SwiftVets.com

[JannDallas]

I received this e-mail and didn't know if it had circulated here yet. Thought I would share.

JOHN GLENN - WELL SAID

Things that make you think a little........
1. There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq during the month of January.....
In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January. That's just one American city, about as deadly as the entire war torn country of Iraq.

2. When some claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war, state the following ... FDR...led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us: Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.
Truman....finished that war and started one in Korea, North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,334 per year.
John F. Kennedy. ..started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us.
Johnson....turned Vietnam into a quagmire.
>From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.

Clinton...went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent, Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

3. In the two years since terrorists attacked us President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but...It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation. We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick killing a woman.

Wait, there's more.......................

Some people still don't understand why military personnel do what they do for a living. This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed services do what they do for a living. This is a typical, though sad, example of what some who have never served think of our military.

JOHN GLENN ON THE SENATE FLOOR
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13

Senator Howard Metzenbaum to Senator Glenn: "How can you run for Senate when you've never held a real job?"

Senator Glenn: "I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program.

It wasn't my checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank. I ask you to go with me ... as I went the other day... to a veteran's hospital and look those men - with their mangled bodies - in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job!
You go with me to the Space Program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the widows and orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee... and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their Dads didn't hold a job.
You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch those waving flags.

You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell ME that those people didn't have a job? I'll tell you, Howard Metzenbaum; you should be on your knees every day of your life thanking God that there were some men - SOME MEN - who held REAL jobs. And they required a dedication to a purpose - and a love of country and a dedication to duty - that was more important than life itself. And their self-sacrifice is what made this country possible.

I HAVE held a job, Howard! What about you?"
NOTE: For those who don't remember - During W.W.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney representing the Communist Party in the USA

If you can read this, thank a teacher.... If you are reading it in English thank a Veteran.
Please keep this circulating.

I think it is very well said and I'm sure many of you will agree.

[GM Strong]

Howard Metzenbaum retired in 1994 when his son-in-law Joel Hyatt lost a bid to replace him and Mike DeWine won. Glenn retired in 2000 and George "the crier" Voinovich replaced him. This exchange to some effect happened in the 80s. Do you believe everthing that comes on the Internet???
_________________
8th Army Korea 68-69

[JannDallas]

The exchange took place in 1974. Just checked. Sorry about the date, but the debate did happen.

[GM Strong]

In 1974 Metzenbaum was running to be reelected to the Senate after being appointed to fill out the remainder of the resigned Saxbe's term. In the primary he ran against Glenn and that is where the exchange took place. Metzenbaum had beaten Glenn in the 1970 primary and lost to Robt. Taft. This was a rematch with some animosity and Metzenbaum lost. Two years later in 1976 he was elected. Metzenbaum was in private law practice during the war years and there is nothing to show he represented the CPUSA, though he was a very liberal Senator.

From "truth or fiction" :
This exchange did take place but not on the floor of the Senate, but the wording of Glenn's words if fairly accurate.
It was during the campaign debate in 1974 when Metzenbaum was running for reelection and Glenn was challenging him.
Glenn and Metzenbaum had also run against each other for the same seat four years earlier, a race that Metzenbaum had won.
A few days prior to the debate, Metzenbaum made a widely publicized statement that said that Glenn had never met a payroll (he didn't actually say that he'd never held a real job).
In other words, Glenn had been a military man not a businessman, like Metzenbaum, who had created a major newspaper and a nation-wide parking company.
Metzenbaum did not repeat that charge during the debate, but Glenn came prepared to respond to it and did it so powerfully that he also went on to win the election.
_________________
8th Army Korea 68-69