An Iraq war veteran said Tuesday he is returning his military medals in what anti-war groups are calling a rare and powerful protest.
Josh Gaines, 27, plans to mail the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and National Defense Service Medal to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He said he will do so during a protest scheduled for Wednesday in Madison.
“I’m going to give those back because I truly feel that I did not defend my nation and I did not help with the Global War on Terrorism,” said Gaines, who lives in Madison. “If anything, this conflict has bred more terrorism in the Middle East.”
Gaines served a yearlong tour in Iraq between 2004 and 2005 with the U.S. Army Reserve. He spent his time guarding two military bases and issuing ammunition to soldiers but never fired a weapon, he said.
Ok, for those of you who do not know much about this;
The Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is given to every single military person who steps foot into a country we are at war with:
Gaines served a yearlong tour in Iraq between 2004 and 2005 with the U.S. Army Reserve. He spent his time guarding two military bases and issuing ammunition to soldiers but never fired a weapon, he said.
As far as the National Defense Service Medal goes, it is given to every member of the Armed Service that serves during a time of war. I have one for Desert Storm and I was either sitting in my recliner at Kings Bay base housing or a few hundred feet under water in the middle of the Atlantic (that is right, I am a "bubblehead" (submariner).
Trust me this guy can give the medals back if he wants. I do not think it will amount to a hill of beans as far as support for the war goes. Any veteran understands that a publicity stunt is just a publicity stunt.
2 comments:
“I’m going to give those back because I truly feel that I did not defend my nation and I did not help with the Global War on Terrorism,” said Gaines, who lives in Madison. “If anything, this conflict has bred more terrorism in the Middle East.”
***********************
Might be a stunt but I really do agree with the sentiment... Iraq has nothing to do with defending America in my opinion and I hear the same thing from quite a few other Iraq vets...
Afghanistan was where we were 100% correct, if we had then gone to Saudi Arabia or Iran, well, that's coming anyway and I feel they are correct to attack as well, but Iraq was, in MY opinion, a personal vendetta for Bush, nothing more...
I agree, my opinion on going to Iraq has always been that it was the only place we could legally go into, with all the treaty violations, and a very strategic position from which to fight in the middle east, not that that made going in the right thing to do and not that it was handled anywhere close to correctly.
Hey JB, heard this on Levin today
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=275613778444636
When Reagan vetoed the treaty, the U.S. Navy had 594 warships. We could protect our own right of passage. Today the fleet has withered to 276 vessels. Is that why we need the treaty?
Post a Comment