Vets for Freedom's National Heroes Tour Update
They've done it again.
Extremist anti-war groups are trying to keep American heroes from telling their side of the story in the War on Terror. This morning, highly decorated veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan were scheduled to speak to social studies students about patriotism and commitment. But before the event could even take place, the Principal of Forest Lake High School was strong-armed into canceling less than 24 hours prior.
From the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
Pete Hegseth, executive director of Vets for Freedom and a 1999 Forest Lake graduate, said it was unfortunate the administration caved in to pressure from outside political groups. He spoke with Massey on Monday, and tried to appeal to the superintendent but didn't receive a call back, he said
"We're not coming in with a political agenda," he said. "We just wanted to come in and talk about service and sacrifice ... not whether the war is right or wrong. If we don't have room for patriotism in our high schools, then what do we have room for?"
By Megan Boldt |
Vets for Freedom is not afraid to confront its critics head on with a substantive debate on the issues. Tomorrow morning at the University of Northern Iowa, several veterans will take to a stage to debate anti-war college professors about the current situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you'd like more information about the tour or the event tomorrow, please email media@vetsforfreedom.org.
Frontline Focus
While stopped in Phoenix on March 17th, Capt. Pete Hegseth and Lt. Col. Steve Russell met with the Arizona Republic Editorial Board to tell the soldiers' side of the story of what is going on Iraq. The Arizona Republic published this editorial on the week of the 5th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War:
War vets: Finish the job
The Arizona Republic
March 21, 2008
Almost the entire, years-long debate over the American military's presence in Iraq has been waged as though the soldiers themselves were not in the room.
And, usually, for good reason ... they weren't in the room. By and large, policy makers on both left and right rarely have thought to ask the very people who have served on the front lines for their opinion.
That has changed. Maybe nobody's asking, but the soldiers are telling, like it or not.
An organization of Iraq war veterans known as Vets for Freedom - claiming 44 chapters nationwide and some 20,000 members - has launched a national tour, speaking out on what they believe is a near-universal principle among Iraq war vets: Finish the job...
"All the second-guessing is moot, at this point," said Russell, who led the battalion that captured Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein. "We are where we are now. A destabilized Iraq is going to have implications for all of us."
"Overall, we're very positive about the trajectory in Iraq now, as long as we don't leave precipitously," said Hegseth, the executive director of Vets for Freedom.
Obviously, the debate over the future conduct of the war in Iraq will go on.
But, thanks to organizations like Vets for Freedom, it will not continue without a word from the people who have been there with their lives on the line. |
To read the full editorial, visit the Vets for Freedom Website.
Vets for Freedom In the News
Op-ed by Vets for Freedom Executive Director Pete Hegseth
Iraq's Window of Opportunity
A picture of what the long-elusive victory in Iraq might look like.
By Pete Hegseth
One year ago, the neighborhood of Doura in southeast Baghdad was al-Qaeda's headquarters in the capital city, and the daily dumping ground for dozens of victims of sectarian violence. Public association with Americans or Iraqi leaders, in any form, meant death for its residents. If Americans entered a neighborhood, Iraqis slowly slipped away and refused to talk — even behind closed doors, let alone on a busy market street.
Today, the streets of Doura are safe and bustling, as I witnessed firsthand during a trip three weeks ago. I can still smell the briny scent of fish on sale in busy markets, my boots sliding over the dust, and the muezzin's afternoon call to prayer echoing in the distance. I saw Baghdad alive again.
However, during my time on the street, it was difficult to shake memories of the past — after all, 4,000 Americans have been killed in action in Iraq. The violence of 2006 and early 2007 is still fresh in America's mind — helped in no small part by a public debate fixated on past failure instead of current success...
Today, U.S. military units in southeast Baghdad are working with Iraqi leaders to create jobs in stable vocations, sometimes through business grants to stimulate private enterprise. And for the first time in years, the streets are quiet enough for the State Department and NGOs to work alongside Iraqis to rebuild war-torn neighborhoods.