Ercille I. Christmas

The Flip Side of Glory: The Other Victims of 9/11/01
September 10, 2009

We are about to honor the victims of September 11, 2001 on the eight year anniversary of the slaughter of the innocents, perpetrated by men whose religion promises them 72 vestal virgins, if they murder non-believers. But enough of the murderers, still labeled "Terrorists” and their handiwork aptly described as "Terrorism,” in my book.

On September 11, 2009, my focus will be on the murdered ones, the ones who lost limbs, and the ones who lost their liberty. I am hoping to join my fellow citizens in a period of reflection and respect for those who were murdered. The significance of their loss will not be downplayed in my little corner of the globe. The word is out that the president wants to "transform” this day of reverence into a day of "service.” One of his czars is speaking of "greening up America and cleaning up America.” Huh? Is there a rush on to "out-serve” McDonalds?

As for the "cleaning up America” bit, if we are fortunate, we will not be cleaning up dead bodies from the streets of anywhere USA. Many of us, who escaped being slaughtered, still remember heroes like Todd Beamer, three hundred forty three firefighters, various other service personnel, and assorted other ordinary folks who did heroic things on that day. It would be a disservice to hijack them once again by not paying the proper respect. I am all for "cleaning up America,” beginning on September 12, 2009. I know exactly where to begin. I may even have enough energy left over to fall prostrate at the throne of the god of green, on September 13, 2009.

This just in! I won’t have to prostrate myself at the feet of the god of green. He resigned. I guess that combo of not creating even one green job, while multi millions went into the green guzzler program, and having a "potty” mouth, got him summarily thrown out of the "Czar-ocracy” that has been created in the People’s House. Some folks have begun keeping score. One czar down….how many to go?

Now back to the really important stuff. I will perform my "service,” by honoring the dead of 9/11. I also want to pay some long overdue respect to other casualties of post 9/11, men and women who, inspired by a love of country, especially when their country came under attack, heeded the call of duty and signed on to serve their fellow citizens. Actually, many of them did not wait for a call. Who are these people? Where did they come from?

Prior to Memorial Day, 2009, I would not have thought about writing this article, but the case of ILT Michael Behenna, coupled with the story of the fate of the commander of the USS Indianapolis, Captain McVay, changed that. What do these two Military men have in common? They are part of a band of brothers of a different sort from the band of brothers of common knowledge. These other brothers, are a fraternity of troops who put their lives on the line for their country, only to have their dignity, good name, honor and freedom, stolen from them.

Military men and women expect to lose their limbs and even their lives. It seems that even when they hear the stories of those who were betrayed by their own country, the reality that they could be the next recipients of betrayal, does not deter their steadfast desire to serve. Why are men of valor, too frequently betrayed by those for whom they will take a bullet? Tough question. I do not have the answer. What I do know is that we must cease and desist from this callous, cavalier behavior. Our heroes deserve our best. We are not giving it.

As is the case with many of their fellow citizens, September 11, 2001, was an eye opener for those who subsequently rushed to serve. Here we were going along our daily lives, with Tuesday 9/11/2001, shaping up to be another mundane day. I was actually on my living room floor trying to shape up, when the first reports came in. I heard Hugh Hewitt on the radio, proclaiming that "thousands are going to die.” It was a really surreal moment, because my mind flashed back to when the World Trade Center was first hit, and I thought "thousands” did not die, only six or so. I continued exercising.

I turned on the television, just in time to see the second plane hit the second tower. Life has not been the same for me since. That life changing morning is why I am especially ticked off at how too many of my fellow citizens, especially in the upper echelon of society, have so easily shrugged off that slaughter and turned their attention from pursuing the real enemies of the US, and turning the full ferocity of the US government on persecuting (not a misspelling), our own Military "cannon fodder.” The new policy appears to be: "Shut up and fight, and if you fight politically incorrectly, you will find out what real water boarding or career boarding is!”

Speaking of "water boarding,” a few terrorists, I refuse to use the idiotic ‘man-made disasters,” politically correct term, got acquainted with water and a board, and now the entire CIA is about to be brought to its knees by those supposedly in charge? If the ultimate goal is to begin with the CIA, and then bring the rest of the US to its knees, it will be brilliantly effective, and the appropriate credit should be attributed, if and when America is on its knees shoveling up body parts from whichever part of the country.

Although, I don’t think that we will be hit, if the terrorists are clever. I have come to the conclusion that they are probably calculating why let a "serious crisis go to waste?” They have probably figured out, that they should not waste money in investing in bombs and other items of mass destruction. They should concentrate on what is being termed "soft jihad.” The "soft jihad” strategy is to let the infidels destroy themselves from within, with "weapons” skillfully operated by their own fellow citizens.

I can imagine that if we could overhear the conversation in the "corridors of Terror,”
 the conversation would probably sound something like this, with Terrorist Leader A and Terrorist Leader B communicating to the followers:

"We will kick back (relax), concentrate on building training camps and calling them "houses of worship,” even if the sound coming from the firing range is not easily muffled. We will insist on our own laws being the prevailing law on our patch of ground, especially when it comes to young girls. We will cry ‘freedom of religion,’ if anyone dares to even look askance at us. It works every time. It is so easy to mislead and fool those infidels!

We know that our brethren who are taking care of business now have the right to have their Miranda rights read to them. They have ‘constitutional rights,’ according to a US Assistant Attorney General. Yippee! We have to stop from laughing out loud when we realize how idiotic these infidels are. They are telling our Buds that they have the right to have a lawyer represent them, and anything that they say, cannot be used in a court of law, however that goes? Pretty soon, we will install our courts where canings, floggings, beheadings, cutting off of limbs, you know real deterrents, become the law of the land, even in the land of the Great Satan. The times ‘they are a-changing’ and we ‘are a- coming,’ the way smoothed by our unwitting or maybe witting allies. It is sooooo good to be a ‘man-made disaster’, these days!”

Meanwhile, my fellow Americans, where are we in the War on Terror? Read on.

▪ There is no longer a "War on Terror.” There is a new moniker in town. We are now fighting an "Overseas Contingency Operations.” The Terrorists are now labeled "Man-made disasters.” They have become "cowed” by, and appreciative of the name change. They have been demonstrating this "appreciation” of the sensitivity displayed to them, by stepping up their efforts and are killing more US troops, especially in Afghanistan, than in the time when the name was "Global War on Terror." What a difference a day period of time makes.

▪ More terrorists are being freed by the US government. Those not yet freed are being shopped around for a place to unload, I mean transfer them. There does not seem to be many takers. The rule is: NIMC (not in my country, even if they were born here)!

One terrorist, who should be given credit as a "pioneer,” in this plane hijacking, killing innocents thing, did get his freedom, without any squabbling about which country would take him. He received a hero’s welcome in the land that unleashed him on the victims of Pan Am Flight 103. The Lockerbie bomber, he of the multiple names and multiple deaths on his conscience, 270 to be exact, was released on grounds of "compassion,” which later turned out to be on grounds of barrels of oil.

The relatives of those slaughtered over Scotland by Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, were supposed to buy the "compassionate” angle, until as the saying goes "mouth opened and story jumped out.” The freedom for compassion story unraveled when the oil jumped into the frying pan! The price per life in terms of barrels of oil, has not yet been calculated. I am waiting for a real Mathematician to step in. I am not capable or worthy of calculating how much the life of a human being is worth, in terms of barrels of oil.

▪ What is that saying about nature abhorring a vacuum? Not to worry. The "vacuum” created by the release of these "men causing disasters” is being filled by? Give up? The vacuum is being filled by US troops who were recently labeled "potential domestic terrorists,” and are being incarcerated for doing their jobs "too well.” Ironically, they could end up spending more time in prison than Ali what’s his name did, for killing almost 300 human beings.

The story of "betrayal by country,” that really broke my heart is that of ILT Michael Behenna. He just turned 25 years, and was sentenced to his age in Leavenworth prison. He could conceivably be 50 before he sees his freedom again. His crime? He killed an Iraqi operative in self defense. Ali Mansur was identified by Military intelligence, as a member of the Al Qaeda cell that was responsible for killing two US soldiers, in April 2008. These soldiers were under the command of ILT Behenna. I will be upfront and lay it out. Even if he had plugged this Iraqi, not in self defense, I would have tagged this as a defense of the two soldiers who were executed by this terrorist. I have had it with the coddling of terrorists at the expense and deaths of our soldiers!

ILT Behenna’s case seems to be a take off of that not letting a "serious crisis go to waste,” rationale. In his case, it appears to be "never let a secured conviction go to waste,” even if the suppressed facts of the case suggest the innocence of the convicted one. His Mom’s justifiable fear is that he not become bitter. I pray to God that he does not take the path of Captain McVay of the USS Indianapolis. Capt. McVay was accused of zigging when he should have zagged, in order to prevent being hit by enemy fire. Sixteen years of fighting the Military establishment, ended with him taking his life, no doubt psychologically beaten down the fight to reclaim his good name. His band of brothers fought to clear his name. It took them about five decades and about eight presidents to accomplish this.

ILT Behenna is not alone at Leavenworth. He and nine others have been dubbed the Leavenworth Ten. Remember the names, and read the stories of the following men:

Evan Vela

Corey Claggett

William Hunsaker

Raymond Girouard

Michael Williams

Larry Hutchins

Michael Behenna

John Hatley

Joseph Mayo

Michael Leahy

As you tuck your little future soldiers into bed, say a prayer for these men who, while their government, and other governments, are freeing proven terrorists, find their lives and the lives of their families, are being stolen. Quite frankly, in a few of the cases, the men allowed themselves to be human and wiped out a terrorist or four. In normal times, I would be leading the drumbeat about not giving in to anger, easily said because I am safely away from the battlefield. These are not normal times, and if we are letting out proven convicted terrorists, in the name of the patently false reason of "compassion,” then it is time that we show some true compassion to our fellow citizens. Ironically, if they had allowed themselves to be killed by terrorists, they would probably have had a medal or parade. Because they live, their "reward” is a prison cell.

 In my anger at the shabby treatment of our protectors, I am almost tempted to give advice along the lines of that country and western song that counsels: "Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Let them be lawyers, doctors and such.” My version would be: Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be Soldiers, Airmen, Marines and such.” But, I won’t give in to that temptation. I want to continue to be proud that babies will grow up to be our protectors, protectors who often pay the ultimate price, so that we can enjoy life in the "land of the free because of the brave!”

Our protectors do not need or desire the carnal enticements of 72 nubile virgins racing around in the afterlife to serve their needs. Their motivation is noble. They simply serve because of their love of their country. Today it is the Leavenworth Ten, Lt. Col. Allen West, Lt. Col. Chessani, et al. Tomorrow, it could be that precious two year old you are tucking into bed.