Hillary Clinton calls Bosnia sniper story a mistake

[Darius871]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
ZOMFG!!1 Teh REAL footage from Tuzla the vast right-wing conspiracy doesn't want you to see corroborating Sen. Clinton's story!

*bookmarked*

[DRoseDARs]

On a more serious note, a veteran who served at the Tuzla Air Base during then-First Lady Clinton's visit has come forward calling now-Senator out on her bs.

http://pennsylvaniaprogressive.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/bosnian-vet-acc.html

Bosnian Vet Accuses Hillary of Valor Theft

A veteran of Bosnia who was at the event in Tuzla where Hillary Clinton falsely claimed to have landed under sniper fire is accusing the Senator of theft of valor. As General Walter L. Stewart Jr. of the Pennsylvania National Guard said earlier today on a conference call, soldiers who actually have been in war zones and performed under fire deeply despise those who falsely claim such valor. They feel this way because it attempts to cheapen or make less, their real and actual valor.

The General pointed out "this wasn't an emergency resupply mission to the Alamo. If there had been any danger that mission wouldn't have landed."

Common sense tells us the First Lady and Chelsea would never have been put in harms way by our military. Hillary's tale of bravery and valor, because it was false, is finding resentment among those who actually did serve and Tammi K. (nee Jann) Hertherington who was at Tuzla when Senator Clinton landed is one. Here is her story.

Dear Sir,


I feel compelled to write to you in regards to Senator Clinton’s remarks regarding her visit to Bosnia.


I was present at the base in question when the First Lady visited and am intimately familiar with the situation on the ground at the time. It strikes me as beyond misstatement or clarity of memory for Senator Clinton to suggest that this visit in any way compares with the reality of those of us serving in theater experienced or presented a threat to her or her daughter.


As a service person in the US Army, I was deployed to Bosnia immediately after the Peace Accord was signed and served there for eleven months in 1996. I was there at Tuzla Air base when the First Lady visited, and there was no sniper fire or anyone running under cover. I saw both the First Lady and her daughter in our headquarters building (we called it the 'White House'). When I saw them in the lobby of our Headquarters neither her or her daughter had on the "Flak" vests which even we were required to wear at all times when not inside a building.


It was my fortune to be working in the Headquarter building as a Communications Specialist, and while I did go out to the ZOS (Zone of Separation) once and lived under "Full battle rattle" rules, I would never in any way compare my experience with those who daily risked their lives. That was the M.P.'s who went on daily missions trying to round up weapons and militant individuals who opposed the Peace Accord and the contract workers who aided the Multi-National forces in trying to rebuild the infrastructure (bridges, communication, water) that had been blown up. If, as I believe, it is improper for me to compare my involvement with those who took the bulk of the real risks it is even more improper for any visiting dignitary to compare their own for any reason, let alone for personal gain.


I am quite angry that what I and my fellow soldiers worked to achieve should be used as a playing card to build up a political nominee and tear down another. This is not what those of us who actually risked our lives were working for, we were trying to maintain a Peace Keeping mission in a country that had been ravaged by ethnic cleansing. To trivialize the atrocities suffered by the real people I met in that country for political gain is beyond my ability to comprehend. I met mothers who had lost their children and children who had lost their parents. The sheer leap of credibility that the First Lady would have brought her daughter into an active war zone is an insult to the people there who suffered more than real risk, they suffered real loss.


I did have contact with some of the general population on a daily basis. Many came to work for the Military in custodial capacities. Many carried all that they possessed in plastic bags every day. They brought their own food and cooked daily on little burner plates. I was constantly amazed at how upbeat and optimistic some of the people were in spite of things. It still is hard for me to think of Srebenica and all of the women who lost husbands, sons, and fathers because of religion and nationalistic fervor.


My father still works as a Civil Servant at WOMAK on Ft. Bragg, NC and a couple of years ago he met a Bosnian woman and her daughter, who had lived through the worst of it. They got to talking and found out that I had been over there and told him to tell me 'thank you' for what we had done. It still humbles me and chokes me up a little to know that even after all of these years there is appreciation for our past efforts.


I was simply a soldier doing my job in Bosnia and I believe in what we accomplished there. I do not either want to make of my service more than it was nor to denigrate those who served with me and those who lived through more than any of us. It seems to me that if I simply stand by while others “spin” their involvement for their own personal or political ambitions that I would be contributing to the slander of my fellows in arms and the people we were working to help in Bosnia, so I offer you my personal experience of the reality of the situation.


To verify my story I have included a copy of an commendation I received for service in the Bosnian theater during that period. It would be my honor to provide you more of my perspective if it would serve to deliver the truth to the American people.


Best Regards,



Tammi K Hetherington (nee Jann)

(formerly)

SPC

141 Signal Battalion, 22nd Signal Brigade, 1st Armored Division, US Army

Task Force Eagle

John Morgan on March 26, 2008 at 08:00 AM

Senator, you need to drop out of the race, NOW. If by some miracle of super-delegate monkey-neering you steal "win" the Democratic nomination, McCain will pwn you hard like the five jets he crashed over the course of his career.

[SlowwHand]

[DRoseDARs]

And she's doing everything possible to ensure that it isn't just her campaign that goes down like that this cycle, she wants to take the party with her.

[DRoseDARs]

Good God, she just CAN'T stop digging the hole deeper. Senator, shut up about Bosnia. She must absolutely love the taste of her foot...

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
And she's doing everything possible to ensure that it isn't just her campaign that goes down like that this cycle, she wants to take the party with her.

This is the same party that lost to shrub not once but twice, why would you have high expectations for any candidate pushed by their leadership?

What a parade of presidential wannabees: Gore. Kerry. HClinton. Obama.

Let's see, the dem choice is now between a liar (not that this should be a revelation to anyone) and a guy who goes to a racist church. Yippee.

Hill is lucky she's running for prez instead of Notre Dame head fball coach.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel
This is the same party that lost to shrub not once but twice, why would you have high expectations for any candidate pushed by their leadership?

That assumes both elections were clean. Neither was.

What a parade of presidential wannabees: Gore. Kerry. HClinton. Obama.

I voted for Nader as I felt Gore was tainted by Bill, I begrudingly voted for Kerry as my third choice, and politically both Clinton and Obama are good enough candidates but neither of whom I supported in Nevada's caucus. However I'm really souring on Clinton at this point.

Let's see, the dem choice is now between a liar (not that this should be a revelation to anyone) and a guy who goes to a racist church. Yippee.

She's the worst kind of politician: Career politician. And the "racist church" meme is so old, stale, and wrong I'm not even going to bother.

Hill is lucky she's running for prez instead of Notre Dame head fball coach.

She'd probably claim that she scored the winning touchdown at some point.

[SlowwHand]

I'll say it again, I would love to vote democrat. My family is traditionally democrat. Right now, I can't see me voting it. Who knows? Maybe McCain will be a 1 termer, while the democrats regroup.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
And the "racist church" meme is so old, stale, and wrong I'm not even going to bother.

Why am I not surprised?

She'd probably claim that she scored the winning touchdown at some point.

woosh

[PLATO]

This is where Hillary really shines and uses her vast experience to buru Obama...

The Clintons have prepared us for years to understand that they are going to continually lie to us...thus it is no big deal...we expected it.

Obama being a racist was, on the other hand, something no one anticipated.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel

woosh

It was too good to pass up. I don't hate her, but I'm not fond of her by any means.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by PLATO
Obama being a racist was, on the other hand, something no one anticipated.

Just like John Kerry was a war criminal and Al Gore suffered from Munchhousen?

[MarkG]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
ZOMFG!!1 Teh REAL footage from Tuzla the vast right-wing conspiracy doesn't want you to see corroborating Sen. Clinton's story!

awesome!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel

This is the same party that lost to shrub not once but twice, why would you have high expectations for any candidate pushed by their leadership?

Let's face facts here. Hillary has decided that if she can't win then she'll take the whole party down with her. What a selfish *****.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by Oerdin


Just like John Kerry was a war criminal and Al Gore suffered from Munchhousen?

Half right.

John F. Kerry self described war criminal. Al Gore not so much Munchausen (as I never thought him a psychosomatic) more a person afflicted with mythomania.