killing Mullah Muhebullah, an Afghan detainee, seven months earlier. Despite the guilty plea, there are several problems with the case.

For instance, PFC Lawrence had been prescribed Zoloft and Trazadone, two powerful anti-depressant medications that have been linked to depression and suicide. In addition, members of the Army’s Sanity Board reported to the court that the Soldier had both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and schizophrenia and “was unable to appreciate the nature and quality or wrongfulness of his conduct at the time of the alleged criminal misconduct.” Looked at together, one’s left wondering what PFC Lawrence’s superiors were thinking when they put the 20-year-old Soldier in charge of the Afghan detainee.

More gut-wrenching details about the case can be found on the Facebook page, In Support of David Lawrence.

Private Taylor Crawford. Family photo.

• Private Taylor J. Crawford — Anyone who says Army Private Taylor Crawford didn’t exercise the kind of thinking required of an American Soldier would be correct. Then again, the 19-year-old security policeman wasn’t at war; instead, he was out on the town drinking with a group of people he thought were his “friends” in Germany. Bad things followed and, before long, he had been accused, tried, convicted and sentenced to five years behind bars for his alleged involvement in the beating of a German man on a city sidewalk and the theft of the man’s wallet.

There is, however, one problem with the sequence of events as spelled out by Army prosecutors: Private Crawford’s blood-alcohol level was, according to two doctors consulted by members of Crawford’s family after the trial, so high that he would not have been able to perform the actions necessary to inflict the grievous injuries suffered by the German man.

Army prosecutors apparently did not consider the Soldier’s blood-alcohol level. Instead, they pressured two of the other Soldiers involved to testify against Private Crawford and, in exchange for lenient sentencing, say he was the main culprit in the beating. Incredibly, one of the Soldiers said he couldn’t remember exactly what had happened but did recall a “vision” he had and was convinced it was based upon what happened the night of the incident.

More information about the case is available on the Facebook page, Free Taylor Crawford.

Of course, there are plenty of other cases, and more will surely follow if this “war on men in uniform” is allowed to fester within DoD. Stay tuned for updates!

CORRECTION: In the original version of this story, I noted that Lt. Col. Wilkerson had pinned on the rank of colonel (i.e., O-6). According to this report today, that was in error.

UPDATE 3/12/2013 at 7:40 p.m. Central: The insanity continues.

Deaths of High-Profile Firearms Experts Raise Suspicions

Posted on February 3, 2013 by BobMcCarty

Thirteen months ago, I wrote a piece in which I compared Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL and lead author of the book, American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, to former Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, the man whose life I chronicled in my first nonfiction book, Three Days In August. Then, late Saturday night, I read a shocking news report about Kyle being shot to death at a gun range. Amidst so much anti-gun vitriol floating about these days, something didn’t seem right, but I couldn’t place it.

Things started to come together today, however, after I saw a graphic posted by a Facebook friend. It showed the images of three firearms experts in the United States – Keith Ratliff, 32; John Noveske, 36; and Kyle, 38 — and information about their untimely deaths — all within a one-month period.

On Jan. 7, Guns.com reported the death of Noveske three days earlier after driving off a highway and “crashing into boulders.”

On Jan. 8, Defense Review reported reported the death of Noveske, describing him, among other things, as “known for building high-end/high-quality AR-15 rifles.”

Also on Jan. 8, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Ratliff had been shot once in the head on the evening of Jan. 3.

Alone, any one of the three deaths could be overlooked. Viewed together, however, it’s difficult to believe foul play is beyond the realm of possibilities.

It will be interesting to see if my suspicions “grow legs” beyond this page.

"Three Days In August" Promotional Photo

Today, I Had Lunch With a Sniper

Posted on December 3, 2012 by BobMcCarty

Today, I had the good fortune of being able to enjoy a good meal and good conversation with a man who used to be, among other things, a Level 1 sniper and member of the Army’s elite Special Forces fraternity, the Green Berets.

L-R: Kelly A. Stewart and Bob McCarty.

Though I had communicated with former Army Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, the man whose life story — including a wrongful conviction in a military court-martial — is chronicled in my book, Three Days In August.

Though I had communicated with Stewart countless times during the past three years, today’s meal at a Cracker Barrel Country Store in the St. Louis area marked the first time Stewart and I were able to meet in person. It became possible as a result of Stewart passing through Missouri on the return leg of a cross-country trek to visit family.

Worth noting: After spending more than two hours across the table from him, I’m convinced more than ever before that he is the victim of military justice gone awry.

To read the never-before-published details about Stewart’s wrongful conviction, read the book, Three Days In August. Based on 18 months of research, interviews with the key players and access to the actual Record of Trial, this book is available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com. To visit the book website, click here.

Nation’s Highest Military Court Asked to Reconsider Former Green Beret’s Conviction

Posted on November 27, 2012 by BobMcCarty

Since publishing news almost two weeks ago about the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces denying former Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart’s appeal, a new development has surfaced: William E. Cassara and Philip D. Cave, the attorneys handling Stewart’s appeals, have filed a Petition for Reconsideration with CAAF, the nation’s highest military court.

Notably, the petition cites ineffective assistance of counsel — an item mentioned in the July 26 decision of the Army Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Stewart’s 2009 conviction and sentence on sexual assault charges — and requests CAAF reconsider Stewart’s case.

In plain English, Stewart’s new defense attorneys argue that the defense attorneys who represented the highly-decorated combat veteran during his court-martial didn’t follow the legal steps necessary to compel — or attempt to compel — the German government to produce the accuser’s mental health records. Those records, many believe, would have provided the court with a great deal of insight about the accuser and may have convinced members of the court-martial panel that the accusations against Stewart were baseless.

You can read more about these issues in my post, Army Judge Violates Soldier’s Constitutional Rights, published May 11, 2011. To read the complete, never-before-published details of this case, obtained through interviews with the key players and access to the actual Record of Trial, order a copy of the book, Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice.

UPDATE 12/20/2012 at 8:38 a.m. Central: Bad news received from the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces: “On consideration of Appellant’s petition for reconsideration of this Court’s order issued November 15, 2012, it is, by the Court, this, 19th day of December, 2012, ORDERED: That said petition for reconsideration is hereby denied. For the Court, /s/ William A. DeCicco, Clerk of the Court.”

Three Days In August is available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com.

Green Beret’s Appeal Denied by Nation’s Highest Military Court

Posted on November 15, 2012 by BobMcCarty

The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces has denied former Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart‘s appeal of the wrongful conviction and sentence handed down by a court-martial panel in Germany almost 39 months ago.

The CAAF decision came today, almost four months after the Army Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the soldier’s conviction and sentence. Stewart’s sentence came at the end of a two-day military trial in August 2009 during which Stewart was found guilty of a handful of sexual assault charges after a German woman alleged she had been raped and kidnapped by the soldier.

Now, unless the highly-decorated combat veteran receives a presidential pardon, he will likely bear the “sex offender” label for the rest of his life.

To gain an understanding of how Stewart’s prosecution went down, read “THE BASICS” of his case.

To read the never-before-published details obtained through interviews with the key players and access to the actual Record of Trial, order a copy of the book, Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice. a

Three Days In August is available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com.

Vietnam Veteran Delivers Untraditional Message

Posted on November 11, 2012 by BobMcCarty

EDITOR’S NOTE: Below, minus its ceremonial portions, I share excerpts of a speech delivered Saturday by CMSgt. John Stewart (Ret., USAF) at a Veterans Day commemoration event in Inverness, Fla. Chief Stewart is a veteran of more than three decades of service in Air Force Special Operations that included service in Vietnam. He is also the father of former Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Kelly A. Stewart, the man whose wrongful conviction is chronicled in my book, “Three Days In August: A U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier’s Fight For Military Justice.”

Above: Kelly Stewart with his dad, John.

Good afternoon to you my fellow veterans, to our dignitaries present here today, and especially to the Citizen Patriots who came here to honor and remember our nation’s heroes.

I thank you so much for this opportunity.

My wife and I returned a couple weeks ago from a camping trip on our first real vacation in nearly 15 years.

Part of our vacation was spent in Branson, Mo., to see their fantastic entertainment which was truly wonderful. I found something else remarkable about Branson.

It was one of the most patriotic places I have ever visited.

Every show we attended made a point of honoring veterans in attendance. Most business signs and theater marquees in town always include something like, “Thank You Veterans for Serving” or “God Bless Our Veterans.” This occurs in Branson every day of the year.

As it should be done, all across America every day.

Even their city park was converted to a beautiful veterans tribute with, monuments and flag lined walkways with red, white and blue flowers. Something that would be really nice to see right here in Inverness.

While in Branson I wore my old golf hat that has a Vietnam Veteran logo on the front. In doing so waiters, theme park workers, and tourists, heck people galore, were continually coming up to me when they saw my hat, to say… thanks for serving our country. It was a great feeling.

All that display of Branson patriotism kinda got to me, particularly as Veterans Day and this ceremony approached. On the drive home I gave some serious thought about patriotism around our country and how good, or bad, ALL of America supports veterans…. not only today, but in past decades.

I realized during our long drive back to Florida that somehow we had begun over the past 30 to 35 years to lose some of our inner spirit in this country.

I also realized that many in our great nation were forgetting patriotism and, what is truly sad, more and more they were forgetting our military veterans, especially those in need. If it continues in this vain our future looks very, very bleak.

It is why I stand here today to speak to you. I am deeply concerned about the upcoming budget cuts, planned reductions in forces, and the many other military changes currently in planning stages of our government that without a doubt will impact an already existing flawed veterans support system. Without continued emphasis on supporting those who served our country in uniform I fear we will be forgotten. That must not occur. THEY MUST REMEMBER US!

I will personally always remember those who served America, no matter the service branch, no matter the era, no matter the war.

For example, I remember June 6, 1944! Better known as D-Day.

At dawn, Army Rangers jumped off a landing craft and ran to the bottom of cliffs along white beaches that had been turned red from the blood of heroes. Their mission was to climb sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns trained on the beaches with a mission to destroy our troops and equipment.

The Rangers looked up at a horrific scene. Enemy soldiers at edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades.

But the Rangers shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up through the withering fire and explosions.

The heroes began to climb. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another one and begin his climb, again, through hell.

Finally, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of those cliffs, they began to take back the continent of Europe from a dictatorship of hell itself.

Two-hundred and twenty-five Rangers climbed the cliffs that day.

After two days of fighting, only 90 of those original 225 heroes could still hold a weapon.

THEY KNEW ONE’S COUNTRY IS WORTH DYING FOR.

They trusted that we would ALWAYS REMEMBER their heroism.

However, does America really remember sacrifices of those Rangers, or the millions of other military personnel who sacrificed everything in the past 236 years to maintain the freedoms provided by our wonderful Constitution?

Sure, moments like today and Memorial Day we always seem to remember, but I do not believe that memory exists year-round.

And there could be many reasons why I believe this has occurred. I know we are exhausted of war after a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan that, even today, has no true end in sight.

That fact, alone, could lead us to forgetfulness.

However, I think I know when we really began to forget our heroes…

It was the politics and tragedy during, and in the aftermath, of the Vietnam War that caused America to do so.

I was there, and it was a war from hell, fought in hell, and America’s citizens put their heads in the sand to forget. Unfortunately some of America dishonored our veterans here at home while veterans were fighting in that hell.

Most of America dishonored them when they returned home.

And by doing so… America dishonored all citizens who have served in uniform at any time in our history.

It was not that America did not care. We just did not want to know… or remember… or honor… or, sadly, even help our Vietnam veterans.

We forgot that over 11,000 of the names on the Vietnam Wall in Washington are 19 years old or younger.

We forgot that 75,000 Vietnam Veterans were severely disabled.

For example let’s use the actual 2010 population figures of Inverness as a comparison and pretend that every citizen in our town served in the Vietnam War. Seventy-three percent of our town would have lost an arm or leg. Fifteen percent of us would have sustained multiple amputations.

Those terrible disabilities would not be the only impact upon us here. Fourteen percent of Inverness would have been killed on their first day in the Vietnam War.

Despite those horrendous statistics, America has looked away for decades.

As example, in 2008 it was reported that our country had 154,000 homeless veterans and America complacently accepted recent atrocious Veterans Administration bragging that things are improving and “ONLY” 60,000 veterans are homeless today. They did not brag that one-third of all homeless in this country are veterans.

But VA’s leadership quickly brags everyday about many things. Such as a supposed improvement in areas like veteran unemployment, homelessness, claims improvement, medical support, etc, etc., etc. They talk a good game but I haven’t seen many touchdowns.

VA ALSO DID NOT BRAG THAT 47 PERCENT OF THE HOMELESS VETS ARE VIETNAM ERA VETERANS.

After the Vietnam War, our heroes returned to a country that was weary and complacent.

The war had finally and tragically come to an end.

It was over and we indulged ourselves in the notion that the world was now safe.

A booming economy was going to be ample substitute for a strong military and we could reduce our forces and forget them.

Somehow we came to accept a belief that freedom under God was free and, if not, we could buy it.

At the same time politics became a toilet bowl operation and we seemed to think that by electing self-serving, uncaring, military hating politicians it would not harm us as a nation.

Why? Because we stupidly believed there was little need any more to maintain vigilance towards the world’s bad guys. A strong military was no longer needed.

Peace had arrived in America. Veterans didn’t need us and they could take care of themselves.

Peace existed on our planet.

Obviously peace did not arrive judging by the events of 9/11, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and the recent attack on our consulate in Libya killing our ambassador and others.

We completely forgot that price of freedom has always been eternal vigilance backed by a strong military that is prepared to prevent war.

Not start war, my fellow citizens… a military to prevent it.

But it must be a military that America totally supports. A military that is remembered and honored.

And it must be a military that America promises to take care of when they return home. Including families that have suffered for so long from so many deployments or even loss of their loved one.

We are not fulfilling promises.

Abraham Lincoln made a promise to veterans. He said our country would take care of them, but it is a commitment that is failing in many, many areas.

For example, take a look at supposed programs that would combat suicide among our military personnel.

Suicide rates in our military are off the scale. In June it was announced we were averaging one active duty or reserve military suicide per day during 2012. That number has since increased to new records. The Army’s Chief of Staff recently said that suicide is the most frequent cause of death among Army forces, surpassing combat deaths and motor vehicle accidents combined. The suicide rate for the Army is up 15 percent over last year. For the Marine Corps it’s up 28 percent. The entire military’s across the board suicide rate is up 22 percent from last year. 38 active duty and reserve heroes took their lives in July, alone.

I could find no statistics for those who have been discharged, but it must be astronomical.

However, I could find statistics for post-traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD, which is a major cause of veteran’s suicides.

Millions of Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan; on as many as 7 tours of duty in the wars and I am sure there are more tours to come.

A recent VA report revealed that nearly 30 percent of veterans who served in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan that have been treated at VA hospitals were diagnosed with PTSD. Yet many people in this country have forgotten them. Even worse, our government is forgetting them. Headlines seem to appear every single day in the Chronicle concerning budget cuts on our military.

Those same headlines seem to continually report about the Veterans Administration’s struggles to help our troops.

I’ve asked myself, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING IN OUR VA?

Unfortunately, I think I know why. It is not the every day worker in VA diligently trying to get the job done that is causing our problems. Despite having to deal with poor management and outdated procedures, VA has some tremendous people doing their best to help us. As example, we are extremely fortunate right here in Citrus County to have Chuck Fettes, Sam Dinnino and their staff at our County Veterans Service Office who work hard to support veterans.

But the VA has over 300,000 employees around the country, second largest branch in the Federal Government and veterans should be completely taken care of. It is not happening.

Listen to this example. About two weeks ago a former special assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs said, “I’ve just never seen an organization that has so much money and so many employees, and such incompetence.”

I believe incompetence comes from failed leadership and failed management.

As example, since 2005, the VA has held over 1,600 employee conferences, if you can believe it, while spending, if you can also believe it, an estimated $300 million. That works out to a conference every one and a half days.

The most expensive meeting totaled a jaw-dropping $6.3 million… In an ironic twist, the title of that conference was, “Financial Management Training.”

Obviously, the Veterans Administration cannot fulfill Abe Lincoln’s promise. Some of it is has been caused by budget cuts. But, it is compounded by poor management, unrealistic paperwork, nearly a million backlogged compensation claims, and a huge influx of veterans needing help after so many deployments.

This is absolutely and positively wrong!

Veterans DO NOT DESERVE government red tape.

Veterans DO NOT DESERVE government budget cuts.

Veterans DO NOT DESERVE government broken promises.

Veterans DO DESERVE to get prompt high-quality medical care.

Veterans DO DESERVE to get rapid responses to their compensation and benefit claims.

And our government must make damn sure those who return from battle that are prone to PTSD, divorce, and suicide, GET THE HELP AND COUNSELING THEY NEED.

It is our government’s responsibility to take care of her veterans.

BECAUSE…

WE VETERANS TOOK CARE OF OUR GOVERNMENT!

Yes, we must honor and take care of those serving today, but at the same time those we have lost must be remembered by America.

Not just on holidays but very single day of the year!

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Most of those who died in defense of our country were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives – the one they were living, and the one they would have lived. They gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers…. They gave up everything for their country – for us.”

All we can do is remember.”

And we must start remembering before it is too late.

One very important thing we must remember is that our country is only as strong as our people. We must remain resolved and focused while being prepared to fight for freedom and, if necessary, commit wholeheartedly to fighting for that freedom.

This includes defeating today’s enemy. An enemy best described as an animal. An animal becoming stronger and smarter every single day. An animal that because of misguided ideology uses unbelievable methods on a daily basis to kill our troops. Even if it means killing or maiming their own innocent men, women and children in the process.

They will put on a uniform that America bought for them, we then train them, and they pretend to be our ally and friend. Then, as only a coward would do, they kill our young soldiers with a shot in the head from behind. Over 55 Coalition troops have been killed in 2012 by those we thought were our allies.

Simply said, our enemy is an animal that demands we accept their rule of ideology.

Nothing more, nothing less.

You may think you are far removed from those animals down here in our little paradise. But, Inverness is as much at risk for an attack as New York and Washington, D.C.

Given the opportunity for another 9/11 atrocity, our merciless enemy would do it today, tomorrow, and every day thereafter.

It could happen anywhere, anyplace, anytime.

The only stopgap from that happening is a strong military. But it must be one totally, and absolutely, supported by our citizens. People like you patriots who came today and, Ladies and Gentlemen, I commend you for taking the time to be here. From the bottom of my heart and all veterans present we thank you. But, we must consider one point.

We have over 140,000 citizens in Citrus County and we should have standing room only, clear down to the lake and out to Gospel Island.

That did not happen today and it is indicative of how many in our America continue to forget us, to honor us and to support us.

Where are the missing people today? Watching football?

Perhaps at the Homosassa Seafood Festival?

Maybe down the road at the Citrus County Builders Association Show?

I’d like to know who in the hell has the audacity to schedule such events at a time when they should be honoring America’s heroes? I am sure they have an excuse, but there is no excuse as far as I am concerned for dishonoring us in this fashion.

Do they care?

Or, are they continuing to put their heads in the sand instead of remembering and honoring those who served and are serving our country? I’ll let you decide.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have been truly honored to be selected to appear here today and given the opportunity to speak to you from my heart. I’ve tried to tell you how veterans who served our country are being unfairly treated.

Because of that stance, I simply can’t leave this podium with the usual generic Veterans Day speech signoff.

It would be unfair to those here today that at their moment in our history and at a moment in your history raised a right hand, put on a uniform and swore to offer their lives to maintain our freedoms.

It also would be unfair to those who have lost their lives defending world freedom.

We need to let those who DID NOT come today to know that…

YOU GREAT CITIZENS DID COME.

AND THAT YOU AS AMERICAN PATRIOTS DO CARE.

AND THEY WHO DID NOT COME MUST DO SO IN THE FUTURE!

In a moment, I am going to introduce you to the veterans present here by having them stand up by branch of service to be honored.

I ask that you remain silent as they stand, even after all are standing. You will have a chance later to acknowledge their service.

By their standing in silence for a couple moments before we acknowledge their service it will symbolize a personal salute by us to our brothers in arms that have been hospitalized, lost, or are being held as prisoner of war.

It will also show OUR SADNESS AS MILITARY VETERANS that so many in Citrus County did not come to honor us today but chose to go to a builder’s show, eat seafood, or watch football on TV.

May the Lord Bless each of you, may He watch over our troops in harm’s way and may He continue to Bless the United States of America.

“Three Days In August” is available in paperback and ebook via most online booksellers, including Amazon.com. His second book, “The CLAPPER MEMO,” is set for release this fall.

BobMcCarty.com

Offering Opinionated Observations & investigative Reports Since 2006

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