Comments on: Troops’ Gravestones Have Operation Names http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:09:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Anderson http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55806 Anderson Thu, 25 Aug 2005 14:26:57 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55806 If anyone's still looking at this thread, Wonkette has the best response: http://www.wonkette.com/politics/war-on-terror/index.php#where-have-all-the-slogans-gone-119029 If anyone's still looking at this thread, Wonkette has the best response:

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/war-on-terror/index.php#where-have-all-the-slogans-gone-119029

]]> By: nocoen http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55757 nocoen Thu, 25 Aug 2005 02:21:07 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55757 Look deeper into the story and you will see an interesting thing. Nadia McCaffery, referred to in the AP story, is used to infer that the tombstone issue upsets her. DO A GOOGLE SEARCH ON HER NAME AND YOU WILL FIND THAT SHE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANTIWAR PROTEST GOLD STAR MOTHERS FOR PEACE. She is spending time in Crawford protesting the President's policies in the Middle East. It is a blatent attempt by the Antiwar Press (AP) to pass an op / ed piece off as hard news. If you fall into the discussion on the tombstone, you have fallen into the trap. You can see video of Nadia at: http://www.ktvu.com/video/4858934/detail.html Look deeper into the story and you will see an interesting thing.

Nadia McCaffery, referred to in the AP story, is used to infer that the tombstone issue upsets her. DO A GOOGLE SEARCH ON HER NAME AND YOU WILL FIND THAT SHE IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANTIWAR PROTEST GOLD STAR MOTHERS FOR PEACE. She is spending time in Crawford protesting the President's policies in the Middle East.

It is a blatent attempt by the Antiwar Press (AP) to pass an op / ed piece off as hard news.

If you fall into the discussion on the tombstone, you have fallen into the trap.

You can see video of Nadia at:

http://www.ktvu.com/video/4858934/detail.html

]]> By: Sneem http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55737 Sneem Wed, 24 Aug 2005 21:27:30 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55737 I think the left is just trying to have it both ways as usual. Remember how President Bush was accused of "covering up" the deaths by not allowing pictures of flag draped coffins? Now he is accused of "advertising" the war by denoting those killed there on their tombstones. It takes a very small mind to get your underwear in a knot over this one. Those are honored dead and the operational name is not a political slogan. It is the official name of the war and will be identified as such in the history books. Just as WW II and WW I are the official names of those wars, Iraqi Freedom is the official name of the conflict currently on-going in Iraq. Why would it not be on the tombstone? I think the left is just trying to have it both ways as usual. Remember how President Bush was accused of "covering up" the deaths by not allowing pictures of flag draped coffins? Now he is accused of "advertising" the war by denoting those killed there on their tombstones. It takes a very small mind to get your underwear in a knot over this one. Those are honored dead and the operational name is not a political slogan. It is the official name of the war and will be identified as such in the history books. Just as WW II and WW I are the official names of those wars, Iraqi Freedom is the official name of the conflict currently on-going in Iraq. Why would it not be on the tombstone?

]]> By: Danny Carlton: codenamed "Jack Lewis" http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55667 Danny Carlton: codenamed "Jack Lewis" Wed, 24 Aug 2005 13:44:53 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55667 <strong>Democrats upset over tombstones</strong> From the Ass. Press... Unlike earlier wars, nearly all Arlington National Cemetery gravestones for troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan... Democrats upset over tombstones

From the Ass. Press... Unlike earlier wars, nearly all Arlington National Cemetery gravestones for troops killed in Iraq or Afghanistan...

]]> By: Conservative Thinking http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55656 Conservative Thinking Wed, 24 Aug 2005 12:16:40 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55656 <strong>Round the Reader: Wednesday, 24 August 2005</strong> Last week's RtR trackback link fest didn't go as well as I wanted it to; apparently people want headlines to write about and to spur their creative capabilities. This week... I got what you need. [Shameless Plug] If you haven't... Round the Reader: Wednesday, 24 August 2005

Last week's RtR trackback link fest didn't go as well as I wanted it to; apparently people want headlines to write about and to spur their creative capabilities. This week... I got what you need. [Shameless Plug] If you haven't...

]]> By: dutchmarbel http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55648 dutchmarbel Wed, 24 Aug 2005 11:05:29 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55648 I think the bit you left out of the quote is what irks most people: <blockquote>Nadia and Robert McCaffrey, whose son Patrick was killed in Iraq in June 2004, said "Operation Iraqi Freedom" ended up on his government-supplied headstone in Oceanside, Calif., without family approval. "I was a little taken aback," Robert McCaffrey said, describing his reaction when he first saw the operation name on Patrick's tombstone. "They certainly didn't ask my wife; they didn't ask me." He said Patrick's widow told him she had not been asked either. "In one way, I feel it's taking advantage to a small degree," McCaffrey said. "Patrick did not want to be there, that is a definite fact."</blockquote> Country and date of death should be identifying enough IMHO, but if they only put it on the tombs of people who WANT it there it shouldn't be a problem. I think the bit you left out of the quote is what irks most people:

Nadia and Robert McCaffrey, whose son Patrick was killed in Iraq in June 2004, said "Operation Iraqi Freedom" ended up on his government-supplied headstone in Oceanside, Calif., without family approval.

"I was a little taken aback," Robert McCaffrey said, describing his reaction when he first saw the operation name on Patrick's tombstone. "They certainly didn't ask my wife; they didn't ask me." He said Patrick's widow told him she had not been asked either.

"In one way, I feel it's taking advantage to a small degree," McCaffrey said. "Patrick did not want to be there, that is a definite fact."

Country and date of death should be identifying enough IMHO, but if they only put it on the tombs of people who WANT it there it shouldn't be a problem.

]]> By: DC Loser http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55644 DC Loser Wed, 24 Aug 2005 09:22:37 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55644 I think the jingoistic names are an advent of CNN. Up until the Panama invasion the names were mostly innocuous words that didnt' have a connection with the operation or gave a clue to where it was going to happen. In 1983, the Grenada invasion was called URGENNT FURY. In 85, the Libyan bombing retaliation was EL DORADO CANYON. But in 89, the Panama invasion was JUST CAUSE, just a little more PR like for the news people. From then on the names became more jingoistic - DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, PROVIDE COMFORT, RESTORE HOPE, ALLIED FORCE, OEF, OIF. I think the jingoistic names are an advent of CNN. Up until the Panama invasion the names were mostly innocuous words that didnt' have a connection with the operation or gave a clue to where it was going to happen. In 1983, the Grenada invasion was called URGENNT FURY. In 85, the Libyan bombing retaliation was EL DORADO CANYON. But in 89, the Panama invasion was JUST CAUSE, just a little more PR like for the news people. From then on the names became more jingoistic - DESERT SHIELD, DESERT STORM, PROVIDE COMFORT, RESTORE HOPE, ALLIED FORCE, OEF, OIF.

]]> By: John Burgess http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55631 John Burgess Wed, 24 Aug 2005 04:18:19 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55631 To answer the previous question, "D-Day" was known as "Operation Overlord" (among several other names) until it hit the newspapers. Ask a D-Day vet where he fought and, dollars to donuts, he won't say "Overlord." Now, the DOD is being proactive in shaping how those names will develop. They're cutting out both the delay and the uncertainty in what a particular effort will be called by the public. Or at least that's the intention. Incidently, for Arabs, Operation Iraqi Freedom is popularly called, "The Third Gulf War." The first was the Iran-Iraq war, the second was Desert Storm. To answer the previous question, "D-Day" was known as "Operation Overlord" (among several other names) until it hit the newspapers. Ask a D-Day vet where he fought and, dollars to donuts, he won't say "Overlord."

Now, the DOD is being proactive in shaping how those names will develop. They're cutting out both the delay and the uncertainty in what a particular effort will be called by the public. Or at least that's the intention.

Incidently, for Arabs, Operation Iraqi Freedom is popularly called, "The Third Gulf War." The first was the Iran-Iraq war, the second was Desert Storm.

]]> By: DC Loser http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/troops_gravestones_have_operation_names/comment-page-1/#comment-55625 DC Loser Wed, 24 Aug 2005 01:57:38 +0000 http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/11758#comment-55625 Whatever happened with the method of choosing innocuous names for an operation if only for OPSEC reasons? Whatever happened with the method of choosing innocuous names for an operation if only for OPSEC reasons?

]]>