JINSA Report #512 Fran O'Brien's and the Soldiers

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August 26, 2005

JINSA Report #512

Fran O'Brien's and the Soldiers

Readers know JINSA has been supporting dinners at Fran O'Brien's
Steakhouse for soldiers recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
(JINSA Report #448 at www.jinsa.org). In fact, you raised several
thousand dollars for the effort - thank you.

So we are disgusted by news that anti-war protesters have been
congregating at Walter Reed and heckling the buses that leave to take
the soldiers to the restaurant on Friday nights. Protesters hold signs
reading "Maimed for Lies" and "Enlist here and die for Halliburton."
Among the props are mock caskets.

These people claim to be "against the war, but support the troops," an
ugly lie if ever there was one. If you support the troops, you support
those who have made a personal sacrifice to do what their country asked
of them. You help them heal. You protect them from those who would use
their injuries to score political points. Or you just leave them alone
to be helped by those who love them. These protesters are the antithesis
of support for the troops. They are a blot on America.

Marc Moreno of CNS reports, "Anti-war activists were unapologetic when
asked whether they considered such signs as 'Maimed for Lies' offensive
to wounded war veterans and their families. 'I am more offended by the
fact that many were maimed for life,' said (one). (But) Kevin Pannell,
who was recently treated at Walter Reed and had both legs amputated
after an ambush grenade attack near Baghdad in 2004, considers the
presence of the anti-war protesters in front of the hospital
'distasteful.'" Mr. Pannell is kind.

People who truly support the troops, regardless of their feelings about
the policies that led to the injuries being treated at Walter Reed, can
express their support once again through JINSA. Send a fully
tax-deductible check to JINSA and put Fran O'Brien’s in the memo. Your
entire gift will go to the soldiers. You will be aiding directly in the
rehabilitation of young men and women who have laid it all on the line
for us. We remind of what Col. Jaffin, then-Commander of the Medical
Corps at Walter Reed, wrote to us:

If you doubt the impact of your magnanimity, from my perspective, the
benefit on these soldiers and their families is incalculable... While
the steak dinner is in itself a treat for those who have been eating in
a dining facility... the meal is so much more than a dinner: it is a
night out, a chance to get away from the hospital environment for a few
hours, an evening to do something as normal as going to a restaurant for
dinner. Even more, it is a tangible demonstration of the support,
respect, and even love that Americans feel for our troops. I have heard
from many, many of the grateful participants who were, without
exception, touched and deeply appreciative. They may not know who
supports the costs but I now do and must tell you how much it has meant.

The soldiers we have met at Fran O'Brien's are proud of their service
and determined to overcome their adverse circumstances. They are
grateful to the restaurant for hosting them, and overwhelmingly grateful
for the understanding that Americans stand behind them and care about
them.

Help us help them, please.

To view this JINSA Report online click on the link below.
http://www.jinsa.org/JINSAReports/3138
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