(Military Times) OpEd: (by convicted felon Ollie North) No Debate

[unhappycamper]

No Debate
Oliver North | October 18, 2008

Most of the 2,300 young Americans of Marine Expeditionary Unit 24 missed all three of this year's Presidential Debates. They were too busy fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan to watch the first two – and enroute home to this sprawling coastal Carolina base during this week's give and take. Few of them have had the opportunity to see the man who will be their next Commander-in-Chief – even on television. Though they don't talk much about politics or politicians, there is one thing that they all seem to want – no matter their age, rank or color of their skin. There's no debate – they want victory.

This isn't the first time we've met these Marines. The 24 MEU is built around the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines. In August, our FOX News Channel War Stories documentary team was embedded with 1/6 in Afghanistan. Back in 2006, we lived with them in Ramadi, Iraq – when Al Anbar Province was the bloodiest place on the planet. According to Colonel Peter Petranzio, the MEU Commander, and LtCol Anthony Henderson, the C.O. of 1/6, well over half of these Marines have made multiple deployments in this long war against Radical Islam. And while there is no such thing as a “typical Marine” – what they say about what they have accomplished is nearly universal.

One of them is a young 22-year-old Sergeant named Courtney Rauch. He and his wife Vanessa were part of our 2007 documentary, "From the Frontlines to the Home Front," that we shot in Iraq and here at Camp Lejeune. He returned from his first combat tour unscathed. But this time he was not so fortunate.

On August 3, a massive improvised explosive device (IED) detonated directly beneath his lead vehicle in our four-Humvee patrol through one of the most heavily contested parts of Helmand Province. The blast blew Chris Jackson, our cameraman, out the right rear door and the heavily armored Humvee was immediately engulfed in flames.

The driver, Cpl. Arnaldo Figueroa and Sgt. Rauch, both wounded, were trapped in the front of the burning vehicle. Despite his own wounds from shrapnel and the blast, Jackson immediately jumped up and scrambled back to the burning vehicle. As ammunition "cooked off" inside the Humvee, Jackson somehow jerked the buckled armored door open and dragged Sgt. Rauch to safety. On the left side of the vehicle, Corporals Wright and Donald, did the same for Corporal Figueroa. Both badly wounded men were dragged to safety behind the next vehicle in the column and treated by the unit's two U.S. Navy medical corpsmen, Jose Pena and Gregory Cox, while Lt. John Branson, the platoon commander, deployed his Marines to secure a helicopter landing zone.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,177397,00.html?wh=news

[geckosfeet]

1. War stories. I used to read the accounts of marines in Pacific during WWII

when I was a kid. Incredible stories of bravery. During that war there was a clearly defined path to victory. Now, not so much. We are fighting an idea, and ideas can't be killed by the sword.

But, we can choose another way. People do not have to die like this anymore. Let us not squander their strength and bravery on a misdirected policy that has no future.

[fasttense]

2. I attained the same rank in the Navy as Ollie did in the Marines.

Yet, I did it without breaking any laws.

Why anyone listens to this criminal is beyond me. You don't have to break the law, and take kick backs, to succeed in the military. But it helps to be a criminal to succeed on Fox Noise.

There is an honorable path to success, but I don't think Ollie North knows it.

[dgibby]

3. McCain should immediately repudiate this criminal,

lest he get accused of consorting with people who would subvert our laws and Constitution! That guilt by association might come back to haunt him.

I doubt seriously that Ollie North is speaking for the majority of the troops, considering that those deployed in the war zones are contributing 6:1 in favor of Obama. In addition, most, if not all, veterans' groups have rated McCain as poor (grade of D) vs Obama as good (grade of B) on support of vets.

Looks like Ollie has, once again, jumped the shark.