Obama honors fallen Americans at Dover »
Posted By kellekrapache128 1 month ago in News
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) -- Standing in the pre-dawn darkness, President Barack Obama saw the real cost of the war in Afghanistan: The Americans who return in flag-covered cases while much of the nation sleeps in peace.
In a midnight dash to this Delaware base, where U.S. forces killed overseas come home, Obama honored the return of 18 fallen Americans Thursday. All were killed in Afghanistan this week, a brutal stretch that turned October into the most deadly month for U.S. troops since the war began.
The dramatic image of a president on the tarmac was a portrait not witnessed in years. Former President George W. Bush spent lots of time with grieving military families but never went to Dover to meet the remains coming off the cargo plane. Obama did so with the weight of knowing he may soon send more troops off to war
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kellekrapache128
I prefer that a person thinks for themselves, Stop Being followers and try beings leaders for once. I do NOT tolerate racism, Its time for ...
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FairNBalanced1 month ago
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Sending more troops NOW, would honor these fallen heros in a much greater way than standing in front of a camera pre-dawn for dramatic effect. I believe with all my heart that spending time with the living grieving families goes much further as well.
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fiftynine1 month ago
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Dramatic effect..? How about time available ? How about witnessing the return of those you send to die ,something that i believe goes much further in shaping our policy than being to cowardly to witness first hand...
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BTW...While you were sleeping another twenty one thousand troops have been sent to Afghanistan since Obama took office. Instead of taking his eye off the ball like his predecessor did he is sending troops to fight where they should have been in the beginning instead of Iraq. -
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cowboygrandpa1 month ago
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FNB:
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What the hell do ya know about it first hand ?? Ever buried a family member who died in a war ?? Ever felt the loss and witnessed a mother's grief, so deep that it shattered her life.
Stop speaking out of you as* !!!
Let me tell ya something from some experiences I have had. I watched my aunt suffer the rest of her life from burying her son. A Marine on his second tour of duty in Nam. We buried a boot and a dog tag.
I saw the mother of my best friend fom Nam, try to be brave when I came home and told her what a brave son she had. I saw tears flow, I saw a heart that was broken. I saw his dad's, a Navy vet from WWII and Korea, knees buckle when we spoke later and he asked me what it was like. I of course left out the part of his son crying for his mother, as I held him and he bled out.
Ya think the president shouldn't honor the fallen ?? You scurvy piece of sewer flotsam !!!
You are not even worthy to mention the braves names. Nor speak of their actions.
Be silent fool !!!!! Heroes are being honored not idiots like you !!!!!!!!!!! -
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yalingsaleComment removed: Spam
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fiftynine1 month ago
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"President Barack Obama saw the real cost of the war in Afghanistan: The Americans who return in flag-covered cases while much of the nation sleeps in peace."
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The real cost..a cost that the previous administration denied the American public of seeing.
If we are going to send our people to die in foreign wars then we need to bear the burden of their deaths and part of that is witnessing their return from the battlefield.. -
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FairNBalanced1 month ago
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I believe with all my heart that spending time with the living grieving families goes much further. I believe that listening to the generals and responding to their request is crucial.
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Mother: “When our son arrived into Dover AFB, my husband had arranged to be there as they took him off of the plane…. we couldn’t imagine him being all alone. It was a very private and emotional moment and one that should have belonged only to us. We were inundated by press at our home, at the funeral and for months after, and we were generous with their access, but were very grateful that they weren’t allowed to be present at Dover…. this was our precious son, not a political statement.”
Father: “We drove to Dover to bring our son home. I am so grateful that the media was not there; that was a time we needed for ourselves.”
Mother: “I am against the media being at Dover. As a mother of one of the Fallen, to have these photos used to turn Americans against our military and their mission would break my heart.”
Grandmother: “My primary objection to having media coverage of the draped coffins is that it has become a political ploy (for some). As a gold star grandmother I know the pride with which my grandson served. Those moments are and should be private to family and those dear friends who can attend. The media has no place in such a setting.” -
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Klarissa1 month ago
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The quote:
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President Barack Obama saw
Obama honored
dramatic image of a president on the tarmac
How about an article on Bush regularly visiting the veteran's hospital.
Obama doesn't do anything unless the press is there to take the "proper" photographs and wirte the glowing story.-
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FairNBalanced1 month ago
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Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, which represents 60,000 families of military personnel, including some who have died, asked its members last week in an e-mail whether they favored keeping the ban or changing it.
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From their survey of about 600 responses, 64 percent say the policy should not be changed; 21 percent say that if the ban is changed, the families should determine media access on a case-by-case basis, and 12 percent say the policy should be changed to allow cameras to photograph the flag-draped caskets. -
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PapaWolf1 month ago
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>>How about an article on Bush regularly visiting the veteran's hospital.
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SO????
He visits the VA hospitals & WRAMC (that's Walter Reed) while trying to cut VA benefits.
My favorite was him trying to renege on promises to vets from past wars that their care would be covered for life. -
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ConquerorWyrm1 month ago
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You say this? You who still apologize for the Bush Administration...a President that never once attended a funeral for any of those he jokingly sent of to die? Now that we have a President who is doing what is right as well as expected in that office and role, you criticize it and hint that it is but a publicity stunt? And you still say this with memories of George W. Bush holding a returning aircraft carrier from reaching port so he can fly a jet onto it's deck and stride around in a codpiece...in an AMERICAN MILITARY UNIFORM...something which NO OTHER PRESIDENT HAS EVER DONE!
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You have nothing but hatred. Nothing but vile hatred ever comes from your posts. -
yalingsaleComment removed: Spam
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Georgia501 month ago
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Klarissa,
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If a Republican president greets coffins at Dover, the liberals would call it "political grandstanding."
That is because they have no trouble having in their party ghouls who calls our military war criminals, then instantly billow with praise when one of them gets a gesture of honor right.
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Hhussk1 month ago
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CRYMTYPHON1 month ago
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"Every day left undecided puts a body bag at your doorstep, Mr. President."
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That is an unusualy evil comment;
even for propeller neo-cons;
even for Hhusk.
It is not justifiable;
it is not sincere;
it is not true;
- and relects the kind of character that wanders a nation into
war, then gleefuly watches to see how the chaos and death
may be best turned to some political benefit.
Well, this is the world.
Evil voices will speak to us;
We ignore them best we can and go on. -
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JususNolo1 month ago
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Exactly that's why we need strong American like you to pitch in, and show that liberal what you conservative are made of. You should run not walk, but run to your nearest armed force recruiter and sign up, and in eight short weeks you can be in Afghanistan helping out the troops. Lets face it the Afghanistan people are stupid, It's taking 8 years to train them to fight for there selves and they still ain't got it right, You an American can do it in 8 weeks. Come on man show that liberal president that Americans can get the job done. Sign up today for the Armed Services of your choice. Finish the job George Bush Started
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fsev411 month ago
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Both military and diplomatic experts have agreed that in both Iraq and Afghanistan there is no military victory without an accompanying diplomatic or political victory. General McCrystal's job is to advise the President what is needed for a military victory (whatever that might be) while diplomats advise on what might be needed for a political victory. The President must then weigh all of the opinions and choose a path forward.
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I believe Obama's trip to Dover at this particular time gives him a very personal feel for the impact of his decision. Many people feel that those moments at Dover are the most difficult time for the families of the returning troops. The President has now experienced these moments himself and added another dimension to his upcoming decision.
Likewise the recent resignation of the young man from his post with the State Department in Afghanistan because he feels that any extension of our presence there is counterproductive and a drain on our military and treasury. He was a marine who had served in Iraq both militarily and diplomatically and was highly respected by those he served with and under. His input will also be considered by our President in making what could easily be the most difficult decision of his presidency. There are plenty of good reasons not to rush this decision. -
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Klarissa1 month ago
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fsev - do you want Bush back to fix it??
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at what point do you think that Obama is responsible for fixing it?? Remember, the Democrats voted for both wars, and Obama, during his campaign, was going to get Bin Laden and said that the war in Afghanistan was a major campaign promise.
He appointed his own commander in March - are we to believe that he has not given any thought or planning about Afghanistan in that time period. By now he should be clear about his action. -
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TimALoftis1 month ago
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video clip of President Obama @ Dover can be found here:
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/29/dover.bodies/inde... -
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Ciera-Marie1 month ago
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Keep telling yourself that. It was about more than that and you know it.
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Name one time your beloved Bush or Cheney welcomed the fallen home. Name one time the wounded didn't have to go in through the back door, under cover of darkness. You can't.
Supporting the troops isn't just about welcoming home the living. It's being there when they're losing their home, need life long medical, need help keeping their rights as parents, it's being there when they've gave all and are in a flag draped coffin; it's making sure their widows/ers and fatherless/motherless have their benefits and support.
Thank God the President was there and the ban was lifted. Those fifteen mins did a ton for troop morale. -
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PapaWolf1 month ago
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Photo op? Is that why he waited till just before he left to inform anyone he was going?
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And the "photo op" was 1 of the families agreeing to allow cameras in. If it were a true photo op, don't you think he would've waited till there was a larger group of families that wanted cameras, or do you think he would've stayed as long as he did, or climbed on the plane like I heard in some of the reports?
Or do you prefer W's "Mission Accomplished" type of photo-op?
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CRYMTYPHON1 month ago
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Not only does the American media hate America;
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if you go by the public's opinion of Bush, the Republicans,
the policies of the last 8 years, and you ,
- most of America hates America.
It is the only conclusion that can be reached;
- except the unlikely alternative that you
and bush were wrong and your country
figured it out.
Let us know. -
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ConquerorWyrm1 month ago
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Yeah, which brings up the point...Why would Bush want to get coverage of him in the same building, infested with vermin and mold, that he was insufficiently funding on those few occasions he did go to Walter Reed?
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It is easy, and quite cowardly, to toss off all that is wrong on a nebulous straw-man such as "American media". Really, you set up a false premise and then you knock it down. Is it really that fun? You neo-con apologists sure must think so because that's all you seem to do.
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Daylight1 month ago
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I think now Obama has to fight three wars, he already escalated the war in Pakistan. These wars are not going to stop until America realizes its own folly of invading and regime changing, will never pay. When we look at the people who are criticizing Obama that they don't want to bring their troop home from harms way. I am sure America will never be able to get out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan for another 100 years and this the beginning of the end of the US imperialism. American people are for wars and occupation, so the Obama needs to fulfill their wishes because they elected him to continue the war. America is a Christian country and fighting Muslims is their tradition. Christian Crusaders did it and the Jewish Crusaders doing it. All they have to do is to put the blame on Islam or extremist Muslims or radical Muslims. It is evident that whenever a Muslim is arrested or killed by the law enforcement authorities in the US or any other white country that they are branded as a radical Muslim belong to that extremist grope or this group. Americans and Israelis have taught the world that unless you don't kill people in millions, occupy their lands and oppress them, you are not civilized. Message is very clear that the Right Wing and the Neocons want to continue the war. I have come across the same sentiment expressed by the same people in different threads as well and they blame Obama for not sending more troop as a reason for the troops to die in large numbers. The easiest way to do that is to send more troop, is to ask them to enlist those who push this idea of more troops. Are they ready to die or they just want others to die for themselves?
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cobry49491 month ago
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they forgot to say, OBAMA did something BUSH, or his dad never did. Bush never went to one military funneral, why would a draft dogger do that anyway. The president should be there because if he does not want to fix bushes lies, and our governments, we gave these guys weapons and were being killed by them. WHERE bushs friend bin laden his long time oil buddy. The lady from Afganistan she was a meber of there parliment she was right-we need to go and bush needs to be tried for his war crimes in international court
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radiodjstudent1 month ago
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HOW ABOUT THATS THERE JOB THEY CHOOSE TO BE SOLDIERS THEY DONT WANT PEOPLE SLOBBERIN ALL OVER THEM LIKE MOST PEOPLE DO THEY DONT WANNA BE RECONZIED AS HEROS WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM THEY SAY I AM JUST DOING MY JOB AND THATS THE RIGHT ATTUTUDE NOT EVERYONE CALLING THEM HEROS
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