Rumsfeld Signature Rubber Stamped On Condolences

chewie_nz

Banned
Rumsfeld Signature Rubber Stamped On Condolences
12-19-4

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) - A new wave of criticism is set to hit US Defense Secretary onald Rumsfeld after he admitted did not personally sign Pentagon condolence letters to families of soldiers killed in Iraq and that a signature stamping device had been used instead.

But he has vowed to do so in the future, according to a Washington Post report.

"I wrote and approved the now more than 1,000 letters sent to family members and next of kin of each of the servicemen and women killed in military action," Rumsfeld said in a statement to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.

"While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter," the defense chief said, according to the Post.

An outcry ensued after the Stars and Stripes reported in late November that the Pentagon was using a signature device to stamp Rumsfeld's signature on the letters, and quoted recipients who said they were insulted.

Several top Republicans, including senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, have recently criticized Rumsfeld, whom Bush has asked to stay on amid a cabinet re-shuffle in the wake of the November elections.

Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott said he hoped Rumsfeld would step down sometime next year, accusing him of not listening enough to his officers.

The defense chief has drawn fire since seeming to dismiss the concerns of a US soldier in Kuwait who asked about the lack of armor for US military vehicles in Iraq.
 
hmmmmm. Okay . So does anybody really believe that George Marshall, Alexander Vandegrift, or Admiral King really hand signed all those letters during WWII?
 
If you find it is too difficult to behave in a mature manner on these forums, Snauhi and liukainorth, find another place to spend your time until you can.
 
i gotta say that the whole "how would he have time" is the first thing i thought of when i read that. but, comparing it to WWII doesn't work. they got telegrams.

but with this war, it's supposed to be smaller. there are different expectations. and it's such a divisve (sp) war too.
 
Redneck said:
If you find it is too difficult to behave in a mature manner on these forums, Snauhi and liukainorth, find another place to spend your time until you can.

Redneck what did i do?
 
liukainorth said:
Who cares, at least I'm not dead in Iraq yet. :rambo:

are you really in Iraq? I dont what to be rude, but can you say to us what unit you are with , when did you arrive and what is your comanders name.
 
chewie_nz said:
i gotta say that the whole "how would he have time" is the first thing i thought of when i read that. but, comparing it to WWII doesn't work. they got telegrams.

but with this war, it's supposed to be smaller. there are different expectations. and it's such a divisve (sp) war too.


The telegrams were the initial notifier. The Families also received letters. I could show you 2 from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and 1 from the Army Chief of staff as well as the telegrams.

My point was that this is not a new method. It's another attempt to spin public opinion against the current administration.
 
I dunno. I think he could find the time. 1200 dead thereabouts is not an impossible number to manage vs. the 400,000 in WWII so that's a non-arguement. As to it being a media spin, well they're prolly getting the most out of it sure, but if the families feel illused than that's reason enough to find the time. We can never repay them enough. Jotting down a signature once or twice a day if that doesn't seem like too much to ask.
 
It maybe a manageable number and feasible for him to do. But my thought is it was probably an in place system. And was DOD procedure. Now that it's being questioned maybe it will change.
 
Oh yeah, you're probably right about it being procedure. Well the old saw goes the squeeky wheel gets the grease. I guess the wheel just squeeked enough.
 
Frankly, I wouldn't care if I got a letter from the SECDEF if my son died in Iraq. I would cherish the letters from the company and battalion commanders. I have written two of those letters myself. The Army has a very solid system when a SM dies. From assigning a responsible officer to inventory the SM's personnal effects (in each location, the SM's footlocker/duffle and theSM's barraks room...different situation if the SM lives off post), to a very micro-managed series of suspenses for the letters to make their way to the BDE (or at whatever level the collection is being monitored).

So if SECDEF even decided to send a letter from his level, more power to him. I don't remember that happening in Desert Storm, IFOR, SFOR, KFOR, etc.

SUCCESS!
 
Oh yes, Chemo, I wholeheartedly agree with you about the relevance of getting a letter from your lost child's commander vs. SECDEF. That wasn't the topic though. I only think that whatever the families want, they should get if it's within anyway possible to give it to them.
 
I am with charge 7 on this one. A real signature is the least he can do and it does not take much time at all.

The most important letter if I died in combat would be the "last letter"I wrote to my wife and family. It is pretty hard to write those letters, but they would do much more than any letter from the President on down to my commander.
 
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