So I took a one day reprieve from this thread because it was obvious that it was going to turn into a personal attack, which is to be expected in this place. There's an element of mob behavior, piling-on as Rockaction put it, that is very unseemly. I don't like to see anyone in here subjected to that kind of crap, never mind myself.
That being said, I don't regret one bit the harsh criticism I lobbed at Obama here. Tim makes a reasonable point that it's perhaps a bit unfair to levy the criticism before the "official" VJ Day that the US recognizes on September 2nd. But the fact remains that President Obama is the first President since at least 1975 (that's as far back as I went with my research) that hasn't at least made mention of VJ Day on or about August 14th and 15th, the days when most of the world recognizes as the end of WWII.
2005 - 60th Anniversary - President Bush recognizes VJ Day and the veterans in his first weekly radio address delivered after August 15th:
Next week, in Utah, I will also address the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention and thank the proud veterans who have given today's troops such a noble example of devotion and courage. At the end of the month, I will join our veterans and current service members in San Diego to commemorate the 60th anniversary of V-J Day, the day that ended World War II, the bloodiest conflict in human history.The veterans of World War II defended America when ruthless foes threatened our freedom and our very way of life. And after winning a great victory, they helped former enemies rebuild and form free and peaceful societies that would become strong allies of America. The World War II generation endured great suffering and sacrifice because they understood that defeating tyranny in Europe and Asia was essential to the security and freedom of America.
Like previous wars we have waged to protect our freedom, the war on terror requires great sacrifice from Americans. By their courage and sacrifices, today's soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and Marines are taking their rightful place among the heroes of history, and the American people are thankful and proud. In this war, many of these brave men and women have given their lives to defend their fellow citizens and to bring the hope of freedom to millions who have not known it. We owe these fallen heroes our gratitude, and we offer their families our heartfelt condolences and prayers.
Now we must finish the task that our troops have given their lives for and honor their sacrifice by completing their mission. We can be confident in the ultimate triumph of our cause, because we know that freedom is the future of every nation and that the side of freedom is the side of victory.
1995 - 50th Anniversary - President Clinton's staff holds a comprehensive informational briefing on VJ Day on August 11th, where a panel of Army Generals and historians chronicled the historical significance of VJ Day along with the plans for the upcoming commemoration. The briefing lasts almost an hour and a half.
1985 - 40th Anniversary - President Reagan's staff conduct a ceremony on August 14th on the aircraft carrier Enterprise, with speeches given by Vice President George Bush and Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. Also in attendance at the event were Secretary of State George P. Shultz; the White House staff chief, Donald T. Regan; Energy Secretary John Harrington; the national security adviser, Robert C. McFarlane; the media adviser, Patrick J. Buchanan; Navy Secretary John F. Lehman Jr., and generals and admirals commanding various elements of national defense forces.
All when you juxtapose this historical context with the incredible ceremonies in Britain on Saturday, where the 89 year old queen cut short her vacation to attend the event, despite an ISIS bomb plot I might add, you come away asking yourself what is the US doing to commemorate the 70th anniversary here? Well it's clear we aren't doing anything like Reagan or Clinton did around the August 14-15 date. And I guess that is understandable to a point. We are getting farther and farther from the actual VJ Day, and there are fewer veterans around who actually served during that period.
But not even a mention of it in Obama's weekly radio address? Not a single word? My first thought was, well, maybe Obama's not one for commemorating anniversaries in his radio address. But then you look at a log of his addresses, and they are filled with such commemorations. Take his last 4:
- Aug. 15 - commemorates the one year anniversary of Michael Brown (disgraceful I might add)
- Aug 8 - commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
- Aug. 1 - commemorates the 50th anniversary of Medicare / Medicaid
- July 25 - commemorates the five year anniversary of the Wall Street Reform Act
Look, I get the guy is a Liberal, and as the saying goes "to the victor goes the spoils". But optically it looks bad, and makes me long for the days of Ronald Reagan when guys like my Dad were so graciously honored for their service.
Not the end of the word, and perhaps it's even resulting from less nefarious motives, like an oversight from a White House staff that is likely not 100% on its game with vacation schedules and all.
And Tim and Rock - thanks for the kind words. Always appreciate you guys and what you bring to the table, even though we do seem to be at odds on most political issues. With regard to my Dad and his WWII service, he was a signalman aboard the Missouri. He was also born on Veterans Day which I always thought was neat. Lots of cool stories which we can talk about offline or in another thread. I am totally fascinated with the WWII generation.
