thedrifter
09-24-07, 08:14 AM
Injured Marine doing all he can to support nation
By MELISSA HAYES
Burlington County Times
When retired Marine Staff Sgt. Andrew Robinson tells people he became a quadriplegic while fighting in Iraq, he figures many of them assume he is opposed to the war.
But Robinson says that’s not the case; he believes progress is being made.
So when he was given the chance to film a commercial for a national conservative group that supports the military’s actions in Iraq, he was excited.
“They were putting out a message that doesn’t really get put out a lot,” he said. “I had a message that I feel really strongly about.”
Robinson was injured June 20, 2006, while serving his second tour of duty in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. A roadside bomb exploded near the Humvee he was traveling in, killing three fellow Marines and leaving him with a severe spinal-cord injury. He cannot use his legs and has limited use of his arms.
The commercial, which is already airing on local TV stations, features the 24-year-old former North Hanover resident at his current home in Southern California.
“I believe we’re making progress in the war on Iraq and stabilizing the country there. I would go back to Iraq if I could,” he says during the commercial. “It’s that important because if Iraq isn’t stable then it will be a breeding ground for terrorists. I’m proud to have been a Marine.”
His ad also addresses the deadlines for troop withdrawal favored by many in Congress.
“To hear Congress talk about surrendering really makes me angry,” he said. “We’re dealing with the safety of our country of our sacred United States of America. It’s really important that we’re victorious.”
The commercial concludes with his wife, Sara, joining him before the words “Victory is America’s only choice” appear on the screen along with a toll-free number where the public can call their elected representatives.
The ad campaign is financed by Freedom’s Watch, a pro-war nonprofit group headed by Bradley Blakeman, who was a member of President George W. Bush’s senior staff. The group launched the month-long $15 million effort in August.
“The mission of Freedom’s Watch is to ensure a strong national defense and a powerful effort to confront and defeat global terror, especially in Iraq,” Blakeman said in a prepared statement.
The group is organized under section 501 (c) of the U.S. tax code, which means it can lobby on issues but can not advocate for specific candidates.
Robinson, who is currently visiting with family in North Hanover and Roebling, said he was recommended for the commercial by a friend.
Since the ads started airing late last month, Robinson said people he hasn’t talked to in years have recognized him and called or e-mailed. He said he also received feedback from friends in the military.
He said some people he has spoken with may not agree with why the troops are in Iraq, but they also don’t believe the military should leave before their work is done.
“I’m not saying I want the troop levels to stay where they’re at,” he said. “I want the troops to come home too, but I want the people on the ground, that are there to be able to do their jobs.”
Robinson said he thinks Congress should follow the plans of Gen. David Petraeus, the commanding general in Iraq.
“I say we go with what he says,” Robinson said. “To have Congress say, ‘You know what, by December of 2008 we’re going to have all our troops out of there,’ that’s pretty dumb.”
Robinson said Congress is being pressured by the public.
He said the public looks at four years of war as a long time because they hear stories of death and injuries on the news. He said it is frustrating because the positive things are often left out of news reports.
“The progress is really quick in Iraq, it’s just it takes a while to take a government out of place and build up a new one where it can thrive and survive,” he said.
Last week, Robinson was given a hero’s welcome when he spoke to students at his old elementary school in North Hanover and Northern Burlington County Regional High School. He also was presented with a Local Hero Award by the Wrightstown-area Rotary Club.
Robinson was raised in North Hanover and graduated from Northern Burlington Regional High School in 2001. His wife grew up in the Roebling section of Florence. Both have relatives living in their hometowns. The couple said they would eventually like to move back to the east coast to be closer to their families.
Email: mhayes@phillyBurbs.com
Ellie
By MELISSA HAYES
Burlington County Times
When retired Marine Staff Sgt. Andrew Robinson tells people he became a quadriplegic while fighting in Iraq, he figures many of them assume he is opposed to the war.
But Robinson says that’s not the case; he believes progress is being made.
So when he was given the chance to film a commercial for a national conservative group that supports the military’s actions in Iraq, he was excited.
“They were putting out a message that doesn’t really get put out a lot,” he said. “I had a message that I feel really strongly about.”
Robinson was injured June 20, 2006, while serving his second tour of duty in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. A roadside bomb exploded near the Humvee he was traveling in, killing three fellow Marines and leaving him with a severe spinal-cord injury. He cannot use his legs and has limited use of his arms.
The commercial, which is already airing on local TV stations, features the 24-year-old former North Hanover resident at his current home in Southern California.
“I believe we’re making progress in the war on Iraq and stabilizing the country there. I would go back to Iraq if I could,” he says during the commercial. “It’s that important because if Iraq isn’t stable then it will be a breeding ground for terrorists. I’m proud to have been a Marine.”
His ad also addresses the deadlines for troop withdrawal favored by many in Congress.
“To hear Congress talk about surrendering really makes me angry,” he said. “We’re dealing with the safety of our country of our sacred United States of America. It’s really important that we’re victorious.”
The commercial concludes with his wife, Sara, joining him before the words “Victory is America’s only choice” appear on the screen along with a toll-free number where the public can call their elected representatives.
The ad campaign is financed by Freedom’s Watch, a pro-war nonprofit group headed by Bradley Blakeman, who was a member of President George W. Bush’s senior staff. The group launched the month-long $15 million effort in August.
“The mission of Freedom’s Watch is to ensure a strong national defense and a powerful effort to confront and defeat global terror, especially in Iraq,” Blakeman said in a prepared statement.
The group is organized under section 501 (c) of the U.S. tax code, which means it can lobby on issues but can not advocate for specific candidates.
Robinson, who is currently visiting with family in North Hanover and Roebling, said he was recommended for the commercial by a friend.
Since the ads started airing late last month, Robinson said people he hasn’t talked to in years have recognized him and called or e-mailed. He said he also received feedback from friends in the military.
He said some people he has spoken with may not agree with why the troops are in Iraq, but they also don’t believe the military should leave before their work is done.
“I’m not saying I want the troop levels to stay where they’re at,” he said. “I want the troops to come home too, but I want the people on the ground, that are there to be able to do their jobs.”
Robinson said he thinks Congress should follow the plans of Gen. David Petraeus, the commanding general in Iraq.
“I say we go with what he says,” Robinson said. “To have Congress say, ‘You know what, by December of 2008 we’re going to have all our troops out of there,’ that’s pretty dumb.”
Robinson said Congress is being pressured by the public.
He said the public looks at four years of war as a long time because they hear stories of death and injuries on the news. He said it is frustrating because the positive things are often left out of news reports.
“The progress is really quick in Iraq, it’s just it takes a while to take a government out of place and build up a new one where it can thrive and survive,” he said.
Last week, Robinson was given a hero’s welcome when he spoke to students at his old elementary school in North Hanover and Northern Burlington County Regional High School. He also was presented with a Local Hero Award by the Wrightstown-area Rotary Club.
Robinson was raised in North Hanover and graduated from Northern Burlington Regional High School in 2001. His wife grew up in the Roebling section of Florence. Both have relatives living in their hometowns. The couple said they would eventually like to move back to the east coast to be closer to their families.
Email: mhayes@phillyBurbs.com
Ellie