marinefamily5
09-07-05, 09:28 AM
Hi Everyone:
This is Deborah Johns. I am the Marine Mom who was the spokes person
on the "Cindy you don't speak for me" tour that recently happened when
I caravaned to Crawford, TX.
First, let me start out by saying that it was never my intention to
bash Cindy Sheehan or take personal attacks at her. My focus was to
seek to understand why she was doing what she was doing and for her to
understand how her actions hurt our Marines and Soldiers in harms way,
the families, and those who have lost loved ones serving our great
Nation.
I have always stated that our military men and women need our
unconditional love and support. It does not matter whether you are a
Democrat, Republican, Independent, Peace, or whatever you lay claim
to. Our men and women have a job to do and we need to support them.
That means not attacking them while they are still in harms way
verbally in the media, not attacking them physically or verbally when
they come home and not to turn this into another Vietnam. They have a
tough enough job to do, and they do not need to fight a war in the
media again.
When speaking, I always try to speak based on fact and logic. I do a
lot of research and talk to many different people before I speak on
any platform. With that said, please know that I personally have
corresponded with Donald Rumsfeld, I know his best friend who lives
blocks from my house. I have spoken to Generals, Captains, 1st and
2nd Lts., majors, all the way to enlisted men and women serving in the
war on terror. So I feel confident that what I spoke on was accurate
and from their perspective and not mine. The question is no longer
should we have gone there in the first place, we are there and we need
to finish the job, put the government in place, develope the
appropriate exit strategy and get out sons and daughters home.
All of whom I spoke with were in agreement that none of them liked
being there in Iraq or Afganistan. It is hot, dirty and they would
rather be home. However, the main consensus from all of them was that
they have a job to do and they want to see it through to the end.
They want to complete their mission and that is seeing to it that the
people of Iraq have a new democratic government in place which they
then can turn over happyily to them and they will feel that their jobs
are completed. They feel that to leave any sooner would be doing the
people of that country a great dis-service and would all be for
nothing. Many of them recounted wonderful stories of the Iraqi people
thanking them for being there and begging them not to leave until
their new government is in place. The wonderful things we don't see
in the news are the rebuilding of bridges, roadways, power plants,
hospitals, schools and orphanages. None of these great things make
the news. Yes, there are a few that just don't think we should be
there at all, but that is a very select few.
As for Cindy Sheehan. A General I spoke to, (whom shall remain
nameless) indicated that when there is division like we have in the
States with Cindy Sheehan trying to divide the country, they
definitely see an increase in insergent fighting from guns, to IEDs
and whatnot. There is a direct correlation and this causes more harm
to our men and women. Cindy needs to be held accountable for her
actions and it made known to her perfectly clear that her actions are
causing harm to our servicemen and women.
I received a phone call from the family of Cindy Sheehan on 8/22 when
I started the tour. Patrick Sheehan is Casey's father. He filed for
divorce from Cindy on 8/19. Casey was not raised by anyone but his
mother and father. Patrick requested the return of death benefit in
the divorce papers (I have copies of them). Cindy has hated the Bush
Administration long before Casey enlisted in the military. Cindy
never forgave Casey for enlisting in the military and when he re-
enlisted, he knew full well that if he did so, he would be deployed to
Iraq. Also, Casey was a mechanic. He volunteered to be a convoy
driver for the mission where he lost his life. The family said they
feel Cindy is doing nothing more than using Casey's flag draped coffin
for her political platform. That is why they have separated
themselves from her and do not support her. The family indicated that
if Casey knew what she was doing he would be very angry. I also
received e-mail communication from some of Casey's buddies in the
Army. They too indicated that Casey would be ferious with his
mother's actions.
You should also know that Casey is not burried in a military
cemetary. He is burried in a Catholic Cemetary in Vacaville, CA.
Cindy was all too happy to take the $250,000 death benefit and quit
her job. However, she has not been to Casey's grave site in 14 months
and has never ordered and/or placed the head stone on Casey's grave.
I personally think this is deplorable. Cindy is none to happy to take
the money and run, rip the President to shreads and call our men and
women who dawn the American Uniform and carry a gun the "Ultimate
Terriorists," and those fighting against them in Iraq the "True
Freedom Fighters," but she does not even have the decency to have the
proper headstone done for her son. She is not the grieving mother she
would have us all to believe.
As I said in the beginning, I did not want to bash Cindy Sheehan. In
the beginning of the tour, I felt bery sympathetic and empathetic for
the loss of her son Casey. However, as the week went on and at every
press conference I did, media interview, via radio and newspaper, I
extended my hand to Cindy to meet privately with her. However, that
was denied by Cindy stating that she did not feel I was on the same
moral platform as her because my son was not killed in Iraq. Well
when I hade 20 Gold Star Moms and Dads with me who requested to meet
with her, Cindy then denied that request as well stating "I don't have
time to meet with people who have been brainwashed. If they don't
believe what I do that the Bush Administration is nothing but liars
and murderes, I have nothing to say to them." Well, I think these
statements speak for themselves, that Cindy's political platform is
nothing more for her and not about the loss of Casey.
By the end of the week, the only thing I was sympathetic to was the
loss of Casey, not anything for Cindy. Believe me when I say, this is
a woman who thinks only of herself, and what she wants, and has no
feelings, compassion and/or respect for those families who have lost
their sons and daughters as well.
When Cindy was asked to remove names on the crosses in TX, she refused
to do so and told a mother who has cancer "if you want it removed you
have to come here and do it yourself." I know this information first
hand, and I think this is deplorable of Cindy to do. It is one thing
for her to drag her son's name through the mud, but I do not feel she
has the right to use the names of other service men and women if their
families request so. Those who have lost loved ones should be treated
with the utmost dignity and respect and their request honored without
question.
One final note. My story here is not meant to offend anyone, and I
hope no one leaves the group. These are just my accounting of what I
experienced on the tour. I also received hundreds and hundreds of e-
mails of current families, and Vietnam Veternas echoing that "Cindy
does not speak for them," and pledging their support that finally
someone is pushing back against the mainstream meadia and their
onesided views on everything.
Love and Hugs
Deborah Johns
VPMM of CPL Will
(2x Iraq Vet - Recon Marine)
This is Deborah Johns. I am the Marine Mom who was the spokes person
on the "Cindy you don't speak for me" tour that recently happened when
I caravaned to Crawford, TX.
First, let me start out by saying that it was never my intention to
bash Cindy Sheehan or take personal attacks at her. My focus was to
seek to understand why she was doing what she was doing and for her to
understand how her actions hurt our Marines and Soldiers in harms way,
the families, and those who have lost loved ones serving our great
Nation.
I have always stated that our military men and women need our
unconditional love and support. It does not matter whether you are a
Democrat, Republican, Independent, Peace, or whatever you lay claim
to. Our men and women have a job to do and we need to support them.
That means not attacking them while they are still in harms way
verbally in the media, not attacking them physically or verbally when
they come home and not to turn this into another Vietnam. They have a
tough enough job to do, and they do not need to fight a war in the
media again.
When speaking, I always try to speak based on fact and logic. I do a
lot of research and talk to many different people before I speak on
any platform. With that said, please know that I personally have
corresponded with Donald Rumsfeld, I know his best friend who lives
blocks from my house. I have spoken to Generals, Captains, 1st and
2nd Lts., majors, all the way to enlisted men and women serving in the
war on terror. So I feel confident that what I spoke on was accurate
and from their perspective and not mine. The question is no longer
should we have gone there in the first place, we are there and we need
to finish the job, put the government in place, develope the
appropriate exit strategy and get out sons and daughters home.
All of whom I spoke with were in agreement that none of them liked
being there in Iraq or Afganistan. It is hot, dirty and they would
rather be home. However, the main consensus from all of them was that
they have a job to do and they want to see it through to the end.
They want to complete their mission and that is seeing to it that the
people of Iraq have a new democratic government in place which they
then can turn over happyily to them and they will feel that their jobs
are completed. They feel that to leave any sooner would be doing the
people of that country a great dis-service and would all be for
nothing. Many of them recounted wonderful stories of the Iraqi people
thanking them for being there and begging them not to leave until
their new government is in place. The wonderful things we don't see
in the news are the rebuilding of bridges, roadways, power plants,
hospitals, schools and orphanages. None of these great things make
the news. Yes, there are a few that just don't think we should be
there at all, but that is a very select few.
As for Cindy Sheehan. A General I spoke to, (whom shall remain
nameless) indicated that when there is division like we have in the
States with Cindy Sheehan trying to divide the country, they
definitely see an increase in insergent fighting from guns, to IEDs
and whatnot. There is a direct correlation and this causes more harm
to our men and women. Cindy needs to be held accountable for her
actions and it made known to her perfectly clear that her actions are
causing harm to our servicemen and women.
I received a phone call from the family of Cindy Sheehan on 8/22 when
I started the tour. Patrick Sheehan is Casey's father. He filed for
divorce from Cindy on 8/19. Casey was not raised by anyone but his
mother and father. Patrick requested the return of death benefit in
the divorce papers (I have copies of them). Cindy has hated the Bush
Administration long before Casey enlisted in the military. Cindy
never forgave Casey for enlisting in the military and when he re-
enlisted, he knew full well that if he did so, he would be deployed to
Iraq. Also, Casey was a mechanic. He volunteered to be a convoy
driver for the mission where he lost his life. The family said they
feel Cindy is doing nothing more than using Casey's flag draped coffin
for her political platform. That is why they have separated
themselves from her and do not support her. The family indicated that
if Casey knew what she was doing he would be very angry. I also
received e-mail communication from some of Casey's buddies in the
Army. They too indicated that Casey would be ferious with his
mother's actions.
You should also know that Casey is not burried in a military
cemetary. He is burried in a Catholic Cemetary in Vacaville, CA.
Cindy was all too happy to take the $250,000 death benefit and quit
her job. However, she has not been to Casey's grave site in 14 months
and has never ordered and/or placed the head stone on Casey's grave.
I personally think this is deplorable. Cindy is none to happy to take
the money and run, rip the President to shreads and call our men and
women who dawn the American Uniform and carry a gun the "Ultimate
Terriorists," and those fighting against them in Iraq the "True
Freedom Fighters," but she does not even have the decency to have the
proper headstone done for her son. She is not the grieving mother she
would have us all to believe.
As I said in the beginning, I did not want to bash Cindy Sheehan. In
the beginning of the tour, I felt bery sympathetic and empathetic for
the loss of her son Casey. However, as the week went on and at every
press conference I did, media interview, via radio and newspaper, I
extended my hand to Cindy to meet privately with her. However, that
was denied by Cindy stating that she did not feel I was on the same
moral platform as her because my son was not killed in Iraq. Well
when I hade 20 Gold Star Moms and Dads with me who requested to meet
with her, Cindy then denied that request as well stating "I don't have
time to meet with people who have been brainwashed. If they don't
believe what I do that the Bush Administration is nothing but liars
and murderes, I have nothing to say to them." Well, I think these
statements speak for themselves, that Cindy's political platform is
nothing more for her and not about the loss of Casey.
By the end of the week, the only thing I was sympathetic to was the
loss of Casey, not anything for Cindy. Believe me when I say, this is
a woman who thinks only of herself, and what she wants, and has no
feelings, compassion and/or respect for those families who have lost
their sons and daughters as well.
When Cindy was asked to remove names on the crosses in TX, she refused
to do so and told a mother who has cancer "if you want it removed you
have to come here and do it yourself." I know this information first
hand, and I think this is deplorable of Cindy to do. It is one thing
for her to drag her son's name through the mud, but I do not feel she
has the right to use the names of other service men and women if their
families request so. Those who have lost loved ones should be treated
with the utmost dignity and respect and their request honored without
question.
One final note. My story here is not meant to offend anyone, and I
hope no one leaves the group. These are just my accounting of what I
experienced on the tour. I also received hundreds and hundreds of e-
mails of current families, and Vietnam Veternas echoing that "Cindy
does not speak for them," and pledging their support that finally
someone is pushing back against the mainstream meadia and their
onesided views on everything.
Love and Hugs
Deborah Johns
VPMM of CPL Will
(2x Iraq Vet - Recon Marine)