Soldier's dad tells Bush, `This war is wrong'

[n2doc]

Soldier's dad tells Bush, `This war is wrong'
The two-page letter is signed from the “proud father of a fallen soldier.”




A little more than six weeks ago, his soul a cauldron of grief and rage, Richard Landeck, 56, of Wheaton addressed and mailed it to President Bush.

And since he’s yet to receive an acknowledgment or reply, he asked me if I’d help get his message out.

“My voice, and that of many other frustrated Americans is not being heard,” he said.

It’s the least I can do, I replied.





more:

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2007/03/landeck.html

The text of his letter, which is not copywrited (I believe) is:
Here is the complete text of Richard Landeck's letter to President Bush:

Feb 4, 2007

Dear Mr. Bush:

This will be the only time I will refer to you with any type of respect.

My son was killed in Iraq on February 2, 2007. His name is Captain Kevin Landeck.

He served with the Tenth Mountain Division. He was killed while riding in a Humvee by a roadside bomb just south of Baghdad. He has a loving mother, a loving father and loving sister.

You took him away from us. He celebrated his 26th birthday January 30th and was married for 17 months. He graduated from Purdue University and went through the ROTC program. That is where he met his future wife. He was proud to be a part of the military and took exceptional pride in becoming a leader of men. He accepted his role as a platoon leader with exceptional enthusiasm and was proud to serve his country.

I had many conversations with Kevin before he left to serve as well as during his deployment. The message he continued to send to me was that of incompetence. Incompetence by you, (Vice President Richard) Cheney and (former Secretary of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld. Incompetence by some of his commanders as well as the overall strategy of your decisions.

When I asked him about what he thought about your decision to “surge” more troops to Baghdad, he told me, “until the Iraqis pick up the ball, we are going to get cut to shreds. It doesn’t matter how many troops Bush sends, nothing has been addressed to solve the problem he started.”

Answer me this: How in the world can you justify invading Iraq when the problem began and continues to lie in Afghanistan? I don’t want your idiotic standard answer about keeping America safe. What did Sadaam Hussein have to do with 9/11? We all know it had to do with the first Iraq war where your father failed to take Sadaam down.

Well George, you have succeeded in taking down over 3,100 of our best young men, my son being one of them. Kevin told me many times we are not fighting terrorism in Iraq and they could not do their jobs as soldiers. He said they are trained to be on the offensive and to fight but all they are doing is acting like policemen.

Well George, you or some “genius” like you who have never fought in a war but enjoy all the perks your positions afford you are making life and death decisions. In the case of my son, you made a death decision.

Let me explain a few other points he and I discussed. He said when he and his men were riding down the road in their Humvees, roadside bombs would explode and they would hear bullets bouncing off their vehicle. He said they were scared. He thought “why should we be the ones who are scared?” He asked permission to take some of his men out at night with their night vision glasses because as he said “we own the night” and watch for the people who are setting roadside bombs and “take them out.” He said, “I want them to be the ones that are scared.” He was denied permission. Why? It made perfect sense to me and other people who I told about this.

When he was at a checkpoint he was told that if a vehicle was coming at them even at a high rate of speed he could not arbitrarily use his weapon. He had to wave his arms and, if the vehicle did not stop, he could fire a warning shot over the vehicle. If the vehicle did not stop then, he could shoot at the tires. If the vehicle did not yet stop he could take a shot at the driver. Who in their right mind made that kind of decision?

How would you like to be at a check point with a vehicle coming at you that won’t stop and go through all those motions? You will never know!

You or Cheney or Rumsfeld will never know the anguish, the worry, the sleepless nights, the waiting for the loved one who may never return. If the soldiers were able to do their jobs and the ego’s of politicians like you, your “cronies” and some commanders had their heads on straight, we would be out of this mess which we should not be involved with in the first place.

My family and I deserve and explanation directly from you……not some assistant who will likely read this and toss it. This war is wrong.

I want you to look me and my wife and daughter directly in the eye and tell me why my son died. We should not be there, but because of your ineptness and lack of correct information I have lost my son, my pride and joy, my hero!

Again, you, Cheney and Rumsfeld will never understand what the families of soldiers are going through and don’t try to tell me you do. My wife, my daughter and I cannot believe we have lost our only son and brother to a ridiculous political war that you seem to want to maintain. I hope you and Cheney and Rumsfeld and all the other people on your band wagon sleep well at night….we certainly don’t.

Richard Landeck

Proud father of a fallen soldier

[H2O Man]

1. Powerful.

Nominated.

[MUAD_DIB]

4. Bush doesn't give scat about this man's pain or his son's death.

When do sociopaths care about the suffering of others?

[Cha]

29. Very "Powerful" and

should be on the front page of every paper in the World!

[DinahMoeHum]

2. K'd and R'd

n/t

[wicket]

3. RIP Kevin

Thoughts and prayers for his family.

:cry:

[Dhalgren]

5. There is just nothing to say...

Kick and recommend...

[Monkeyman]

6. A very sad K&R

[Mandate My Ass]

7. Oh they *DO* sleep well at night

I know that was sarcasm from a tormented soul but those soulless ghouls have no problem sleeping at night. :-(

RIP, Kevin.

[LibDemAlways]

8. Mr. Landeck will never receive the answer he is looking for,

any more than Cindy Sheehan will receive her answer.

Chimp is too much of a coward to look Mr. Landeck in the eye and tell him his son died for Halliburton profit, his son died for oil, his son died for a neocon wet dream of American imperialism called the Project For a New American Century - conceived by blood-thirsty warmongers like William Kristol who never served, who were too chickenshit to serve.

Mr. Landeck wonders why his son was refused permission to hunt down and "take out" those who were setting roadside bombs. The soldiers could devote 24 hours a day to that task and it wouldn't matter. By illegally invading and occupying a sovereign nation with complex centuries old ethnic divisions , the Bush administration has created chaos, death, and destruction on a grand scale and set in motion a civil war. Not only are US soldiers targets of Iraqi hatred, they are in the middle of that conflict. Knocking down doors in the middle of the night or firing at random vehicles isn't a solution; it's part of the problem.

Mr. Landeck is a grieving parent looking for answers. Sadly, he and his son believed in service to country and were betrayed by their government. His son, his hero, a young man with a bright future, was callously and brutally murdered by a criminal syndicate called the Bush Administration. How many more?

[307 MMS]

13. Well said

I couldn't have put it any better than LibDemAlways. That nailed it.
Thanks...from a 'Nam vet.
Smitty

[npincus]

9. K & R

[ThatsMyBarack]

10. ??Is it just me, or....??

I've seen pictures of the Humvees actually used in the military over in Iraq. It seems to me that those used in th military are held together with paper clips compared to the ones "patriots" here at home drive around (made up of about several tons of STEEL!).

[berni_mccoy]

17. No, the ones here are just as fragile

They are p.o.s. vehicles... not nearly as sturdy as the ol' jeeps.

There was an article not long ago with a pic of a humvee that hit a bus and there was not much left of the humvee.

The problem is BushCo didn't even try to protect our soldiers and they are left finding scraps to armor these vehicles.

[peace13]

11. What he said times 3200!

'Leaders' that do not know war should not be allowed to have one. These are such tragic losses. Each one with a story to tell. To the Landeck family I say, "I am so sorry for your loss. It will not be in vain for I will fight for what is right, as your son did. We will never give up!" Please let the American people wake up! Kim

[Strawman]

12. Thank you, Mr. Landeck. K&R

For not letting the Bushbots tell your son's story. For not letting them feed your family's tragedy back into the death machine by claiming that we need to keep fighting so soldiers like your son will "not have died in vain."

Stories like this, told by courageous people are what's going to end this senseless war.

[lpbk2713]

14. It's too bad this father's words have fallen on deaf ears.

AWOL Monkey Boy and Deadeye Dick were too busy seeing how their Halliburton stock was doing to pay his letter any mind.

[maggiegault]

21. I Agree With You.

Reading it brought tears to my eyes, and just the sight of that young man's smiling face...but the father is writing to a psychopath, a creature utterly without a soul or a conscience. We are also making the very broad assumption that that lower life form can actually read.

[Quantess]

22. LOL. Even if the intended audience can read,

I'd be surprised if the reaction was anything more reflective than the knee-jerk reply, 'the liberals just want to bring down the morale of the troops'.

[WI_DEM]

15. very powerful, unfortunately Bush will probably never see it and if he does he'll

probably just smirk.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Send the Twins!!

[madokie]

18. this tears my heart out

I am going to hang it there as long as it takes because my two stepsons could still be drafted, if or when its reinstated

[donkeyotay]

19. A kick to help Mr. Landeck be heard. nt

[truedelphi]

20. Plan on Printing this out and hanging it next to the other

Two or three articles that tore my heart out while this war raged.

A small alter on the refrigerator door.

RIP Kevin.

May the grief in your hearts someday be lightened, Richard and also
your (and Kevin's) family.

[MethuenProgressive]

23. Thank you for sharing this with us.

I hate this fucking war.

[bertha katzenengel]

24. K/R

[Sapere aude]

25. "How in the world can you justify invading Iraq " PNAC !

I wonder when people will learn the truth behind the Iraq war. I get so tired of hearing people discuss this in terms of national security or protecting Americans. It has nothing to do with that. This man's son died because of greed and Bush and Cheney don't give a shit.

I have a neighbor who's son died at Walter Reed after being blown up by an IED. I wanted to ask him why he thought his son had to die but I didn't dare. After the deaths we just clam up except for some parents. I wish we would end the war today and put Cheney and Bush on trial for war crimes. We have enough witnesses.

[DesertRat]

26. Heartbreaking. K & R

[sce56]

27. Passed on to friends & family!

Please do the same!

[maggiegault]

30. Freep It, Folks!

Do it for men like this, who lost their sons far too soon.



http://www.azcentral.com/


Go down the page to the poll on the lower right side of the page. The question:

Do you agree with anti-war demonstrators urging Arizona senators to bring troops home from Iraq?

For what it is worth, we had a RECORD turnout at our protests on Monday. The GOP controls the dialogue only when we permit it.

[heatstreak]

28. good to see courageous people stand up to evil

[DemReadingDU]

31. Agree, this war is so wrong

[xxqqqzme]

32. '...I want you to look me and

my wife and daughter directly in the eye and tell me why my son died....'

Same question Cindy first asked over 18 months ago. As far as I know, an answer has not been forthcoming.

[brer cat]

33. Very powerful, and so sad!

My heart goes out to Mr. Landeck, who will NEVER get a response from the ass*le who sent his son to die for oil and almighty dollars for his friends.

Such a bright, beautiful young man! My heart aches for these families.

:grouphug:

[EndElectoral]

34. "You took him away from us."....says it all.....my sympathies to the Landecks

[Fawkes]

35. RIP

Rest in peace, Captain Landeck.  And also in memory of Sgt.
John E. Allen, killed in Iraq by an IED on Saturday.  Two good
young men, both leaving grieving parents and sisters.  

[Jcrowley]

36. Tragic

Unbearable grief.

Damn

[RadiDem]

37. A courageous son and father

[intaglio]

38. K&R n/t

[vickitulsa]

39. There's something twisted in GW's brain and heart --

he actually ENJOYS seeing people suffer, I honestly believe.

Of course we can easily imagine that he laughs out loud to see anyone he hates suffer terribly, as most "good Christians" like him do.

But there is something specific going on in him when it comes to having no remorse about sending our bravest young Americans into an insane environment he has created in Iraq (and Afghanistan too don't forget) where they are killed and maimed and given lifelong cases of severe PTSD.

This is just my opinion, but I have a psych background and I have known a scant few people like the Chimp in my life -- thank heaven there are not really all that many truly like him, but they do exist. Sadistic types who are aroused in some fashion by other people's suffering and pain.

So what I think is going on is that little Georgie never had any courage in his entire life, and we all know how he dodged every risk during the war of our generation, Vietnam. Everything we know about him reveals that he is a gutless coward -- who now seems to thrive on being in the "big chair" at the WH, where he can "say the word" and send others to be ground up in his personal war of choice and profit.

So what I believe he's doing is, in a sense, "getting back at" all those who actually DO have courage and a willingness to serve their country in a dangerous profession, fighting for her and for us. He RESENTS them, ya see? What does he care if they suffer, if they come home without eyes or limbs or sound minds? Or dead?

It's exactly the sort of petty "gotcha" behavior we should expect from someone with his psych profile. He resents everyone who is honest and brave and willing to risk what he never could or would. They "show him up," see, by just EXISTING! By sending them into a situation he has created where they are targets, he is, in his twisted, juvenile mind, punishing them for that.

I feel that's why he can go to Walter Reed and hand out 26 Purple Heart medals to wounded soldiers without it upsetting him one bit. I used to wonder why he event went there to do such a thing, figuring anyone else in his shoes would probably prefer to avoid seeing the damage done to servicemembers thanks to his petty need to "topple Saddam" and get big profits for his warmongering cronies' companies.

But after thinking about it for some time, I finally felt like a light bulb went off in my head, as I considered his fragile psyche and how differently he responds to things from what most people would.

Yep, I think he resents those soldiers who have the courage to do what he never could, so it doesn't bother him the least bit to see them suffer for their valor and sense of duty.


(Sorry for the rant, but it's in the wee hours here and I just couldn't stop thinking about this after reading Mr. Landeck's heartbreaking letter earlier.)

[dj41326]

40. Propaganda

It is troubling that intelligent people allow themselves to be classified as liberal, conservative, Republican or Democrat. Why does everyone blame BUSH for the problems of this country? It is our own faults yes yours as much as mine. While you guys pontificate about who is to blame and focusing on updating your blogs with more political propaganda. If you think for one moment that either party holds your best interest you are crazy. The Democrats have controlled both houses now for several months and they have not accomplished anything. Bush did not send us to war he merely asked your Congress for permission and you know what they granted it to him. 77 senators and 296 representatives. Some of each of the houses were Democrats and they have benefited from the USA being at war. Blame yourselves for not taking action. Blame our parents for not doing something earlier but please don't buy into the hype that one man can ruin an entire society. It is troubling when someone's child dies. The truth of the matter is that he is in the ARMY voluntarily and should realize the risk he was taking be joining. God Bless his soul and if you want to make a difference stop blaming people and do something to CHANGE the system.

[savannah7]

41. SorryAboutOurPresident.com

What a powerful letter. I think we are all disgusted and just plain old sad at what has taken place right under our noses in these past few years. We are tired, yet angry... driven, yet so far beyond feeling able to make a difference that we exhaust. If anyone wants to make an old school style apology to the world, you can do it at www.SorryAboutOurPresident.com. I just found it and it's very interesting to see what people, both Americans and international citizens, are saying. Check it out and add something if you feel inclined. There is also www.NotSorryAboutOurPresident.com , for those who do NOT want to apologize to anyone for the Bush reign of error.