THE WASHINGTON TIMES, EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL: An old soldier who won’t fade away
Obama is outclassed and outsmarted by retiring Gen. Petraeus:
Gen. David H. Petraeus closed his phenomenal 37-year Army career this
week with a joint review at Fort Myer in Arlington . Service members
from every branch were present, and flags of all 50 states fluttered
in the breeze. A substantial crowd had come to hear the general's
farewell address. Many were classmates from the West Point Class of
1974, smartly attired but enthusiastic and occasionally whooping like
they were cadets. Others were people with whom he had served over his
storied career, whom he recognized from the dais during his speech.
The morning was sunny and clear, and the general was his usual
affable, ebullient self.
In his remarks, Gen. Petraeus recalled the days when he entered the
military, when the Vietnam War was winding down and the armed services
were being pared down to the "hollow forces" of the 1970s. "The Army I
joined as a second lieutenant had suffered enormously," he said. "In
the wake of our involvement in Vietnam , our Army and much of our
military were grappling with a host of very serious challenges." The
senior leaders who first wore the uniform in those dark days were not
discouraged. They began their careers with a sense of mission. "I know
I speak for many when I say that we came away from that period vowing
to never let our forces get to such a point ever again." Through his
efforts, and those of countless other visionaries in and out of
uniform, the hollow forces were transformed once again into the finest
fighting force in the world.
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided
over the ceremony with William J. Lynn, deputy secretary of defense.
Notably absent were Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, whose former
position as CIA director is Gen. Petraeus' next assignment, and
President Obama. Their non-appearance did not sit well with some.
"Obama should have been here," a warrior who served under Gen.
Petraeus told The Washington Times. "And he should have invited former
President George W. Bush. The general saved their bacon. Twice.
"Everyone has forgotten that in 2007 we as a nation had said, 'OK, we
are going to lose Iraq .' And President Bush said, 'Well what if we
win?' Petraeus rode into town and assembled an extraordinary team. His
personal drive, his charisma, his optimism, his can-do spirit, all of
that is what gave us hope that we could in fact turn Iraq around," our
source explained. "And by September of '07, the progress had been
dramatic enough that it became common knowledge to the American people
that things were turning around in Iraq . Eight months earlier, a lot
of people, including Obama, wanted to tuck tail and have another
Vietnam."
That's not all. "Here is the guy who saved our reputation as a nation.
Seriously, who's missing this? And then he went to Central Command and
was doing great things. And Obama asked him to take a functional
demotion and go back to Afghanistan and save our bacon again," we were
told. "To leave his family, to step down from a regional command, to
take on that burden. And he said yes, and he did it. Petraeus was the
right guy at the right time, he answered the call, and now he's being
yanked out before we're ready, just like the troops are being yanked
out before Afghanistan is ready."
So what's the reason for the White House about-face? "They are sending
him to the CIA to keep him quiet during the 2012 election. It shows
how small and scared they are. He is an honorable man, he has never
expressed political ambition. But they saw him as a threat. He is an
independent thinker, the finest military mind of his generation," our
source posits. "What he suffers from is that he is more excellent than
almost anyone he meets, to include the president. The troops love him.
Strong people surround themselves with the most excellent people they
can find, even those brighter and more capable than themselves. Weak
people don't."
There is a shameful indignity in how this hero was treated. "The
president couldn't find the time in his campaign schedule, nor could
the defense secretary find the time to look him in the eye and say
thank you in person," this warrior told The Washington Times. "It's
one thing to say 'we support the troops' and trot out your first lady
to do that, but this is where it counts. It would have been an
appropriate gesture to come here to recognize the professional and
personal sacrifice of this extraordinary man. It would have been the
dignified thing to do."
The hero remained above it all. The cannons boomed and the crowd
cheered and Gen. Petraeus stood smiling in the sun.
EDITORIAL: An old soldier who won’t fade away
Obama is outclassed and outsmarted by retiring Gen. Petraeus:
Gen. David H. Petraeus closed his phenomenal 37-year Army career this
week with a joint review at Fort Myer in Arlington . Service members
from every branch were present, and flags of all 50 states fluttered
in the breeze. A substantial crowd had come to hear the general's
farewell address. Many were classmates from the West Point Class of
1974, smartly attired but enthusiastic and occasionally whooping like
they were cadets. Others were people with whom he had served over his
storied career, whom he recognized from the dais during his speech.
The morning was sunny and clear, and the general was his usual
affable, ebullient self.
In his remarks, Gen. Petraeus recalled the days when he entered the
military, when the Vietnam War was winding down and the armed services
were being pared down to the "hollow forces" of the 1970s. "The Army I
joined as a second lieutenant had suffered enormously," he said. "In
the wake of our involvement in Vietnam , our Army and much of our
military were grappling with a host of very serious challenges." The
senior leaders who first wore the uniform in those dark days were not
discouraged. They began their careers with a sense of mission. "I know
I speak for many when I say that we came away from that period vowing
to never let our forces get to such a point ever again." Through his
efforts, and those of countless other visionaries in and out of
uniform, the hollow forces were transformed once again into the finest
fighting force in the world.
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presided
over the ceremony with William J. Lynn, deputy secretary of defense.
Notably absent were Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, whose former
position as CIA director is Gen. Petraeus' next assignment, and
President Obama. Their non-appearance did not sit well with some.
"Obama should have been here," a warrior who served under Gen.
Petraeus told The Washington Times. "And he should have invited former
President George W. Bush. The general saved their bacon. Twice.
"Everyone has forgotten that in 2007 we as a nation had said, 'OK, we
are going to lose Iraq .' And President Bush said, 'Well what if we
win?' Petraeus rode into town and assembled an extraordinary team. His
personal drive, his charisma, his optimism, his can-do spirit, all of
that is what gave us hope that we could in fact turn Iraq around," our
source explained. "And by September of '07, the progress had been
dramatic enough that it became common knowledge to the American people
that things were turning around in Iraq . Eight months earlier, a lot
of people, including Obama, wanted to tuck tail and have another
Vietnam."
That's not all. "Here is the guy who saved our reputation as a nation.
Seriously, who's missing this? And then he went to Central Command and
was doing great things. And Obama asked him to take a functional
demotion and go back to Afghanistan and save our bacon again," we were
told. "To leave his family, to step down from a regional command, to
take on that burden. And he said yes, and he did it. Petraeus was the
right guy at the right time, he answered the call, and now he's being
yanked out before we're ready, just like the troops are being yanked
out before Afghanistan is ready."
So what's the reason for the White House about-face? "They are sending
him to the CIA to keep him quiet during the 2012 election. It shows
how small and scared they are. He is an honorable man, he has never
expressed political ambition. But they saw him as a threat. He is an
independent thinker, the finest military mind of his generation," our
source posits. "What he suffers from is that he is more excellent than
almost anyone he meets, to include the president. The troops love him.
Strong people surround themselves with the most excellent people they
can find, even those brighter and more capable than themselves. Weak
people don't."
There is a shameful indignity in how this hero was treated. "The
president couldn't find the time in his campaign schedule, nor could
the defense secretary find the time to look him in the eye and say
thank you in person," this warrior told The Washington Times. "It's
one thing to say 'we support the troops' and trot out your first lady
to do that, but this is where it counts. It would have been an
appropriate gesture to come here to recognize the professional and
personal sacrifice of this extraordinary man. It would have been the
dignified thing to do."
The hero remained above it all. The cannons boomed and the crowd
cheered and Gen. Petraeus stood smiling in the sun.