Hold Put on Harkin’s Veterans Suicide Prevention Act

The Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act appeared to be on the fast track in Congress until Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., put a hold on it because of 2nd Amendment concerns.

The House version introduced by Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, unanimously passed in March, while the Senate was scheduled to vote on Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin’s companion bill upon returning from the August recess. Coburn said last week he is worried that veterans seeking treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suicide-related symptoms will be “adjudicated as mentally defective,” which may prevent them from buying guns in the future. The bill was introduced by Boswell in honor of Joshua Omvig, a young man from Grundy Center who took his own life after returning home form an 11-month tour in Iraq.

Paul Rieckhoff, an Iraq war veteran and founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Iraq Veterans of America, took issue with Coburn’s rationale. “Sen. Coburn’s claim that Joshua Omvig Veteran Suicide prevention bill really is just a red herring argument using veterans as political pawns in a struggle over gun control legislation,” said Rieckhoff.

“The real issue behind Coburn blocking the Omvig bill is that he hates new proposed gun control legislation (H.R. 2640) which was drafted in response to the Virginia Tech shooting,” Rieckhoff writes on his IAVA blog. “The new bill called NICS would compel government agencies to turn over any list they might have of people who have been 'adjudicated as mentally defective.' The gun lobby says that the background check measure ‘will deter veterans from seeking help and counseling if they think that being helped with something like post-traumatic stress disorder will disqualify them from owning guns.’ Current law already states that people who have been thus adjudicated can not receive gun permits.”

During the House's consideration of the bill, Boswell said, "With more and more veterans returning from tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, new issues have arisen regarding veterans mental health care that have not received attention in the past."

"Some estimates have found that almost one thousand veterans receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs commit suicide each year, and one out of five suicides in the United States is a veteran,” Boswell said in a press release. “We must do better for our veterans, and I believe this legislation is a step in the right direction. A screening and tracking process might have provided Joshua with the counseling he needed," added Boswell. "But, the provisions in this bill will help other veterans, and that is very important."

H.R. 327 mandates the screening of all patients at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities for suicide risk factors and the tracking of at-risk veterans. It requires that each VA medical center designate one suicide prevention counselor and for the VA to conduct outreach to veterans and their families on mental health issues. The bill also requires 24-hour availability of a mental health hotline for veterans.

In August, Harkin introduced his companion bill, which also takes a multifaceted approach. It emphasizes the importance of social support, readjustment services, and further research to prevent and treat suicide among our nation’s veterans. “The stress our service men and women endure in combat is enormous and can trigger severe mental health issues after they have returned home,” Harkin said in a press release. “We have a responsibility to treat both the physical injuries and the mental wounds our soldiers suffer.” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is a co-sponsor of the bill.

“The same way swift triage care can save a soldier on the battlefield,” Harkin said in the statement, “accurate diagnosis and delivery of quality mental health care can do the same once the fighting ends. It’s time to provide new resources and eliminate the stigmatization about seeking help. We must focus on increasing programs in detection, prevention, and treatment of suicidal behavior among those who have dedicated their lives to keeping our nation secure.”

Until Coburn removes the hold, passage of the Omvig Bill remains uncertain and delays will have a lasting impact on veterans struggling with PTSD and thoughts of suicide.

Regarding the hold, Rieckhoff examines Coburn’s rationale on his IAVA blog:

Coburn’s office (via the gun lobby) is purposefully combining two unrelated issues to score political points. The facts are that to be “ADJUDICATED” as mentally defective a person must be “a danger to himself or others” “as a result of marked subnormal intelligence, or mental illness, incompetency, condition, or disease” as determined by “by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority.” (27 CFR 478.11)

The key word is “adjudicated.” Even if the VA determines that a veteran has high suicide risk factors (screening for these factors is a provision of the Omvig bill) or even PTSD, they must specifically determine that the veteran is danger to himself. That determination could only happen when the veteran applies for benefits and the VA “adjudicates” their claim. The VA would have to make a specific finding that as part of the veteran’s disability rating that they ARE a danger to themselves, not that they MIGHT be a danger.

The Omvig bill only deals with screening for risk factors. The House version does contain a provision that requires the VA to track those with high risk factors, but neither mentions anything about adjudication. If someone has started receiving counseling for PTSD then they are already being screened for suicidal risk factors and the Omvig bill does not affect the adjudication of the veterans PTSD claim in ANY way.

The Invisible Casualties of War: Suicide Surging in the Military

Though the 2006 suicide rate in the Army was the highest in 26 years, Army officials noted that it remains lower than the rate for the same age and gender group in the overall U.S. population. The Army Suicide Event Report, which tracks suicide attempts and completions and the factors involved, showed 99 suicides in 2006 within the Army, 30 of which occurred in Iraq or Afghanistan. That marks an increase from 87 suicides in 2005 and 67 in 2004.

“With more and more service members returning from tours of duty and leaving the military, we must ensure that they receive the health services they need,” Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-3rd District, a decorated Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War, said in a press release. “With our military facing constant deployments, this report is one more reason why we must do more for our returning men and women in service and those who have left service.”

The report indicates the Army’s suicide rate for 2006 was 17.3 suicides per 100,000 soldiers. That compares to the overall U.S. population rate, for the same age and gender group, of roughly 19 suicides per 100,000 people.

“The loss of any member of the Army family is a tragedy, and the Army has made prevention of suicide a top priority,” said Army Col. Dennis W. Dingle, director of the Army’s Human Resources Policy Directorate, while talking with reporters at a media roundtable conference. Dingle noted that the number of confirmed suicides in the Army has been rising since 2003, and leaders are emphasizing suicide prevention and education programs to counter that trend.“Our message to you today is that the Army recognizes this issue and is taking deliberate steps to mitigate those risks that may contribute to suicidal behavior,” Dingle said. “Our prevention efforts do help our soldiers and their families deal with the challenges they face every day.”

A majority of suicides in 2006 involved firearms, the report says, and the most common contributing factors were failed personal relationships and occupational, legal and financial problems. The report did not find a direct relationship between increased deployments and suicides, Dingle said.

Army officials recognize that increased deployments put strain on soldiers and on their relationships, so deployment frequency and length was closely examined in this report, said Army Col. Elspeth C. Ritchie, behavioral health psychiatry consultant to the U.S. Army surgeon general, at the roundtable. While the data has not shown a correlation between those factors and suicides, other studies, such as the Mental Health Assessment Team, have found that longer and more frequent deployments have increased the rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, she said.

The threat of suicide is not unique to the Army, for its rate mirrors the Army National Guard, where suicide is the third leading cause of death among soldiers. The Army National Guard’s Suicide Prevention Program indicates there have been 42 cases of suicide in the Army National Guard so far this fiscal year (up to Aug. 13), narrowly trailing accidents and combat deaths, which accounted for 45 and 47 casualties respectively. The Army National Guard’s total of 42 is already 17 more than the 2006 total and marks the highest total since the Guard began keeping suicide statistics in 2004.

“The comparison to the active duty group has one major difference though,” said Master Sgt. Marshall Bradshaw, the National Guard Bureau suicide prevention manager in a press release. “The active duty Army has resources and facilities available to the Soldiers 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Bradshaw said. “They have a greater ability to track information and provide suicide prevention resources to their soldiers.”

Given the dynamics of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s hard for the military to pinpoint exactly why these numbers are increasing when comparing these numbers to previous wars. One factor contributing to the spike in suicides may include the rise of reported cases of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which reportedly afflicts one out of every four soldiers returning from the theaters of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that number doesn’t include the number of soldiers who don’t report PTSD, fearing a backlash of being perceived weak by their superior officers.

Other factors possibly contributing to the rise in suicides is the number of multiple deployments and the absence of a clear “war front,” which would imply that there’s a back end of the war, where soldiers can rest and recuperate from the mental anguish of worrying about being killed at any moment. Furthermore, the mental disconnect between soldiers and their families has led to failed relationships, an increase in divorces, legal and financial issues stemming from the opportunity loss of employment income while deployed.

Having recognized the growing problem of suicide, the Army and Army National Guard are taking steps to combat these threats before the rate further escalates. The Army is using the Army Suicide Event Report (ASER) to help improve its prevention and training, focusing not only on the prevention of suicide, but also on increasing awareness about mental health issues and decreasing the stigma associated with seeking mental health care.

In mid-July, the Army began a new training program for post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries and stress. This training will be given to every soldier -- active-duty, National Guard and Army Reserve -- within 90 days. The Army also is taking the data gathered in this report and others and integrating it into its suicide prevention and training program. For example, the Army’s suicide prevention has historically focused on young men, but the data in the report indicates these programs need to be expanded to focus more on women and older men.

The Army also is working on hiring 250 more mental health professionals, and all the Army’s medical personnel are being trained in recognizing post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries and suicide risk, Ritchie said. In addition, the Army is instituting programs to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health care.

In Iowa, the Guard has checkpoints in place to gauge potential suicide risks among soldiers returning from deployment. “When soldiers are leaving active duty from a combat theater, the first line of defense we have in place is a demobilization process in the U.S.,” Iowa National Guard Press Secretary Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood told the Iowa Independent. “During the five to eight day course of out-processing, soldiers take part in a series of briefings that talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).”

Moreover, Hapgood said there are other outreach programs implemented for soldiers and their families to help with the transition back into civilian life. “We have a family program at Camp Dodge and a full-time chaplain to help families deal with issues and symptoms related to suicide,” Hapgood said “After the soldiers come back, they go through a program called “Enduring Iowa,” which is a series of classes facilitated by a counselor, who talks about reintegration issues. We also have ‘Army One Source’ in place, which is an entity that helps families get counseling from outside sources if they need it.”

Often times, soldiers are reluctant to seek help on their own. “The soldiers have a fear that there’s a stigma attached with seeking help, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” Hapgood said. “We emphasize that it’s in their best interest to go and seek assistance. The only way that you can get a soldier help who needs it is one of two ways. Either they recognize some of the symptoms themselves and are willing to go get help, or their families or friends recognize symptoms and they’re able to convince them that it would be in their best interest to seek help.”

“The most important thing that we can do is to convince our soldiers that there is no detrimental effect whatsoever if they realize they have an issue and get help,” Hapgood said. “The real detriment occurs if soldiers don’t get help, and their situation won’t get better, but rather, it will only get worse.”

The Iowa Front: Military & Veterans’ Weekly Roundup

Until September, when General David Petraeus releases his report on military progress in Iraq, the political progress in America and Iraq will continue to be stricken with paralysis. To escape the August heat, the Iraqi Parliament broke for vacation until Sept. 4, while the U.S. Congress vacated D.C. for its August recess, as some members return home to face the heat from their constituents.

Meanwhile, our troops continue fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan in a war with no clear objective or end in sight. Tragically, Sgt. 1st Class Scott M. Carney, 37, of Ankeny was killed in Afghanistan Aug. 24, when his Humvee rolled during a convoy operation near Herat. Carney was a member of the Iowa Army National Guard and was the 60th person with Iowa ties to die in the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan since March 2003. Carney was survived by his wife, Jeni, and his 12-year-old twin sons, Jacob and Justin. “Scott died doing what he loved, serving his country and protecting the freedom that we enjoy and providing the people of Afghanistan with the opportunity for freedom,” Carney’s family said in a released statement. (Des Moines Register).

Back home in Iowa, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has been dogged by voters and anti-war groups all across Iowa during town hall meetings. (see videos below). Fortunately for Grassley and other Congressmen who support the war in Iraq, the Bush Administration equipped them with the perfect defense weapon to fend off unhappy constituents: Gen. Petraeus. In lieu of having to defend Bush’s policies in Iraq, Grassley et. al. merely have to say: “Wait until September...”

Moreover, the anti–war/pro-troop group “No Iraq Escalation” has launched a campaign, “Iraq Summer,” targeting Grassley and Rep. Tom Latham, R-District 4, which focuses on visibility and involves bright red “Support the Troops, End the War,” signs planted all across Iowa.

The “war of words” has also hit the airwaves in Iowa as two groups, "Veterans for Freedom" and "MoveOn.Org," are both on the attack... against one another. "Veterans for Freedom" commercials feature young American soldiers urging people to support the soldiers serving overseas. Meanwhile, other groups are asking voters to call their congressman to ask for an end to the war. Grassley says the ad blitz falls under our constitutional right to freedom of speech, but he believes the negativity is discouraging for troops. "I know from hearing from the people in the battlefield that it's very demoralizing to hear, because they know that the Arabs and the Iraqis are seeing on television what goes on over here," Grassley said. (KTIV, Sioux City)

Like his Gen.-Petraeus response, this feels like a familiar crutch for Grassley. I’ve discussed the war in Iraq with several Iraq war veterans, and not one of them said they felt demoralized by groups calling for a return of troops. Most of them initially respond that they are professionally trained soldiers and aren’t distracted by what’s going on at home, let alone feel demoralized. Furthermore, they all talk about living on “real time” while serving on the ground in Iraq, meaning they’re only concerned with the next five minutes, because that’s the only thing that’s going to keep them alive, not some political argument thousands of miles away.

Sen. Grassley Takes the Heat on Iraq in Small-Town Iowa



Sen. Grassley Attempts to Fend Off Constituents in Southern Iowa

Biden Playing Iraq and National Security Cards in Iowa

Last Sunday’s Democratic debate in Des Moines was a clear indication to voters that Delaware Sen. Joe Biden’s strategy in Iowa will focus on his foreign affairs experience and plan for Iraq as a means of trumping up support in Iowa. “It’s time to start to level with the American people. This administration hasn't been doing it for seven years,” Biden said in the debate. “If we leave Iraq and we leave it in chaos, there'll be regional war. I laid out a plan a year ago with Leslie Gelb. It said that what we should do is separate the parties, give them breathing room in order to establish some stability.”

And this was just the beginning for Biden’s insurgent campaign. The campaign aired a new television ad, “Cathedral,” across Iowa the same day of the debate, and released "Security” a few days later. Both ads focus on national security and Biden’s plan for Iraq. Whether or not this strategy will gain traction with Iowa voters has yet to be seen. Biden’s campaign has been consistently registering anywhere from 2 percent to 5 percent in the Iowa polls.

During a telephone interview with the Iowa Independent, Biden’s campaign dismissed those numbers, contending his campaign is just getting started in Iowa. “Our feet are just beginning to hit the ground in Iowa,” said Iowa Coordinator of Veterans for Biden James D. Mowrer, a Boone native who recently returned from a 16-month mission in Iraq with Iowa National Guard’s 133rd Infantry Battalion. “Not only are these our first campaign television ads, but we just officially launched our organizational efforts in Iowa.”

James Mowrer (right) poses with Jill Biden (middle) and Rep. Donavan Olson, D-Boone (left)

Regardless of his place in the polls, Biden’s campaign has been gaining traction in Iowa among Iraq War veterans, a bloc of voters that Biden’s campaign has been aggressively targeting. “Many Iraq veterans in Iowa are jumping on board with Senator Biden, mainly because of his strategy for Iraq,” said Mowrer. “I’m not 100 percent certain, but I think Biden has the most endorsements from Iraq veterans, and since the war in Iraq is the biggest issue in the campaign, these endorsements will be seen by caucus goers as an endorsement of Biden’s plan for Iraq.”

Although Iraq veterans and their families make up only a small percentage of the voter base in Iowa, Mowrer is confident the “Veterans for Biden” effort will have a big impact on the Iowa Caucuses. “It means a lot for caucus goers to really see which candidates are enlisting people in their campaign, who are most informed about the Iraq War,” said Mowrer. “I was an intelligence analyst in the Iraq War. Consequently, I had access to daily classified reports and assessments of what was going on in Iraq, and using that information, I decided that Sen. Biden is the best candidate to be the next commander in chief in 2009.” In addition to “Veterans for Biden,” the Biden campaign has extended itself to the “Military Families for Biden” as well.

In the “Security” ad, Biden lays out the case for why his leadership qualities and life experiences prepare him to be commander in chief and president of the United States. The current campaign is scheduled to run through Labor Day weekend at a cost of approximately $250,000.

'Security'



Biden, along with son Beau, who is Delaware's attorney general and a captain in the Delaware National Guard, have teamed up in Iowa and have been laying the groundwork for these ads. Not only have they been touting Biden’s 34 years of experience in the Senate and insights accumulated while serving on the Foreign Affairs committee, the Biden tandem has pleaded the case to Iowans that there is no margin for error for the next commander in chief.

“We cannot rely on choosing a president, who we think can formulate the best foreign policy team. We’ve already seen the dangers of doing this,” Beau Biden told a group of veterans gathered at the Iowa Democratic Party Veterans’ Caucus Presidential Extravaganza in Des Moines earlier this month. “I want somebody sitting in the situation room, who the minute they’re sworn in doesn’t have to rely on the judgment of advisers. I want the smartest guy in the room to be the president.”

Using the previous two presidential elections as a precedent, Beau Biden went on to explain why the Democrats came up on the short end both times. “Al Gore and John Kerry lost their presidential bids, because they failed the national security test. It is a sin that a decorated Vietnam veteran failed the national security test,” Beau Biden said, referring to Kerry. “And what’s the first thing they used against Kerry? Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. I ask you to imagine, what they’ll do to the candidates who voted “no” on the Iraq war supplemental funding bill vote a few months ago.”

That bill would appropriate $120 billion in fiscal 2007 emergency spending, including $94.4 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The measure included a Biden amendment allocating $1.5 billion for Mine Resistant Armored Protected vehicles (MRAPs). Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., all presidential candidates, voted against the funding bill. Biden took a lot of heat from anti-war advocates, but because of his MRAP amendment, he stood behind his decision. “I will not cut funding for the troops that denies them the equipment they need to be safe,” Biden said on the Senate floor. “I don’t care what the politics are of that decision.”

Iowa Veterans Want More Than Lip Service from Presidential Hopefuls

For the veterans attending the Veterans’ Caucus Presidential Extravaganza earlier this month, the fighting didn’t end with their military service. Instead, they faced a new battleground upon discharge: their government.

“We want to be sure that those who served in harm’s way aren’t left behind on the battlefield,” said Democratic presidential candidate Chris Dodd (see pic), a U.S. senator from Connecticut. “The old line in basic training is you don’t leave a buddy on the battlefield. The battlefield doesn’t end when you return from the theater of conflict; the battlefield for our 24 million veterans is going on here today.”

The event was intended to raise money for veterans and provide Democratic presidential candidates a forum to share their platforms for vets. Dodd was the only presidential candidate who spoke at the event; other candidates sent high-level representatives. The Aug. 13 forum was supposed to be nonpartisan, but Dodd quickly established a partisan tone, which the rest of the speakers emulated in a blistering critique of the Bush administration’s neglect of veterans.

“I’ve spent four different occasions on the Senate floor just to get body armor for those serving in Iraq, only to be defeated every single time by the Republicans, who could not come up with the votes to support the body armor or compensate the families and communities who purchased body armor for their loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Dodd, a National Guard veteran. “The Don Rumsfeld line, ‘You don’t get the Army you deserve, you get the Army you got,’ reflects this administration’s attitude toward our young people, which they placed in difficult situations without even the most basic protection. This is deeply disturbing to me, and when I hear comments about how much they care and compare this with the actions of this administration, these words ring hollow.”

A number of veterans at the forum said they have grown tired of politicians paying lip service without ever producing results. They also feel the media have neglected their concerns. Joe Stutler, an Army veteran from Cedar Rapids, said he was looking for two things: honor and respect. “All the benefits in the world are available and possible, but not until Americans realize that without veterans, there is no America. Somebody has to defend us; we’re called and we go. There should be some honor and respect in that,” Stutler said in response to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack’s solicitation for veteran concerns. Vilsack was speaking on behalf of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

“If Americans began honoring and respecting that service, there would be no talk of a draft, because people would be fighting to get in instead of clamoring around in an RV around the green zone in Iowa thinking that’s a patriotic duty,” Stutler added, before setting his sights on the media or in this case, the absence of the media. “I don’t see a room full of media here, but I saw it for labor, GLBT and minorities. Where’s the respect from Americans for veterans?”

Using this as his cue, Vilsack talked about Clinton’s new television ad about society’s “invisible” people, which had been released in Iowa earlier that day. “In essence, you are invisible, and one of the groups Clinton mentions in her new television ad is veterans. She really never believed that we would get to a point in this country where veterans are invisible, but that’s where we are at,” Vilsack said.

“I’m sorry there isn’t any media here, but there’s going to be a lot of money put behind that ad,” Vilsack said. “Every person in Iowa is going to be asking: What do you mean our veterans are invisible? And this will give you an opening to talk to your friends and neighbors.” While no members from the major media covered the presidential extravaganza, Clinton’s new ad was introduced at a press conference hosted by Vilsack, which merited not one or two, but three, articles in the Des Moines Register.

The forum’s speakers tailored their speeches to address veterans’ feelings of governmental neglect once they’ve fufilled their contracted service obligations. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden (see pic), who spoke on behalf of his father, Sen. Joe Biden, had this to say: “All of you veterans went over to war and served without talking about what you did and what medals you won. You came home and went about your business.” The younger Biden is a captain in the Delaware National Guard, which is scheduled to deploy to Iraq sometime next year. “But what you haven’t done is you haven’t forgotten. You’ve kept the covenant. Whether you were drafted or volunteered, it doesn’t matter; you did what your country asked for you.

“The first thing my father would do as president is honor the covenant you made, so you’re not caught like so many Korean and Vietnam veterans in between the greatest generation and this Iraqi war generation,” Biden said. “We cannot forget the people in the middle, and must honor all veterans of foreign wars.”

Speaking on behalf of candidate John Edwards, Major Gen. Youngman reiterated Edwards’ campaign platform of honoring "our sacred contract" with veterans. “Edwards believes we need to fully fund the VA, and the reason this isn’t happening is because of the annual dance that goes on in Washington,” Youngman said. “Bush sends over a VA budget that everyone knows is far from adequate, then we hear some speeches on the congressional floors, and then Congress adds a few amendments, then they turn around and send out campaign mailers saying they’re fighting for veterans in Washington.

“John Edwards understand there’s more to patriotism than waving a flag and sending somebody else’s children to war. He understands there’s more to taking care of our veterans than getting together with veterans for a photo opportunity,” Youngman said. “The mindset that has been in place since this war started is that a soldier expense has been treated as a labor expense, and it’s something we try to reduce. That kind of mindset says it’s OK for the secretary of Defense to send out letters of condolences to families, who just had the devastating loss of a loved one, signed by a signature machine.”

The presidential forum reached the emotional apex when New Mexico Gov. Richardson’s representative, Rick Bolanos (see pic), took the stage and shared his thoughts on his Vietnam War experiences and the Swift Boat Veterans, who disputed 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry's heroics in Vietnam. Along with his three brothers, Bolanos stepped up and volunteered to serve in Vietnam. They were the only four brothers in America serving simultaneously in Vietnam.

“When I saw people wearing purple heart band-aids, I thought to myself, that’s really cruel,” Bolanos said, before retelling a Vietnam War story. “While serving in Vietnam, my brother and I saw a young Marine fall down as he cupped his hand to his throat. When his hands fell down, we saw blood spurt from his neck. He fell and bled to death right in front of our eyes. When we asked the medic what happened, he told us that a small piece of shrapnel had severed his artery. What would this administration and the Swift Boat Veterans have said had he survived? Would they have denigrated his service if had come back and run for president of the United States?”

With his hands and voice trembling with emotion, Bolanos continued his story. “And what would this administration and the Swift Boat Veterans have said to my best friend, Mack, who I held in my arms as he looked up and said, ‘Rick, don’t let me die.’ For that one instant I wanted to exchange my life for his, and I was angry at my God for the first time, because I didn’t have enough hands to cover all the wounds he had to stop the bleeding.

“I ask you as a veteran, what would the administration and the Swift Boat Veterans have said had Mack come back and run for the president of the United States? This administration and these people do not have the right to pit one veteran against another. They don’t have the right to denigrate a veterans’ service, because not one of them -- not Karl Rove, not President Bush, not Dick Cheney -- ever answered their country’s call.”

Obama Endorsement Steals Clinton’s Thunder at VFW Convention

Whatever political capital Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., may have gained with veterans at the Veterans of Foreign Wars may have been overshadowed the following day with Rep. Patrick Murphy’s endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama the following day at the VFW’s annual convention. Murphy, the freshman Democrat serving Pennsylvania, is the only Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress and earned a Bronze Star as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, while serving in Baghdad in 2003 and 2004.

“I take my role as an Iraq war veteran very seriously,” writes Murphy on a blog post on Obama’s campaign website. “Four years ago, in August 2003, I was in the middle of Baghdad. As a Captain with the 82nd Airborne Division, I was a witness to our foreign policy. As a Congressman, I believe that we need to change the direction in Iraq, start bringing our troops home, and refocus on the real War on Terror. And I believe that Senator Obama is best suited to lead in this effort.”

As if setting up Obama, Clinton told the story Monday at the VFW national convention in Kansas City of how she met a “bright, young captain” in the 82nd Airborne Division named Patrick Murphy in 2003, during her first trip to Baghdad. One hour before Obama was set to take the stage at the convention the following day, Murphy announced his endorsement of Obama in the Democratic presidential race.

Obama believes that America hasn’t been keeping its sacred trust with our servicemen and women and our veterans. “We enter into a sacred trust with our veterans from the moment they put on that uniform”, said Obama in a press release. “That trust is simple – America will be there for them just as they have been there for America . As a candidate for the presidency, I know that I am running to become Commander-in-Chief – to safeguard this nation’s security, and to keep that sacred trust. There is no responsibility that I take more seriously.”

The Obama campaign hopes to use Murphy’s endorsement as a reminder that one can support the troops and military veterans, while simultaneously opposing the war in Iraq. “Congressman Murphy is a part of the new generation of American leaders that’s bringing a fresh voice to our nation’s capital,” Obama told the crowd of veterans Tuesday. “He knows that we need fundamental change in our politics and our foreign policy if we want to make the progress America so desperately needs.”

Murphy joined Obama at the VFW conference as part of a united front in a zero-tolerance approach against homeless veterans. “This is absolutely critical, especially when you consider that there are 1,300 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have come home in the past three years and entered into homeless outreach programs, and that on any given night in America , there are 200,000 veterans on the streets in America,” writes Murphy on Obama’s campaign site. “That's immoral, and that's why I've introduced legislation in the House of Representatives to take a zero tolerance approach towards allowing our veterans to become homeless.

"Senator Obama understands that we owe our troops the best public policy and the best foreign policy that we can give them. He understands that we need a tough and smart approach when we talk about Iraq and when we talk about fighting al-Qaida in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan,” writes Murphy. “We need Senator Obama's comprehensive approach to foreign policy and we need to make sure that we are fighting on the right battlefields.”

Biden’s ‘Plan for Iraq’ TV Ad Hits Home in More Ways Than One

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, D.-Del., launched his new ad, “Cathedral,” which not only strikes the emotional chords of parents having lost loved ones in the Iraq War but those parents who risk losing loved ones in the future – including Biden, whose eldest son, Beau, has received orders to deploy to Iraq next year.

Stumping for his father, a passionate Beau Biden addresses members of the Iowa Democratic Party Veterans' Caucus

In his first television ad to hit the Iowa airwaves, Biden describes one of his experiences while visiting the theater of war in Iraq. The 30-second commercial is part of a quarter-million-dollar ad campaign that launched Sunday and emphasizes the Delaware senator's campaign focus, a detailed plan to end the war in Iraq. The ad begins with the camera focusing on Biden staring point blank into the camera, as if he was looking into the souls of American viewers.

Biden begins retelling his story with the setting details: "It was my fourth trip to Iraq; we were leaving Baghdad. It was pitch black," Biden says before segueing into a description of a flag-draped coffin strapped in the middle of his C-130 cargo plane. "They turned that cargo plane into a cathedral," he says. "And all I could think of was the parents waiting at the other end. We must end this war in a way that won’t send their grandchildren back.” Knowing that Biden may be one of these parents on the receiving end of the C-130 cargo plane, it’s these lines that strike an emotional chord with television viewers.

Biden’s son, Beau, is the attorney general of Delaware and a captain in the U.S. National Guard. Beau Biden told a room full of veterans at the Presidential Extravaganza that his father is not happy about the possibility of his deployment, quoting his father, “I don't want him going. But I tell you what, I don't want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years, and so how we leave makes a big difference.”

Unlike his poll numbers in Iowa, where he’s been consistently polling at about 2 percent, Biden’s “Plan for Iraq” has been gaining traction with his congressional colleagues and foreign policy experts on both sides of the political aisle. Biden’s campaign crew hopes the ads will help him garner name recognition and traction in the polls.

Larry Rasky, communications director for the Biden campaign, said this to the Des Moines Register: "There's no question that Iraq is the major issue on the minds of the voters, and there's also no question that Joe Biden has been the leader in trying to push George Bush to get out of Iraq. It will certainly raise the senator's favorable name recognition, but as for the horse race question, I think it remains to be seen as to when people really begin focusing on making that choice, but it will happen over time."

“Cathedral”

The Iowa Front: Military & Veterans’ Weekly Roundup

When I originally used the “Iowa Front” as part of the title of this ongoing weekly update, one of the presumptions was that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan had hit home in Iowa. On some levels it has, especially for the families directly impacted by the absence and/or death of a loved one. While watching this morning’s Democrat presidential debate, which was hosted in Iowa’s capitol, one would discern that, given all the time spent discussing the war in Iraq, we’re a nation at war -- at least politically.

But have the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan really hit home for most Iowans?

“The burdens, sacrifices, and hardships of military service fall on fewer and fewer families. This country is not at war,” said Major General Youngman (pic left), who spoke on behalf of John Edwards at the Iowa Presidential Extravaganza, hosted in Des Moines by the Iowa Democratic Party Veterans’ Caucus. “For their convenience, the press says we are at war, but go out to the mall and see if you see any signs that we are a nation at war.”

But even this statement was a stretch on Youngman’s part, given there were no members of the mainstream media in attendance. Granted, this gave the Iowa Independent exclusive coverage of the event, which came as a surprise considering the list of guest speakers scheduled to speak, which included presidential candidate Chris Dodd, D.-Conn., Sen. Tom Harkin, D.-Ia., Rep. Leonard Boswell, D.-Ia., former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden and son of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, two decorated Vietnam veterans, and a recent combat veteran of the Iraq War.

Military Front

“Half-Staff Flags Rarely Visible on Funeral Days”: John Carlson’s column relates the incident of a “borderline disgusted” caller, who was upset by the number of flags that weren’t being flown half-staff Monday, despite Gov. Chet Culver’s directive issued the previous Friday ordering that the flags be flown half-staff Monday to honor Marine Sgt. Jon Bonnell, Jr., 22, of Fort Dodge, who was killed in Iraq on August 6, 2007. P.J. Sesker Green, the aunt of Sgt. Daniel Sesker, an Iowa National Guard soldier killed last year, asked a number of businesses why they weren’t flying their flags at half-staff. So Sesker-Green stopped at a few places and asked questions. "I told them the governor asked everybody to do it on the day of a funeral as a sign of respect," she said. "Some people told me they'd never heard such a thing. Some told me they didn't know anything about the Marine being buried that day. I think all of them were embarrassed."

Culver’s executive order directly applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties, and other government subdivisions are encouraged, but not required by law, to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect, had not been thoroughly communicated to the business community. Unfortunately, this directive hasn't been effectively communicated on behalf of Culver and the media, therefore it’s understanding that people in the business community may be unaware of its existence and when it's been issued. (Des Moines Register)

Political/Veterans’ Front

“Dodd: Bush Administration’s Caring Words ‘Ring Hollow’ with Veterans”: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd, D.-Conn., could not care less about what a politician has to say, but, he cares about what a politician has done. These words ring especially true when it comes to supporting the troops and taking care of veterans and their families. "I get really upset when I hear the Bush administration talk about how much they care about American veterans and soldiers," Dodd told a group of veterans at the Iowa Democratic Party Veteran's Caucus Presidential Extravaganza in Des Moines.

"I've spent four different occasions on the Senate floor just to get body armor for those serving in Iraq, only to be defeated every single time by the Republicans, who could not come up with the votes to support the body armor or compensate the families and communities who purchased body armor for their loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan," Dodd said. "The Don Rumsfeld line, `You don't get the Army you deserve, you get the Army you got' reflects this administration's attitude toward our young people, which they placed in difficult situations without even the most basic protection. This is deeply disturbing to me, and when I hear comments about how much they care and compare this with the actions of this administration, these words ring hollow." (Iowa Independent)

“Harkin, Boswell Call Upon Presidentail Candidates to Honor Contracts with Veterans”: Iowa's Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Leonard Boswell want their fellow veterans to get politically involved in the presidential campaign and hold the candidates accountable for their views on veterans' issues. "Every veteran has an obligation, just as we had an obligation to carry out our duties as soldiers, to be intimately involved in politics," said Harkin, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War.

"I know all the Democratic candidates running for president know we need to fulfill our obligations to our veterans, and this is something we need to take out on the campaign trail," said Harkin. "This administration has cut back on veterans' benefits, health care, and they have short-changed our veterans just about every term. We've had to fight tooth and nail for veterans just to get the money they need through appropriations."

Boswell, a decorated Army veteran who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War as an assault helicopter pilot, echoed Harkin's sentiments at the event Monday. "Our returning National Guardsmen have been serving one, two and three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but when they return, they don't receive the same treatment as our active duty members, and that's not right," said Boswell. "They should receive the same benefits and our presidential candidates should be hearing this from you." (Iowa Independent)

Dodd: Bush Administration’s Caring Words 'Ring Hollow' with Veterans

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd, D.-Conn., could care less about what a politician has to say, but, he cares about what a politician has done. These words ring especially true when it comes to supporting the troops and taking care of veterans and their families. “I get really upset when I hear the Bush administration talk about how much they care about American veterans and soldiers,” Dodd told a group of veterans Monday at the Iowa Democratic Party Veteran’s Caucus Presidential Extravaganza in Des Moines.


“I’ve spent four different occasions on the Senate floor just to get body armor for those serving in Iraq, only to be defeated every single time by the Republicans, who could not come up with the votes to support the body armor or compensate the families and communities who purchased body armor for their loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Dodd said. “The Don Rumsfeld line, ‘You don’t get the Army you deserve, you get the Army you got’ reflects this administration’s attitude toward our young people, which they placed in difficult situations without even the most basic protection. This is deeply disturbing to me, and when I hear comments about how much they care and compare this with the actions of this administration, these words ring hollow.”

After fulfilling his two-year obligation in the Peace Corps (1966-1968), Dodd served in the U.S. Army Reserves and Army National Guard for the next six years. Dodd, however, confided to the combat veterans at the event that he was by no means claiming any acts of heroism. “I didn’t rise to any great ranks; I was an E-5, but in politics there are a lot more of those than generals,” Dodd joked.

Jokes aside, Dodd took the Bush administration to task regarding its record on funding veterans’ health care. “This uncaring attitude has been reflected toward the Veterans Administration as well, Dodd said. “A couple of years ago, we had to come up with supplemental funds to make sure the Veterans Administration had an adequate budget to provide for the servicemen returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“We want to be sure that those who served in harm’s way aren’t left behind on the battlefield,” Dodd added. “The old line in basic training is that you don’t leave a buddy on the battlefield. The battlefield doesn’t end when you return from the theater of conflict. The battlefield for our 24 million veterans is going on here today.”

One big push Dodd helped make on behalf of the veterans in the Senate recently was authoring an amendment to his signature legislation, the Family and Medical Leave Act. The legislation would provide family members and caregivers of wounded veterans six months paid leave to care for wounded family members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “37 percent of these individuals had to relocate in order to provide help and support for a loved one coming out of a VA hospital, and one of four of these caregivers lost their jobs doing what they did,” Dodd said. Dodd introduced the bill, S. 1894, based on a recommendation from former Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., who recently co-chaired President Bush’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and awaits action by the House of Representatives.

Furthermore, Dodd proposed legislation that would take $19 billion out of capital gains taxes and put these funds back into funding for VA hospitals and clinics, but the amendment was rejected by the Bush administration. “We have people willing to support a massive cut in dividend taxes, but wouldn’t come up with a dollar amount needed to put the VA hospitals and clinics on solid footing to accommodate our injured troops returning from the theaters of war,” Dodd said. “These are the kind of choices our leaders are making today.”

Dodd, a longtime champion of legislation supporting families, has also focused on helping support the families of troops. “We recruits soldiers, but we retain families in the military,” Dodd said. “We need to make sure the family is well taken care of, especially during a time of conflict. Child care in the military used to be the worst in the nation, and we stood up for an investigation, and now they have one of the best child-care systems in the country.”

Dodd also supports reforming the GI Bill by extending it to four years, dropping the first year’s $100 monthly co-payments, and providing an option that would allow veterans, if they don’t use all of the benefits, to defer the rest of payments to a spouse or child to use to help deflect their costs of higher education. “The family pays a lot to have someone on active duty in the military, and they deserve some of these benefits as well,” Dodd said. “Military leaders know that if you can keep a family together, through good education and child support, when it comes to recruiting or extending service tours, we’ll do a far better job if that family is feeling secure and supported by the military. If the support is not there, I don’t care how good the recruiter is, because we’ll lose those soldiers.”

Harkin, Boswell Call Upon Presidential Candidates to Honor Contract with Veterans

Iowa’s Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Leonard Boswell encouraged a room full of fellow veterans Monday to get politically involved in the presidential campaign and hold the candidates accountable for their views on veterans’ issues. “Every veteran has an obligation, just as we had an obligation to carry out our duties as soldiers, to be intimately involved in politics,” said Harkin, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War.

“I know all the Democratic candidates running for president know we need to fulfill our obligations to our veterans, and this is something we need to take out on the campaign trail,” said Harkin. “This administration has cut back on veterans’ benefits, health care, and they have short-changed our veterans just about every term. We’ve had to fight tooth and nail for veterans just to get the money they need through appropriations.”

Boswell, a decorated Army veteran who served two tours of duty in the Vietnam War as an assault helicopter pilot, echoed Harkin’s sentiments. “Our returning National Guardsmen have been serving one, two and three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but when they return, they don’t receive the same treatment as our active duty members, and that’s not right,” said Boswell. “They should receive the same benefits and our presidential candidates should be hearing this from you.”

Boswell warns Iowa veterans that we do not have one combat-ready brigade stationed in the continental United States

While speaking at the Iowa Democratic Veterans’ Caucus Presidential Extravaganza at the Four Mile Community Center in Des Moines, Harkin and Boswell reiterated that veterans’ issues should be non-partisan and the government has a sacred contract with its veterans that must be upheld. “When it comes to serving our veterans, it’s up to our leaders to fulfill its end of the contract,” said Boswell. “A deal’s a deal.”

Quoting our first commander-in-chief, George Washington, Harkin helped illustrate the same point. “George Washington believed in a militia, a non-standing army. In order for America to be able to defend itself from future adversaries, we would need to be able to call upon the militia to take up arms and defend our country,” said Harkin. “Their willingness to do so will rest in large measure upon how the country treated those who took up arms before them.”

All of the Democratic presidential candidates had been invited to speak at the forum, but only Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., confirmed and spoke at the event. All of the other candidates, except Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, sent high-level surrogates to speak on their behalf.

The goals of the presidential extravaganza was to raise money for soldiers wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and to raise awareness of veterans issues on the campaign trail. The event grossed $450, which will be donated to soldiers and families at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and Clinics throughout Iowa. “We did something important yesterday -- far beyond measuring the numbers that were in attendance. Simply put, we elevated veterans’ issues in both Iowa and the nation,” said Bob Krause, chair of the IDP Veterans’ Caucus. “You may not have noticed, but several of the candidates issued national position papers on veterans’ issues yesterday. That was an actual consequence of our Presidential Extravaganza.”

Hoping to capture the non-partisanship nature of veterans’ issues, the event was open to all veterans regardless of their political affiliation. "From the day you put on the uniform, you learn to take care of your fellow soldier. This is no different. Black, white, Hispanic, Republican, Democrat, Independent; we are all in this together. You may or may not like our politics, but you cannot deny that we are comrades in arms," Krause said.

“When I appear before veterans groups, I try to the best of my ability to make veterans’ issues non-partisan,” said Harkin. “We’ve made a sacred contract with veterans, and this contract should be honored by both parties.”

Early on, however, the tone of the event did shift when Harkin broke the partisan ice with a one-line quip. “Dick Cheney just had his sixth grandchild; that’s one more grandchild than deferments he had during the Vietnam War,” said Harkin, before setting his sights on GOP candidate, Mitt Romney. “Then there’s what Romney said the other day when equating the fact that running a father’s campaign is the same as serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. I see today he said he misspoke, which in real plain English folks is saying I really screwed up.”

Harkin expressed his concerns about the current administration’s ideology and how foreign policy decisions not only affect Americans, but the soldiers who are defending these policies.
“When power is used indiscriminately -- without conscience and without thinking about the consequences of that power and what that power is going to be ultimately used for, that’s what gets us into trouble,” Harkin said. “We ill serve our present troops who are in the field by continually putting them into harms way for purposes that are ill-defined.”

Before surrendering the microphone, Boswell and Harkin hoped to plant seeds in the veterans’ minds as they hit the campaign trail. They seized the opportunity to express some of their concerns. “Something else you should bring up to these candidates is that in the continental United States we do not have one combat-ready brigade. We have Code 1s deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, but we don’t have any here,” warned Boswell. “One of the reasons for not having any C1s is that we’ve lost the backbone of the Army. Having already served one to three tours, many of our E-5 and E-6 sergeants are leaving the military, and it’s going to take years to fix this problem. They’re walking out because of the strain it’s putting on their families.”

“I’m concerned because the Army is falling back on recruiting, so what are they doing?” Harkin asked. “They’re scaling back requirements while seducing potential recruits with more money and other monetary inducements. I’m concerned that we will have a military that is made up of only the lower economic parts of our country, and I don’t think that’s good for our country. I think the sons of people like Mitt Romney, Harkin, Biden, and everybody else ought to be serving too.”

The Iowa Front: Military & Veterans’ Weekly Roundup

Political/Veterans’ Front

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may have won the Ames Straw Poll fundraiser Saturday, but his “surge for support” in the veterans’ community had trouble gaining traction in the days leading up to the event.

“Iraq Vet Confronts Mitt”: While stumping at the Iowa Sate Fair on Thursday, Romney was confronted by wounded Iraq War veteran Ron Devoll Jr., a 26-year old from Cedar Falls. Cut off by Romney’s traveling secretary Eric Fehrnstrom, Devoll never got an opportunity to finish his line of questioning. "I think that Romney was disrespectful," Devoll told reporters after the candidate had left. "I tried to ask him questions. You know I am an Iraq vet who served my country and he can't give me a few minutes of his time, and he wants to walk off. I think that's really disrespectful," he said. The online journal, “Salon,” captured the complete transcript of the conversation. (“War Room”)

“Romney’s Sons Surge to Support Him, Not Troops”: At an “Ask Mitt Anything” campaign stop Wednesday, Rachel Griffiths, a member of the Quad City Progressive Action for the Common Good and sister of an Army major who had served in Iraq, asked Romney, in light of his support of the troop surge, why none of his five sons were serving in Iraq. Romney responded, "One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I'd be a great president.” (Political Fallout)

“Iowa Veterans Put Politics Aside to Raise Funds for Wounded Comrades”: The spirit of bipartisanship has broken out on the presidential campaign trail in Iowa. The Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus is hosting a fund-raiser Monday (Aug. 13) in Des Moines to assist wounded soldiers and veterans. The event, "Iowa Veterans' Presidential Extravaganza," is open to all veterans, regardless of their political affiliation. "From the day you put on the uniform, you learn to take care of your fellow soldier. This is no different. Black, white, Hispanic, Republican, Democrat, Independent; we are all in this together. You may or may not like our politics, but you cannot deny that we are comrades in arms," said Bob Krause, chair of the IDP Veterans' Caucus.

All of the Democratic presidential candidates have been invited, but only Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Con., has confirmed he will attend, while John Edwards, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, Sen. Barack Obama, D.-Ill., and New Mexico Gov Bill Richardson have confirmed they are sending high-level aides on their behalf. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is also scheduled to speak at the event. The event will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to accommodate veterans and their families who will be attending the State Fair. (Iowa Independent)

Iowa Veterans Put Politics Aside to Raise Funds for Wounded Comrades

The spirit of bi-partisanship has broken out on the presidential campaign trail in Iowa. The Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus is hosting a fund raiser in Des Moines Monday, Aug. 13 to assist wounded soldiers and veterans. The event, “Iowa Veterans’ Presidential Extravaganza," is open to all veterans, regardless of their political affiliation. “From the day you put on the uniform, you learn to take care of your fellow soldier. This is no different. Black, white, Hispanic, Republican, Democrat, Independent; we are all in this together. You may or may not like our politics, but you cannot deny that we are comrades in arms,” said Bob Krause, chair of the IDP Veterans’ Caucus.

The fundraiser will coincide with the Iowa State Fair’s “Veterans Day,” and net proceeds will be donated to soldiers and families at Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany and Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and Clinics throughout Iowa. Landstuhl is the location that seriously injured American soldiers are Medivaced to after initial stabilization in theaters of war. Soldiers come in with no clothes and no gear because of the circumstances of the injuries. Immediate family members are authorized travel, but some extended family members are not. Money provided to Veterans Centers and Clinics in Iowa will be given to the chaplain's office to be distributed where there are special needs.

All of the Democratic presidential candidates have been invited, but only Sen. Chris Dodd, D.-Con., has confirmed to attend, while John Edwards and Sen. Joe Biden, D., Del., have confirmed sending high-level surrogates on their behalf. In order to accommodate veterans and their families, who will be attending the State Fair, the event will run from 3pm to 7pm.

The Extravaganza will be held at Four Mile Community Center, 3711 Easton Boulevard in Des Moines, which is only about 3 or 4 minutes from the main gate of the State Fair. From the gate, just go north on 33rd to Easton and then turn right to 37th. The cost of the event is $10 per individual, $15 per couple, and children with their parents are free. For more information about the event and/or the IDP Veterans’ Caucus, go to the group’s website.

Hooverfest Pays Tribute to 57 Iowa Sons and Daughters Killed in Iraq

More than 200 family members of the 57 Iowa soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Iraq gathered Saturday at the gravesite of Herbert Hoover (see pic) for a ceremony honoring their service.

“This is a long overdue salute to our fallen Iowa heroes and to you the families, who have given so much in this war as it continues at this moment,” said Ron Steele, veteran KWWL news anchor and emcee of the event.

The ceremony culminated this year’s annual Hooverfest in West Branch, which played host to a day filled with Hooverball, rain, live music, more rain, food and sunshine. Hooverfest grew from residents of Herbert Hoover’s birthplace to celebrate the 31st president of the United States by keeping the flame of Hoover’s humanitarian spirit alive.

This motif manifested throughout the evening’s ceremony as political dignitaries including Culver, former Iowa Gov. Bob Ray and Belgian Ambassador Dominique Struye de Swieland made the connection between the humanitarian and military call to service. “No group better exemplifies the Hoover spirit of service than those Iowans in the armed forces and the Iowa National Guard,” said Culver while addressing the families of the fallen.

Accompanied by bagpipe music, the ceremony that drew the fallen soldiers’ families and honored guests began at the Herbert Hoover Museum and Presidential Library and made its way toward Hoover’s gravesite atop the hill (see pic above). Onlookers stood along the procession and paid tribute to the families by clapping, while some veterans executed a military salute.

The ceremony showcased the Tipton boys’ choir singing the national anthem, a flyover by a CH7 Chinook (see pic left) from Davenport Company B 2nd Battalion 211 General Support Aviation and speeches by Ron Steele, Belgian Ambassador Dominique Struye de Swieland, and Iowa’s Commander-in-Chief Chet Culver. A tribute film honoring the fallen soldiers and fireworks accompanied by contemporary patriotic music followed the speeches.

With the graves of former President Herbert Hoover and his wife, Lou Henri, as the backdrop, Culver delivered the keynote address to the families. “Here in front of Hoover’s final resting place, we remember and celebrate the lives of 57 other great Iowans, those who have died since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001.”

Tapping into Hoover’s legacy, Culver connected his service to those of Iowans. “Being an Iowan means many things to many people,” Culver said. “However, I believe there is one common bond that unites everyone who has lived in our state, and that’s a never-ending commitment to serving our fellow Iowans. The idea of giving something back to our community still matters in Iowa.” At the apex of his speech, Culver, on behalf of the soldiers killed in Iraq, specifically addressed those left behind in their wake. “As their commander in chief, I would like to say a few words to their families,” Culver said. “Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices that your sons or daughters or niece or nephew or aunt, uncle or husband or wife or mother or father have made on behalf of our state.”

“Though you will never to be able to fill the hole in your heart, I want you to know that every Iowan is ready to assist today and in the future in any way possible,” Culver said. “You are a part of the Iowa community, and when we lose somebody too young and so full of life, everyone grieves, too.”

After a moment of silence, Culver made a vow and oral contract with the families that he will do anything in his power to help them through suffering and struggles brought on by their losses. Culver said how proud he was that his first executive order as governor was to lower flags half-staff to honor Iowa’s fallen soldiers. “This simple act makes visible the sacrifice made by these soldiers.”

At the end of his speech, he reiterated Iowans' call to service by quoting another former president, John F. Kennedy, who once said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by those words.”

“These 57 eternal patriots that we honor here tonight are the ultimate embodiment of Iowa’s spirit of service and we must honor our own lives in honor of their sacrifice. We must dedicate our lives to the same spirit of service they did. We owe it to them,” Culver said. “Let us work together in our communities and to give our children every opportunity of success, so they may pass this spirit of service down to future generations of Iowans. By doing so, we will make our state better by making the lives around us better, thus paying a lasting tribute to these soldiers on behalf of all of us.”

The Iowa Front: Military & Veterans’ Weekly Roundup

Last night I attended the ceremony at West Branch’s annual Hooverfest honoring Iowa’s 57 soldiers killed in the Iraq War. The event was also intended to pay tribute to the soldiers’ families who have been left behind. Iowa’s commander-in-chief, Gov. Chet Culver, spoke at the ceremony, and the event culminated with a firework show accompanied by contemporary patriotic music. Be sure to read tomorrow’s Iowa Independent for a more detailed write up.

Political/Veterans’ Front

“Legislation Clears Senate to Name Marshalltown Post Office after Fallen Soldier”: One of the fallen soldier honored at the ceremony was Major Scott Nisely, whose public service was recognized by companion bills passed by both chambers of Congress. Legislation to name the Marshalltown Post Office after Nisley cleared the Senate last week. The bill, first introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Bruce Braley, D.-1st Dist., had already passed in the House. The bill now goes to the president to be signed into law.

“This is a fitting tribute to Major Nisely and the welcoming home of his National Guard unit. He was the epitome of a great American and served his country valiantly for nearly 30 years in the military, but his public service didn’t stop there. He also worked for 12 years with the United States Postal Service,” Grassley said in a press release. “I know he is missed by his family, friends, co-workers and fellow Guard members. I hope this will serve as positive reminder of a man who gave so much to his country.”

Nisely’s military service included nearly 25 years with the United States Marine Corps and Marines Corps Reserve during which he achieved the rank of Major. Most recently, he took a significant decrease in rank to serve in the Iowa Army National Guard for close to four years. His public service also includes 12 years with the United States Postal Service.

“Lifelong Republican and Marine Veteran Breaks Ground with "Support the Troops, End the War" Yard Sign”: Americans Against Escalation in Iraq “Iraq Summer” Campaign officially kicked off its "Support the Troops, End the War" yard sign drive in Iowa Monday as part of an ongoing effort to convince Senator Chuck Grassley and U.S. Representative Tom Latham to change course and vote for the safe and responsible redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq. The first yard sign of the 6,000 sign statewide campaign drive was planted in the yard of Dr. Larry Koenig, a lifelong Republican who served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. Both his daughter and son joined the United States Army, and his son is still on active duty.

“The current culture of divisiveness is making it hard to end the war,” said Dr. Larry Koenig. “It’s not about being a Republican or a Democrat – it’s about doing the right thing. These signs bring awareness that our troops are in a situation that is not in their best interest or our country’s.”

“It’s wonderful to have someone like Dr. Koenig whose family has given so much for this country standing with us in this effort to bring a safe and responsible end to the war in Iraq,” said Sue Dinsdale, mother of an Iraq war veteran and the Field Director for Iowa’s ‘Iraq Summer’ Campaign.

“We hope Senator Grassley and Congressman Latham get the message that Iowans all of walks of life, of both political parties, are united in calling for an end to this war. These signs are a great way to show neighbors our love and support for our US military - and a great way to show our representatives in Washington that the best way they can show their support for our troops is to vote to bring them home safe.”

“Iraq Summer” is a nationwide, 10-week long campaign with nearly 100 organizers in 15 states and 40 congressional districts to turn up the heat on Republican members of Congress who have opposed setting a timeline to bring a safe and responsible end to the war in Iraq. The effort will culminate with a national “Take a Stand” day on August 28th, when members will have the opportunity to explain their stance on the war to their constituents in a town hall setting.

In Cedar Rapids, Gulf War veteran Joe Stutler, was the first person in eastern Iowa to place a “Support the Troops, End the War” yard sign as part of the campaign. Be sure to read Lynda Waddington’s account of the event in the Iowa Independent.

West Branch’s Hooverfest to Honor Iowa’s 57 Fallen Soldiers

Gov. Chet Culver’s first executive order as Iowa’s commander-in-chief called for all flags on state grounds to be flown at half-staff to honor fallen soldiers. Since Culver signed the directive Jan. 27, eight Iowa soldiers have been killed in the line of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. On May 28, the Iowa Independent asked: “So what about the 49 fallen Iowa soldiers who were killed in the line of duty before Gov. Culver was sworn into office and issued his first executive order? Maybe one day in Iowa, flags will be flown half-staff in their honor.”

West Branch, the birthplace of Herbert Hoover, has responded by planning to honor all of Iowa’s fallen soldiers at the annual Hooverfest. A private reception will be held for the fallen service members’ families on Saturday, which will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. procession to the nearby Hoover grave site for the public ceremony.

Accompanied by bagpipe music, a procession that includes families representing 57 Iowans killed in Iraq will hear Culver and Belgian Ambassador Dominique Struye de Swieland each give an address. A wreath sent from the White House will be placed on the grave-site monument, and Iowa Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Jodi Tymeson will read a letter sent by President Bush. There will also be a tribute film honoring the fallen soldiers, music by the Tipton High School Boys’ Choir and a surprise by the Iowa National Guard. The evening will end with fireworks scored by patriotic music.

The occasion will mark the first time Culver will address the soldiers of the 133rd Infantry Battalion and their families since their return to Iowa. Although Culver greeted the soldiers upon their return to American soil at Volk Field in Wisconsin, he did not attend last week’s homecoming at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo. Culver’s absence did not go unnoticed by some of the attendees as John Carlson notes in the Des Moines Register:

There was some "where's the governor?" grumbling among relatives who gathered to celebrate and honor the battalion that spent nearly two years on active duty,
including 15-plus months in Iraq. The Iowans served longer continuously in Iraq
than any other military unit since the war started more than four years ago.

Some - Richard Elliott of Carson, for instance - wondered why Culver didn't show. "These are his boys," said Elliott, who was there to greet his son-in-law. "He should have been there…It's about respecting these soldiers…This is his state. He should have been there. Everybody sitting around me thought the
same thing."

Brad Anderson, communications director for the governor, responded to the Des Moines Register that:

"Culver went to Volk Field in Wisconsin to greet the soldiers when they arrivedthere a week before they came to the Waterloo event. He was there on the tarmacto greet them as they got off the plane," Anderson said. "It was a more intimatesetting and more meaningful than giving a speech when all the family members
wanted to do was greet their soldiers."

Anderson said Culver discussed all this with Maj. Gen. Ron Dardis, the top-ranking Guard officer in Iowa, and they agreed the governor should be in Wisconsin.

"The governor and General Dardis both thought that being the first to greet them was the best way for the governor to welcome them home," Anderson said. "The governor believes they are true heroes. He had a great visit with them and was able to talk with them on a one-on-one, intimate level."