Here is some more background on why AnythingButSee
(ABC), SeeBS (CBS) and NotBeSeen (NBC) are only show
three hours (total) coverage of the entire four days
of the Democratic National Convention...You will not
hear this story on the evening news...The Emperor has
no uniform...
Kerry-Edwards, U.S. Newswire: In an unprecedented display of support
from the military establishment, twelve retired
generals and admirals endorsed John Kerry for
president of the United States on Wednesday. These
distinguished flag officers join the ranks of tens of
thousands of veterans -- including over 500 veteran
delegates in Boston -- who want a stronger, more
secure America and their fellow veteran John Kerry to
be the next Commander-in-Chief.
The endorsement comes on the day the convention is
focused on the Kerry-Edwards plan to make a stronger,
more secure America. General John Shalikashvili (Ret.)
will speak at the Convention on Wednesday evening and
be introduced by Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy
(Ret.). There will be a special video tribute to John
Kerry featuring distinguished flag officers talking
about what is at stake in this election and why they
support John Kerry to build a strong America,
respected in the world.
"My son is a Navy sailor, my son-in-law is a Navy
sailor, and my nephew is a Navy sailor. I want them,
and all of America's sons and daughters in uniform to
have a new, wiser, better, and courageous
commander-in-chief in John Kerry," said Vice Admiral
Lee F. Gunn (USN, Ret.)
Support Our Troops, Show Up for Democracy in 2004:
Defeat Bush (again!)
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=109-07282004
12 Generals and Admirals Endorse John Kerry; Military Leaders to Speak and Take Part in Video Tribute in
Boston Wednesday
7/28/2004 9:00:00 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Mark Kitchens of the Kerry-Edwards Campaign,
617-654-0066, Web: http://www.johnkerry.com
BOSTON, July 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In an unprecedented
display of support from the military establishment,
twelve retired generals and admirals endorsed John
Kerry for president of the United States on Wednesday.
These distinguished flag officers join the ranks of
tens of thousands of veterans -- including over 500
veteran delegates in Boston -- who want a stronger,
more secure America and their fellow veteran John
Kerry to be the next Commander-in-Chief.
The endorsement comes on the day the convention is
focused on the Kerry-Edwards plan to make a stronger,
more secure America. General John Shalikashvili (Ret.)
will speak at the Convention on Wednesday evening and
be introduced by Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy
(Ret.). There will be a special video tribute to John
Kerry featuring distinguished flag officers talking
about what is at stake in this election and why they
support John Kerry to build a strong America,
respected in the world.
"My son is a Navy sailor, my son-in-law is a Navy
sailor, and my nephew is a Navy sailor. I want them,
and all of America's sons and daughters in uniform to
have a new, wiser, better, and courageous
commander-in-chief in John Kerry," said Vice Admiral
Lee F. Gunn (USN, Ret.)
"Success in the global war on terror requires
enlightened U.S. leadership - leadership that knows
the importance of listening to and working with other
countries. Senator Kerry is such a leader, and as
Commander-in-Chief, he will adapt our military to the
unprecedented security demands faced by our country
and its armed forces," said Lieutenant General Daniel
Christman (USA, Ret.)
Kerry arrives in Boston for the convention Wednesday
morning where he will be met by 13 crewmates and
fellow veterans from Vietnam. Many of these
individuals will also participate in the convention
program on Thursday night before Kerry accepts the
Democratic nomination.
At the 2004 convention, veterans are playing a
historic, unprecedented role with over 500 delegates
who are veterans in attendance. On Monday, the first
ever Veterans Caucus was held. Led by notable veterans
like Wesley Clark, former Senator Max Cleland and
former Senator Bob Kerrey, over 2,000 veterans and
members of military families attended. Veterans have
also held grassroots 'Basic Training' sessions to
learn how they can help organize veterans in their own
communities and help elect John Kerry.
The Kerry-Edwards campaign has set a goal of
organizing one million veterans by Election Day.
Recruited through the 50 state- level Veterans for
Kerry organizations, these one million veterans will
be used in grassroots, veteran-to-veteran operations,
including phone-banks, canvassing and GOTV efforts.
John Kerry and John Edwards offer the right plan for
our troops and the right plan for our country. They
have proposed expanding America's active duty forces
by 40,000 to relieve the strain on today's military,
doubling America's special forces capability and
increasing other specialized personnel to improve
America's ability to conduct counterterrorism
operations, perform reconnaissance missions and gather
intelligence. John Kerry and John Edwards will ensure
that our troops have everything they need to
accomplish their mission.
------
The flag officers endorsing John Kerry are:
Lieutenant General Edward D. Baca (United States Army,
Retired)
Baca served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau in
Washington, D.C. where he was responsible for
formulating, developing, and coordinating all
policies, programs and plans affecting Army and Air
National Guard personnel. During his tenure as head of
the National Guard, Baca was one of the
highest-ranking Latinos in the U.S. military. A native
of New Mexico, Baca enlisted in the New Mexico Army
National Guard in 1956, volunteered for service in
Vietnam, and retired as a three-star general officer.
Baca also served as the Adjutant General of the New
Mexico National Guard where he exercised joint command
over both the Army and Air National Guard of New
Mexico.
"I am proud to have served our country in the military
for over 41 years. I am even prouder that 4 of my
children have worn the uniform of our armed forces.
Three are still serving. As a combat veteran and
proven leader, I know that John Kerry will never send
them in harm's way, without exhausting all means of
diplomacy. Even then, it will be a last resort. God
forbid if he ever has to, he will make sure that they
are part of an armed force as best equipped, best
training, and most respected in the world." - LTG
Edward Baca (USA, Ret.)
Lieutenant General Daniel W. Christman (United States
Army, Retired)
Christman served as the Superintendent of the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point. He also served for two
years as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, during which time he represented the U.S. as
a member of NATO's Military Committee in Brussels,
Belgium. He is a combat veteran of Southeast Asia
where he commanded a company in the 101st Airborne
Division. Christman was born on May 5, 1943 and is a
native of Hudson, Ohio.
"Success in the global war on terror requires
enlightened U.S. leadership - leadership that knows
the importance of listening to and working with other
countries. Senator Kerry is such a leader, and as
Commander-in-Chief, he will adapt our military to the
unprecedented security demands faced by our country
and its armed forces." - LTG Daniel Christman (USA,
Ret.)
General Wesley K. Clark (United States Army, Retired)
Wesley Clark was born December 23rd 1944 in Chicago,
Illinois, and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He
graduated first in his class from the United States
Military Academy at West Point in 1966 and received
his Masters degree in Philosophy, Politics and
Economics from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes
Scholar. In the Army, Clark rose steadily through the
ranks, culminating in his service as the
Commander-in-Chief of US Southern Command from 1996 to
1997 and NATO Supreme Allied Commander from 1997 to
2000. He retired from the Army in 2000. Clark and his
wife Gert live in Little Rock, Arkansas and have one
son. "I ask you to join me in standing up for an
American who has given truly outstanding service to
his country in peace and in war. John Kerry has the
right message and right character to bring the nation
forward. Both John and I served in Vietnam -- and know
what it is to be tested on the battlefield, fighting
for your country. John Kerry never quit fighting for
his country." - GEN Wesley K. Clark (USA, Ret.)
Admiral William J. Crowe (United States Navy, Retired)
Crowe served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
the highest ranking officer in the U.S. military.
Prior to serving as Chairman, he served as Commander
in Chief in several areas, including the U.S. Pacific
Command, Allied Forces in Southern Europe, U.S. Naval
Forces in Europe and the Middle East Forces. He was
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1985 until
his retirement from the Navy in 1989.
"The current administration has an overly simplistic
view of how and when to use our military. By not
bringing in our friends and allies, they have created
a mess in Iraq and are crippling our forces around the
world. John Kerry has a realistic understanding of the
requirements of our military and the threats that we
face." - ADM William J. Crowe (USN, Ret.)
Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn (United States Navy, Retired)
Gunn served as the Inspector General of the Department
of the Navy until his retirement in August 2000. Gunn
commanded the USS BARBEY and the Destroyer Squadron
"Thirty-one," a component of the U.S. Navy's
Anti-Submarine Warfare Destroyer Squadrons. Gunn is
from Bakersfield, California and is a graduate of the
University of California, Los Angeles. He received his
commission from the Naval ROTC program at UCLA in June
1965.
"My son is a Navy sailor, my son-in-law is a Navy
sailor, and my nephew is a Navy sailor. I want them,
and all of America's sons and daughters in uniform to
have a new, wiser, better, and courageous
commander-in-chief in John Kerry." - VADM Lee F. Gunn
(USN, Ret.)
General Joseph Hoar (United States Marine Corps,
Retired)
Hoar served as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Central
Command. After the first Gulf War, Hoar led the effort
to enforce the naval embargo in the Red Sea and the
Persian Gulf, enforce the no-fly zone in the south of
Iraq. He oversaw the humanitarian and peacekeeping
operations in Kenya and Somalia and also led the U.S.
Marine Corps support for operations in Rwanda, and the
evacuation of U.S. civilians from Yemen during the
1994 civil war. Hoar was the Deputy for Operations for
the Marine Crops during the Gulf War and served as
General Norman Schwartzkopf's Chief of Staff at
Central Command. General Hoar was born in Boston,
Massachusetts and graduated from Tufts University
where he received his commission through the ROTC
program.
"Sen. Kerry has demonstrated his courage in combat and
his broad knowledge of international relations while
in the Senate. He's a leader who is not afraid to
lead." - GEN Joseph Hoar (USMC, Ret.)
Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy (United States
Army, Retired)
Kennedy is the first and only woman to achieve the
rank of three-star general in the United States Army.
Kennedy also served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Army
Intelligence, Commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting
Command, and as Commander of the 703d military
intelligence brigade in Kunia, Hawaii. She was born in
Frankfurt, Germany, and earned her commission as a
second lieutenant in June 1969 through the Women's
Army Corps.
"John Kerry understands the future as it is framed by
the international community and by the people at home.
He will make the right decisions about education,
defense, intelligence, economic development both
foreign and domestic, and sustaining international
relationships. He is a leader I trust." - LTG Claudia
J. Kennedy (USA, Ret.)
Lieutenant General Donald Kerrick (United States Army,
Retired)
Kerrick served as Deputy National Security Advisor to
the President of the United States where he was
responsible for developing, implementing, and managing
United States foreign and national security policies.
He was a principal negotiator on the international
Bosnia Peace Delegation that ended the Bosnian War,
and served on the Steering Committee for the
Protection of United States Critical Infrastructure.
Kerrick holds a Masters degree from the University of
Southern California and a Bachelors degree from
Florida Southern College. He was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Diplomacy from Florida Southern College.
Kerrick was born on April 1949 in Bethesda, Maryland
and was raised in Islamorada, Florida.
"The miscalculations of the last three years have
severely stressed our armed forces both around the
world and here at home. John Kerry understands the
military and war. He is the right leader at the right
time to restore America's credibility around the
world." - LTG Donald Kerrick (USA, Ret.)
General Merrill "Tony" A. McPeak (United States Air
Force, Retired)
McPeak served as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air
Force. Previously, McPeak served as Commander in Chief
of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces. He is a command pilot,
having flown more than 6,000 hours, principally in
fighter aircraft. General McPeak was born January 9,
1936 in Santa Rosa, California and entered the Air
Force in 1957 as a distinguished graduate of the San
Diego State College ROTC program.
"I'm a registered independent, but I like and admire
John Kerry. He simply has a great record of brave and
skillful service to the country. He is sure to be a
fine Commander-in-Chief, one we can all be proud of,
and proud to follow." - GEN Merrill "Tony" A. McPeak
(USAF, Ret.)
General John M. Shalikashvili (United States Army,
Retired)
Shalikashvili served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, the highest ranking officer in the U.S.
military. Prior to serving as Chairman, he served as
the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and also as the
Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. European Command. He
served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army
in Europe and during the first Gulf War in 1991,
assumed command of Operation Provide Comfort, the
relief operation that returned hundreds of thousands
of Kurdish refugees to Northern Iraq. Shalikashvili is
a naturalized U.S. citizen and was born in Warsaw,
Poland on June 27, 1936.
"I believe in John Kerry. As a young man, he heeded
his country's call to service when it needed him. He
commanded in combat and did so with bravery and
distinction. He knows from experience a commander's
responsibility to his troops. He stands with our
troops and with their families." - GEN John M.
Shalikashvili (USA, Ret.)
Admiral Stansfield Turner (United States Navy,
Retired)
Turner served as the Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency from 1977-1981. Previously, he
served in the U.S. Navy as Commander of the U.S.
Second Fleet and NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic. Turner
also served as the Commander-in-Chief of NATO's
Southern Flank, and as President of the Naval War
College. Before promotion to Admiral in 1970, he
served on destroyers off the shores of Korea and
Vietnam, and as executive assistant and naval aide to
two Secretaries of the Navy. A native of Highland
Park, Illinois, Turner received his commission from
the United States Naval Academy and was a Rhodes
Scholar.
"George Bush as the Commander-in-Chief has got us into
a morass in both Iraq and Afghanistan. John Kerry is a
true veteran, and would be a much better
commander-in-chief." - ADM Stansfield Turner (USN,
Ret.)
General Johnnie E. Wilson (United States Army,
Retired)
Wilson served as the Commanding General of the U.S.
Army Material Command, and was responsible for the
Army's wholesale logistics, acquisition and technology
generation operations. He was born on February 4, 1944
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and raised in Lorain, Ohio.
He entered the Army in August 1961 as an enlisted
soldier and retired n 1999 as a four-star general.
Wilson is one of just four African-Americans to earn
four stars in the U.S. Army's more than 200-year
history. Wilson held a wide variety of important
command and staff positions including Deputy Chief of
Staff for Logistics, and Chief of Staff of the U.S.
Army Materiel Command.
"Senator Kerry is a principled, patriotic leader with
the requisite skills to lead America in the 21st
century." - GEN Johnnie E. Wilson (USA, Ret.)
Paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
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/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/