August 17, 2004
Scottie's Continuing Struggle With Reality
Here's Scottie, at Monday's "Press Gaggle":
And the President will -- I expect in his remarks will also be thanking all our veterans for their service and sacrifice in the defense of freedom. I expect he'll be talking about our solid record of accomplishment when it comes to fulfilling our commitment to our nation's veterans.
...
So the President has a solid record of accomplishment when it comes to our nation's veterans. He also has a strong record of support for our military.
It's fairly widely known that these assertions are the bunk, as veterans themselves are surely most acutely aware.
But Scottie's timing is especially unfortunate, considering that the following story was still pretty damned warm of the presses when he opened up his mouth to lie out of it:
He’s 57 years old, afflicted with skin cancer, partially deaf, and suffers from high blood pressure. But the U.S. Army still wants Master Sgt. Luis Jaime Treviño.
On July 14, the Vietnam and Desert Storm veteran received his third order to report to active duty -- mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
"I was very shocked," Treviño said, a member of the Army’s Individual Ready Reserve. IRRs are not part of a reserve unit, do not get paid and do not attend monthly reserve training. However, because of critical skills they possess, they can be recalled to duty if needed.
In disbelief, he called the Army hotline listed on his orders.
"Am I reading this thing right? At my age you still want me?" he asked.
But there was no mistake. Treviño is to report to a mobilization unit Sept. 15 at Fort Jackson, S.C. "If I do not execute these orders, I go to jail," he said.
His is not, apparently, an isolated case:
Reservists under the age of 60 are being activated, said Public Affairs Specialist Julia Collins of the Human Resources Command in St. Louis.
"I know many guys who are in that position," she said. "It’s not unusual."
This also raises the question: if "many guys" can be sent to Iraq, at that age and in that physical condition, why the fuck isn't Dick Cheney being fitted for his uniform?
Posted by Eddie Tews at August 17, 2004 08:56 AM
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