Wednesday, February 08, 2006
We don't need to honor any more rich white males
...offered by JamesoftheNorthwest, a sinner and extremist from Dar Al-Harb at 8:52 AM [+]
So says one member of the University of Washington Student Senate. And here is a picture of the rich white male this person was speaking of:
Gregory Pappy Boyington...graduate of the Univeristy of Washington (went to High School in Tacoma), winner of the medal of honor, shot down 28 enemy aircraft, was a prisoner of war for 20 months, and apparently does not - according to the student senate - deserve a memorial on campus. Apparently we are told that he "is not the type of person we want to honor" and some even went so far as to liken his duty in WW2 to murder. One of the biggest antagonists of the proposal was apparently the leader of the student Democratic Party. How sad.
This issue is particularly interesting to me because I personally knew Pappy Boyington, not so much as a friend, but as a regular visitor to the Chino Air Museum and Air Show. I met him on numerous occassions and thoroughly enjoyed his willingness to tell me stories about his experiences - and I must say it was HEAVEN to this young man who'd rather feel his way around a restored Corsair than hang out at the mall with his contemporaries.
Pappy was famous for once saying: "Just name a hero and I'll prove he's a bum." And he knew this from personal experience. Pappy's childhood wasn't easy and he and his mother had to work VERY hard to get him through school - he was no rich boy and neither did he live off government grants...personally I wonder if those students who "shot this memorial down" could remotely say the same? And he was a real human being who did not hide his faults, particularly with alcohol and marital problems. Like all heros, no one is a "super" hero. While Pappy could work hard, he could "play" hard too and landed himself in trouble from time to time. Here is a more detailed story...from the University of Washington oddly enough.
Also, clearly, the student who made the racist statement never met him because I will tell you that you could not mistake the Sioux in him. And while he did write a best-selling book (best selling authors are a dime a dozen), he was never really a rich man...rather he spent most of his last days wandering through Air Shows reliving the glory days, never in any grand luxury that I saw. He seemed a very nice man, who despite his personal problems did some extraordinary things to help defend freedom and defeat tyranny and injustice.
But, have our Washington youth revised history so much as this? To compare Boyington (or for that matter any of our WW2 vets) to murderers? What are these kids being taught today? They don't deserve those 20 months Pappy spent being tortured and beaten in a Japanese prison camp...they don't deserve any of what our grandfathers and grandmothers sacrificed to free Europe and the Pacific. Is it perhaps because those precious people are soon to be gone that we feel free to engage in leftist amnesia? I'm angry about this...how dare these snot nose, hemp-wearing, pot smoking, drum beating, dreadlock wearing, "gee when is the financial aid check going to arrive", brat kids diss Pappy Boyington?
Maybe REAL rich white guys ought to be offended (like Bill Gates and Paul Allen) and stop donating money to the UW and then the Student Senators will find they don't have the time to be in the student senate because they need to get themselves real jobs.
If any WW2 vets read this blog, please accept my apology on behalf of the University of Washington - and particularly thier ignorant student senate. We remember what you all have done. My kids will remember too.
+++
123 comments
123 Comments:
You have kind of highlighted the humor in multiculturalism. To the multiculturalist a man or woman's value depends on the color of their skin and sexual orientation. No wonder such people worry so much about racisim. It is because they are racists!
-Rick
By 
, at
10:15 AM
________________________________________________________________
Well, James I want to shake the hand that shook his hand. A giant of a guy, a hero. I just don't know where to start to comment on the brats at the UW. It's hard to think of a generation whose fathers didn't go through WWII, as mine did. TO think of people who don't know of the thousands of GI's who attended there on the GI Bill and made this state and country better (oh, and by the way, saved it from slavery). In addition, there are thousands of stories about men who didn't go to the UW. My uncle enlisted in the navy at 15 in 1922. He sent money home so my father and uncle could stay in school longer. Eventually my father was the only one of three to finish high school and complete college. He became a civil engineer, and eventually wrote the Lake Washington Plan to clean up the lake in the 1950's. This was the start of Metro. So the little sh**s at the UW could drink pure water, you know. Just some more white war mongers, my dad and his brothers. I can never be grateful enough to them. -- Bob K.
By , at
1:28 PM
________________________________________________________________
I heard about this on the radio this morning and I nearly popped.
But do you have a source for this? I've been trying to find one so I can address it on my blog, but I haven't had any luck.
By , at
5:40 PM
________________________________________________________________
hey, i grew up on BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP.
By 
seraphim/seattle, at
7:19 PM
________________________________________________________________
Rob, the senate minutes should be out in a month or two, so it seems.
Seraphim...me too. Funny, if you read the little story I linked to about Pappy you will see that former Black Sheep squandron members were pretty offended by the show.
By JamesoftheNorthwest, at
8:04 AM
________________________________________________________________
If Pappy had killed a couple cops instead of 28 Japanese fighter pilots, he'd probably have his own statue at Evergreen State College.
By , at
9:25 AM
________________________________________________________________
If Pappy had killed a couple cops instead of 28 Japanese fighter pilots, he'd probably have his own statue at Evergreen State College.
By , at
9:26 AM
________________________________________________________________
James, I found the minutes! You aren't going to believe this garbage:
http://senate.asuw.org/secretary/minutes/senate/12/02-07-2006.pdf
By , at
1:38 PM
________________________________________________________________
My Dad, who just turned 86, a surviver of the Bataan Death March, isn't long for this world either...Their generation was truly the greatest we've had, they did save the world from tyranny,and to hear an ungrateful crablouse like that say anything other than thankyou for saving my goatsmelling hindquarters from slavery makes me sick.
Kosmas
By , at
2:06 PM
________________________________________________________________
Kosmas,
By any chance is your father Tech Sergeant Lily?
The TSgt Lily I know was a Baatan Death march survivor, and he pretty much "adopted" my AFROTC unit at the UW. He even sang the Star Spangled banner for us at a Veteran's Day celebration in his uniform.
I know for sure that there is one building on the UW campus where everyone would stand up when he entered the room.
By , at
10:08 PM
________________________________________________________________
As a UW alum, current UW grad student, and a veteran I am triply offended. My apologies on behalf of the students who do not feel this way. Ignorance and hubris are a terrible thing.
________________________________________________________________
Briefly, I knew one of Pappy's pilots, Jack Quisenberry -- a nicer gentlemen you'd never find.
Apparently a pretty good flyer too.
But, what frosts me most is the simple fact that these so-called students (from the Socialist Sovier of Seattle) is that they'd probably be speaking German or Japanese if it were not for guys like Pappy Boyington's bunch.
Pretty sad.
By , at
12:07 PM
________________________________________________________________
I linked this over at my blog, too. I am literally beyond words- and anger- over this.
By Dan Spomer, at
12:41 PM
________________________________________________________________
Linked to you at my blog. Go Popeye!
By Liberal Larry, at
10:04 PM
________________________________________________________________
ljbjrvsyFirst and foremost, the students on this commitee (Jill Edwards and Ashley Miller) are in my opinion ignorant and uneducated. Karl Smith could use a good talking to as well.
These students are our future, and quite frankly, that scares the hell out of me. As a former Recon Marine, it hurts me to know that I would and did put my own life on the line for these snot nosed brats to express their ridiculous and out right stupid opions and actually have someone listen to it.
Secondly, where is the University Executives and staff to step in and say, "what the hell is wrong with you people" We are putting up the statue and that is that.
I thank God I am not on that campus to set them straight!!
________________________________________________________________
First and foremost, the students on this commitee (Jill Edwards and Ashley Miller) are in my opinion ignorant and uneducated. Karl Smith could use a good talking to as well.
These students are our future, and quite frankly, that scares the hell out of me. As a former Recon Marine, it hurts me to know that I would and did put my own life on the line for these snot nosed brats to express their ridiculous and out right stupid opions and actually have someone listen to it.
Secondly, where is the University Executives and staff to step in and say, "what the hell is wrong with you people" We are putting up the statue and that is that.
I thank God I am not on that campus to set them straight!!
________________________________________________________________
I hope you all learn to respect the equal right of all people to express their own opinions free of ridicul and hate. Your hate filled responses discourages open and through exchange of ideas, you should learn to live with your neighbors instead of casting them as devils and hating your neighbor.
By , at
5:04 PM
________________________________________________________________
You know, this is a really fascinating lesson. It's a lesson on taking comments woefully out of context and self-interested parties on campus seeking personal gain at the expense of the integrity of their peers. The minutes you see are at best a paraphrase of the comments made; you see but the statements and not the justifications behind them.
As an individual quoted in those minutes and in the end voted against this piece of legislation, I wanted to shared with you a few thoughts. First, I have a great deal of Pappy Boyington and I'm very thankful this resolution brought to my attention his experience and sacrifice. Had this been a resolution to express our admiration and honor him, this would have been a far simpler affair and would, in my estimation, have passed overwhelmingly. But this was about more than that. This piece of legislation asked us to support the creation of a memorial on campus; all else being equal I'd love to do that as well. But how do we decide who is deserving of such a commemoration and who is not? The University of Washington has MANY disinguished alumni, including other Medal of Honor recipients such as PFC. William K. Nakamura and John D. "Bud" Hawk, amongst others. We also are home to civil rights leaders such as Gordon Hirabayshi and a major contributor in the eradication of smallpox William Foege, and the Nigerian statesman who worked for peace Alex Ekwueme. How do we decide who is and is not deserving? I don't believe that's the role of the Student Senate, but it is certainly the role of the Student Senate to honor and acknowledge. I hope we see a future resolution to this end, for I am quite grateful for what Pappy Boyington did for our country.
Finally, though it may be unpopular here, I stand by my comments in support of removing the language regarding the Japanese planes shot down. In war, killing is a necessary evil. Because of this I am all the more grateful for those who endure the effects of war. But I do not believe our honor of him should focus upon the evil, regardless of how necessary. Instead it should focus on his heroism, courage, and all that he endured for his country.
In the end, my hope is to put the discussion and the decision in context. Though the vote is yes or no, the reasons for the particular vote varies greatly amongst senators. It is inaccurate to suggest that voting against this resolution is in any way seeking to disparage any veteran; as I mentioned, I hope to see a future resolution honoring him without asking that the Student Senate overstep its role.
Very Tuly Yours,
By , at
5:40 PM
________________________________________________________________
Karl Smith-we can read. "Jill Edwards said she didn’t’ believe a member of the Marine Corps was
an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce.
Ashley Miller commented that many monuments at UW already
commemorate rich white men." I don't think your "colleagues" have much integrity, or even understand the concept.
Anonymous "Your hate filled responses discourages open and through exchange of ideas, you should learn to live with your neighbors instead of casting them as devils and hating your neighbor." You could not be more wrong. I don't "hate" you or them, not hardly. What I feel for you is much worse than hate, I only feel contempt for someone with such a shallow understanding of both honor and sacrifice.
By , at
6:28 PM
________________________________________________________________
Just in response to Ralph, Karl specifically pointed out that all of the senators had their own reasons for their vote. He was simply saying that his was made for those reasons, which make a good deal of sense.
The other paraphrased individuals from the minutes simply go to prove that you can't lump all those who voted yay or nay into single groups of specific reasoning.
Those who proposed the legislation probably weren't trying to handpick one military alum to glorify the military and those who spoke against it probably weren't trying to point out the evils of veterans. Let's just believe the best in each other instead of constantly being on the attack.
By , at
8:55 PM
________________________________________________________________
The LEFTIST COMMUNIST state of Washington should change its name, because Washington was a rich white war hero. Washington is due for an earth quake, to likes of Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Muslim war hero nations. Your state needs cleansing, so bring on the earth quake. But don't send American military to rescue them. Let the libs rescue themselves. Judgement is due America, not just the left coast.
By TheGottwerthsinNJ, at
1:17 AM
________________________________________________________________
These people are living in a pseudo-utopian mix of silliness and kindred-country hatred. They need to get a real life, and they WILL once they get out of the mire of muck at these universities filled with left-wing hippie has-beens of the sixties, who are teaching them to be silly and go around with their heads screwed on backwards. Then when they get out and try to make a living they wonder why they can't adjust to the real world. These silly students want to "feel good" about themselves. You have to wonder if their parents dishing out the tuition funds know about all of this silliness their kids are involved with. I would yank mine out in a moment! As for Pappy Boynton, HE IS A HERO---AND THEY KNOW IT! He lives on in the history of our nation and in the hearts of true red-blooded Americans of this land. WHO REALLY NEEDS THESE SILLY KIDS WHO THINK THEY ARE DOING GOD AND MANKIND A FAVOR?!!!
~D.A. Donner~
By , at
5:05 AM
________________________________________________________________
Proves revisionist history is alive and well in our Politically Correct University. Sick.
Can anyone say????
Brainwashing 101 worked on these kids!!
Minutes of the PC racist meeting....
http://senate.asuw.org/secretary/minutes/senate/12/02-07-2006.pdf
By , at
6:18 AM
________________________________________________________________
A little insight into what is happening at colleges across the nation. I am 41, I attend a community college in AR. Recently my English teacher launched a tirade against the govt.I thought to remain silent, not make a wave, until she asked the class, for anyone who voted, to raise their hands. She proceeded to call everyone who either voted for Bush, or refused to protest against Bush, murderers. That the actions of our government and military were murder was more than I could let pass. My husband was killed during Desert Storm. Many of my family fought for this country bravely in the wars from WW two forward. My point is this: apparently what is happening in my classroom is occuring in classrooms across the nation. I wonder what happens when there is no older citizen with the gumption to stand up against the authority figure who is "teaching" the class? After years of being "taught" such, the kids who entered college leave less informed of our country's true heros than the day they arrived.
I hope that as people become aware of what is happening in the schools , they will take an active part in speaking up for what is sacred: the honorable service given by a few good men and women who are willing to risk the ultimate sacrifice for a greater good. God Bless the USA, and godspeed to those who are, and were willing to serve.
By , at
7:40 AM
________________________________________________________________
I found your BLOG when reading about the UW crap on WorldNetDaily.com
This is typical of todays worldly, self centered, multicultural, 'tolerant', 'Global Community' (I.E. One world government) mindset.
Remember, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Those who forget God (and country) are doomed to reap what they have sown. We are seeing this today all across Amerika (yes, that's a 'K').
I can only hope that those "God Bless America" types out there really understand the challenge, and responsibility, we have to save this nation.
"...and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."
[ 2Ch 6:37-39;]
Let us all repent and God WILL Bless America.
By , at
9:27 AM
________________________________________________________________
"This piece of legislation asked us to support the creation of a memorial on campus; all else being equal I'd love to do that as well. But how do we decide who is deserving of such a commemoration and who is not?"
Yeah, God forbid we should honor ANYONE, when so many others are so worthy. That would force us to make some kind of judgment! *gasp*
Better off choosing a more deserving individual with an appropriate physical handicap, proper socioeconomic level, correct political background, exciting sexual orientation, and the right skin color.
"Rich white guys" like Pappy need not apply.
________________________________________________________________
" The LEFTIST COMMUNIST state of Washington should change its name, because Washington was a rich white war hero. "
- Oh my, oh my. Don't suggest that or next thing you know I'll be living in Cascadia. We already have folks who want to change Mt. Raineer back to Mt Tahomoa (the native's name).
While you are at it, why don't you just give the natives back their land. In fact, why don't you all just go back where you came from!!!!
sigh....
basil
________________________________________________________________
I shall create and put a memorial to pappy boyington on my personal property. It will never be a proper replacement, but at least I know one exists.
Gregory
By , at
12:57 PM
________________________________________________________________
Did anyone catch the irony in reading of the minutes that there is evidently a 'Lincoln Brigade' memorial by the HUB building? So it's OK to honor an organization made up mainly of Communists fighting Fascists, but not an individual who also fought the same evil?
To have that monument, and then diss COL Boyington is even more outrageous...but sadly par for the course in today's PC world...
By , at
1:11 PM
________________________________________________________________
I, like James, met and talked with Pappy Boyington at the Reno air-races in Sept '87. At the time, he was dying of cancer and would be dead in less than four months. He was there at the races at one of the booths selling his book. Hardly the actions of a "rich white guy." Continuing to work right up to the end. A fine American and example for others.
By , at
2:06 PM
________________________________________________________________
It is no wonder that these young people feel as they do. One need only look at the activist professors who have infected our "halls of higher learning." They have taken the minds of spoiled, confused, young people and twisted them into believing that they are somehow "entitled" to democracy and freedom without earning it - or fighting to preserve that freedom.
Yes, they have a right to speak their minds - but they get that right because men like "Pappy" preserved that right for them.
Many, not all, but many of our young people today have no clue who they are or where they are going. They have lost their culture and with that they have lost their identity.
When another Hitler, Mussolini, or Stalin rises up will these same people who will not honor those who partook in the "evil of killing" the Nazi and Imperialist Japanese forces stand idly by while these same freedoms are lost to their children?
By , at
2:17 PM
________________________________________________________________
I am only a lowly veteran, so what i say may not get through to the people I wish to say this to. As far as all of this on UW Student senate not wanting to put up a memorial to Col. Boyington. Frankly I am appalled at this, that the people I tried to protect, as a member of the US military would show their ingratitude, to one of the men who, along with countless men, and women, have fought to keep this country safe. I have no quarrel with those who disagree for reasons of moral issue, within reason. If you don't agree, that's fine.
I remind those who liken the Colonel's service in the pacific, to murder of what George Orwell said . "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. "
To those who think it's murder to defend your friends, and your comrades from your enemy, I paraphrase a section from a few good men. :
'We live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep because of what we did in war, and you curse the military. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what we know. That what men like Boyington did, while tragic, probably saved lives. And that our existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down, you want us on that wall, you need us on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty to unit and country. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself further to people who rise and sleep under the blanket of the very freedom that we provide, then question the manner in which we have provided it, both presently and in the past. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way. "
By , at
3:16 PM
________________________________________________________________
What sad, insignificant people the naysayers must be.
Pappy Boyington, I salute you as a true hero of the United States.
A true Brit
By , at
4:22 PM
________________________________________________________________
As a Vet and the son of a Bataan survivor, I live watching the inhumanity the Japanese exercised against our soldiers sailors and flyers. 97% of the prisoners captured by the Germans in WWII came home. Less than 70% of prisoners of the Japanese came home. Pappy and the rest of the ex-POWS deserve our respect and prayers. These men (and women) gave up everything to defend our country so that people could criticise their heroic acts. Guess we fouled up somewhere.
By , at
5:59 PM
________________________________________________________________
Maybe we should have let the Japanese have the left coast and just said "Good riddance."
By Bill Faith, at
6:28 PM
________________________________________________________________
I am a Vet. I have lost the presence of a few souls in my travels due to service for this country. Through my experiences I have found brothers and sisters that prove that there are things worth fighting for.
Pappy and his generation paid heavier prices than most will ever be asked to pay again in this country. They did not ask for a memorial and did what was needed. It is just the way they were and lived their lives accordingly.
Any life taken in battle is another precious soul that can not brighten the world anymore. The dead bodies show the price that was paid by those willing to go while others "talked". All were people of action not wishes or day dreams.
No true warrior enjoys taking a life. It is just a sad part of war. Those who have taken an enemy life always remember. This is the burden they carry so others can sleep well at night. God will take care of all the souls when all is said and done.
Veterans like Pappy should be remembered. We as Americans do not like war or its hardships. The actions of a select few have kept the rest from knowing the true terror of war.
Take this action item and put on your grown-up pants. Act like adults and quit besmirching our heroes.
Build the memorial to acknowledge this debate was able to take place due to people like Pappy.
By , at
8:47 PM
________________________________________________________________
well once again we see the America detesting Socialists are proving that if they can obscure and distort our history long enough future generations will lose sight of the truth. Keep telling lies long enough, and they will be believed! . "Pappy" Boyington was and still is a hero. Despite the fact that some spoiled brats who take their liberty for granted fail to see the truth!
Reminds me that freedom tastes different and means more,for those who fought to secure it for us.
By , at
8:56 PM
________________________________________________________________
I never knew Pappy but I honor his memory. For a bunch of kids who never the horrors of war the way it was fought in both the Pacific and the Atlantic, they should just visit countries like Romania, Ukraine and see what socialism has done not just to those countries but many others. Pappy fought for the right and like the President of Hungary said, I don't understand why the Americans are rushing to socialism like they are when we fought for over 50 years to rid ourselves of the same. I think it's time the American people wake up smell the coffee and see what type of children we have produced.
To me he was not the only hero but one of many who fought for the rights these kids now reject. PITY!
By , at
4:59 AM
________________________________________________________________
Karl Smith is wrong to remove the reference to the 28 kills by Pappy. That was the extraordinary achievement that earned him the Medal of Honor. Without those kills, he would have just been another man driving a plane. With those kills, there were 28 fewer Japanese pilots to bomb and strafe so he ultimately saved an unknown number of American soldiers. There is no way to measure his impact on today's world but excellent "food for thought" is the movie "It's A Wonderful Life"...gives one pause to think...
By , at
6:24 AM
________________________________________________________________
It's sad enough that the heroes fighting today will probably never be recognized. It's even more sad that the true heroes of our history are are being forgotten (and disrespected). You wonder why history repeats itself.
By , at
6:28 AM
________________________________________________________________
Couldn't have been said better. I posted about this on anklebitingpundits.com and found that it wouldn't have been hard for Ashley Miller to educate herself about Pappy Boyington's history. It is, after all, posted on the school's own alumni website. That to me makes her insult particularly aggregious.
As a step-grandson of a D-Day vet(glider pilot), it is terrifying to think that there's a generation of kids going through school that are so completely ignorant and devoid of actual knowledge of history that it would lead them to slap the memory of a true war hero, especially when it wouldn't have taken but a few minutes to read an online biography of the man in question. Shame on you, Ms. Miller!
By , at
7:28 AM
________________________________________________________________
Perhaps you should spend more time studying and less time calling others ignorant.
I don't suppose you see the ingnorance in this:
"....and particularly thier ignorant student senate"
By , at
7:37 AM
________________________________________________________________
I'm new here, and got here through Michelle Malkin's site. I'd like to comment on one thing in particular that always strikes me when the brainwashed spout this garbage. They always say something like, "I'm morally opposed to war!". Well, who the hell isn't morally opposed to war. I don't know that anyone thinks that war is a good thing. However, sometimes it is necessary, and that means killing people. I suppose that "I'm morally opposed to war!" would be a great comfort to one of these people if they were the ones under attack, or had secret police showing up to drag them off and torture them in the middle of the night.
By , at
7:42 AM
________________________________________________________________
There is a silver lining to all this. I'm making a list of all the schools to keep my dauthter out of, and Wa U just made the list. As a side note, something tells me Col. Boyington wouldn't want to be remembered by such a pack of equivocating troglodytes as appears the student body of his old school has become. Let them build a memorial to Pol Pot, Stalin, Jack The Ripper or some other fellow traveler. And from now on, as en employer, any CV that comes across my desk listing Wa U under the education heading goes right in the shredder.
By , at
7:42 AM
________________________________________________________________
This has been building for over 40 years -- I was at UW c.1970 and it was a bolshevik's paradise -- Berkeley North -- -- when I was young I heard people say that far back east the UW had a commie repetation as far back as the 1920's >> -- this crap dribbled out into the K-12 schools through the 60's 'til all the old generation of teachers were gone - over 20 years ago -- these crap heads are mental toast -- just read and re-read the warped - "My panties are all knotted up" crap written by the "fascinated" Karl Smith --
By , at
7:43 AM
________________________________________________________________
Perhaps you should spend more time studying and less time calling others ignorant.
I don't suppose you see the ingnorance in this:
"....and particularly thier ignorant student senate"
By , at
7:46 AM
________________________________________________________________
What' your point? That he called the actually ignorant student senate, ignorant?
I mean, according to Merriam-Webster:
Ignorant:
ig·no·rant
Pronunciation: 'ig-n(&-)r&nt
Function: adjective
1 a : destitute of knowledge or education [an ignorant society]; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified [parents ignorant of modern mathematics] b : resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence [ignorant errors]
I don't know, it looks to me like the student senate is ignorant of the sacrifices made by our soldiers in WWII.
By , at
8:00 AM
________________________________________________________________
What is the point? Those who call others ignorant, should learn how to spell first.
Is that a good enough hint or are you ignorant?
By , at
9:30 AM
________________________________________________________________
I'm a UW student, and a former Air Force officer preparing to return to Active Duty.
Please know that not ALL UW students feel this way. While I can understand (but don't necessarily agree with) Karl Smith's point about the difficulty in deciding which of UW's outstanding grads to honor, I have a much harder time accepting Ms. Edwards' and Ms. Miller's comments.
Even though at least one of the accounts I read mentioned that these young ladies were speaking "as individuals and not as representatives", they need to understand that by virtue of their elected positions on campus, what they say WILL be understood as being representative of UW students.
Let me unequivocally state that they do not speak for me in this case.
I am deeply ashamed that one of MY student senators would claim that "a member of the Marine Corps was [not] an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce." I wonder if Ms. Edwards reserves this sentiment for other graduates of UW ROTC? I have served with several graduates of AF ROTC Det 910 and without fail have found them to be not only fine military officers, but exceptional PEOPLE.
As for Ms. Miller, she would do well to remember that "rich white men" sometimes make large donations to universities. As a student senator, she has influence over the public image of the university - and whether it is an institution people feel good about supporting with financial contributions.
By , at
9:32 AM
________________________________________________________________
I too got here from Michelle's site. And I find the comment from Lee Dunbar: "Jill Edwards made here statements as an individual, and it should not be assumed she speaks for all students." particularly interesting in view of the MSM's contention that the minute you become a politician, *anything* you say or do becomes fair game.
She is a member of the Student Government. If we apply the MSM standards, any comment she makes during an official Student Government meeting represents the view of the Student Government.
You can't have it both ways.
By , at
9:38 AM
________________________________________________________________
Karl D. Smith had some good points, but "Let's honor more than one" isn't quite enough reason to stop such a memorial: you end up with a generic `lots of good people were here` plaque.
A couple of commentors on various posts say that the guy who introduced the idea is a bit of a flake, and that he was woefully unprepared. That was probably a contributing factor, too.
Would it help to inform Ms. Edwards that Pappy also (laughing) claimed to be a Japanese ace, destroying at least five of the junkers he flew under Chennault in China before he wangled a way into the Corps…
________________________________________________________________
I did something I don't normally do - sent an email to the senator leaders an UW Pres.
__________________________________
Hi guys. I just finished reading the minutes of your meeting on the Pappy dedication, and must say, I'm pretty much speechless. I'm not speechless because of the insults to the military. That's pretty much an expected thing from the liberal students. I'm speechless because I can't believe your some of council, as student leaders, said probably the dumbest things I've ever heard in a public forum. Your council is now a globally known example of how to say something really stupid - without an ounce of knowledge on the subject - and making your university look just as bad in-turn.
First, pass a word to Ashley Miller that Mr. Boyington is a SIOUX indian, not a "rich white man". Thanks for putting another post-pubescent bruise on the historic work of our civil rights leaders. I'm sure they will be proud of her comment. If not, I'm confident most have a high desire to rise from the grave. She deserves one of those "foot in mouth awards" you see on late night TV.
Second, your council is due congratulations on making history. I will mark down that this was the day our veterans were (un)officially labeled "baby killers". No, Jill Edwards never said those exact words, but the rest of the world certainly took it as such.
Third, on a more personal note, let me pass to you the disgust I feel as a veteran. Aside from hanging a large virtual sign in front of your campus saying "VETERANS NOT WELCOME HERE", your leaders have added additional credibility to the case that veterans will continue to pull your weight on top of our own when dealing with a dangerous world.
When will your fellow students understand that in most of this world, they are hated with no regard to life, or property, or really anything at all? Not because they are American, but because they are different in (insert reason here). Pick any reason, it doesn't matter. These people want to chop you and every other western world person into little bloody squares because some psychotic religious leader told them Allah wants them to.
I really wish I could transmit to Jill Edwards or Ashley Miller the picture memories of Kurdish torture rooms where prisoners scribbled (in arabic) "I love you" to their wives and children with whatever they could find. We think they locked them up until they starved to death, but couldn't tell. Or... how I felt seeing the bones of what we thought were Kurdish children, scattered throughout the soil of a shallow field. You see, they were little bones - a little arm bone here, a little leg bone there, tossed up by our trenching machines. No one really knew because there were no witnesses, no records, and we were pretty much used to seeing it by then.
I never thought I would break down and sob in a war zone, but this was the exception. I held it in, keeping a straight face, and found a nice private place behind a building to cry like a frikken baby.
But I can't transmit to you those memories, which in true honesty, were only about 1% of what our Army brothers and sisters were dealing with - every day for a year. I was only there for a couple of months before moving on to other locations, but had seen enough.
I was considering graduate work in engineering at UW, but it will be a cold day in hell after reading those minutes. I'll go elsewhere - I'm not welcome.
(An AF Reserve Captain happy to be home)
By , at
10:22 AM
________________________________________________________________
If you read to the end of the meeting minutes, you'll note that the following activities are being promoted:
go cart racing, poetry slam, drag show, human rights film fest, honors croquet league, the privilege game, vagina monologues, innocence project northwest and an ACLU meeting
With all these heady activities taking place around campus, how can you blame the Senate members for not having the time or enthusiasm to approve a memorial to Pappy?
By , at
10:58 AM
________________________________________________________________
"What is the point? Those who call others ignorant, should learn how to spell first.
Is that a good enough hint or are you ignorant?"
Ahh, I see, a spelling troll. How original.
By , at
11:28 AM
________________________________________________________________
Those infantile brats would not have the FREEDOM to make complete jerks of themselves, were it not for men like PAPPY.
Thanks, however, for bringing this to my attention. I remember the television show, but reading the information on your site about him was very informative and useful. I've also forwarded a link to your site to some teacher friends of mine IN Washington State. I think they would both be VERY interested in this foolishness!
By Gayle Miller, at
12:17 PM
________________________________________________________________
Those silly liberal, clueless children of the UW "senate" are absolute WORTHLESS SACKS OF PUSS.
"Pappy" is still a HERO regardless what these slimeballs do or say.
They will certainly never amount to anything by discrediting and trashing the accomplishments of others.
They should be ashamed of themselves and their parents should be disgusted that their children are so ignorant.
To HELL with UW.
By , at
12:27 PM
________________________________________________________________
If it hadn't been for people like PAPPY and other members of the molitary in WW2 we would be speaking German or Japansee now instead of ENGLISH. Those children were sure raised with different values than mself or my children. They need their asses spanked then some more HISTORY classes.
By , at
1:07 PM
________________________________________________________________
I once meet Pappy at the Oshkosh Fly-In during the 80's. I bought his book, he gladly signed it for me. I shook his hand. We chatted briefly. He let me take his picture. That book is one of my treasures, as is he to this country. Our men and women in uniform gladly serve and die so our students have this right to speak their mind. Let's keep that thought in perspective.
By , at
1:23 PM
________________________________________________________________
Stupidity does not begin to cover this travesty. Nor does ignorance (which by the way, spelling troll, you misspelled several times in your worthless posts; consult a damn mirror for your complaints) convey the anti-Americanism that undergirds it. Yes, you wannabe Bolshies, YOU are anti-Americans, anti-freedom; PRO-fascists... or is it protofascists? Hmm, something for you citizens undeserving of the precious gifts from better men than you could ever hope to be to consider while devouring the bounty and freedom you had no hand in creating or defending but promise so blythly to destroy. I am hot. This is as vicious a slap in the face as any true American should bear. A Marine, generically, is not the "sort" of person this putrid swamp of Commie bile should be proud of? Shame, shame, shame on all who would speak, endorse or swallow such filth. If half of what you ingrates claim is even POSSIBLE you would be well justified in starting your little revolution. Strap on a pair and put your asses where your mouths are. Boyington did. Are you one thousandth the man he was? No, you are not.
By megapotamus, at
2:09 PM
________________________________________________________________
Some thoughts to consider:
How many Concentration Camp survivors asked a liberating American Soldier how many Germans they killed to reach a camp and set them free?
For some members of the UW Student Senate:
Please read "Into the Rising Sun" for first hand accounts of what Japenese Soldiers did to captured American Soldiers, or how they treated the bodies of the dead American Soldiers they encountered in the jungles. Then determine if your criticism of Pappy for shooting down a mere 26 Japanese aircraft is justified.
By , at
2:23 PM
________________________________________________________________
Ridiculous! One can easily see where there interests and priorities lie by reading the last page (Announcements) from the above referenced ASUW Senate meeting minutes:
GLBT drag show, ACLU meeting, a croquet match, The Vagina Monologues, a poetry slam. . .
and they're complaining about rich white guys?! They're obviously not working their way through college or they wouldn't have time for all that CRAP!
________________________________________________________________
Who isn't morally opposed to war?!
Well, to be perfectly blunt . . . I'm not.
I'm not opposed to surgeons that must remove a malignant cancer from a body in order to save a life, so why would I be opposed to soldiers removing the cancer of Facism, Communism, Jihadism or Imperialism from the body of our world?
Some cultures are superior to others. A neccessary but not sufficient condition to be a superior culture is superior fire power, and the willingness to use said fire power in defense of your culture.
I'm sorry to be so honest about this, but I am as grateful to our military as I am to the surgeon who saves a life. Indeed, more so because surgeons don't risk life and limb, but our military does.
Calling war "immoral" is like calling law enforcement immoral. The simple truth is that, like a gun, war can be used to accomplish good, or evil. Is is the PURPOSE of a war that is evil (the Japanese purpose was to conquer, then exploit, the American purpose was to defend, and then to give freedom).
Sadly, leftist universities no longer have classes in ethics and morality, and it is literally blasphemy to question the assertion that "war is immoral!"
By , at
3:54 PM
________________________________________________________________
I joined the military at age 19 in 1978. I took an oath to defend this country, and that meant all of this country. I did not get to pick and choose who I got to protect. So no matter how vile your attacks on me and those who served before me and after me you can rest peacefully because we have and will continue to protect you and your ignorant attacks on us. Just remember this, those of you who will not honor this great man because of hate, ignorance, stupidity or all three, you are small people, not small in stature but small in mind and in your attacks you try to make small those whose boot soles you could not touch if you stood on tip toe on the tallest mountain in the world, and in your attacks you have made yourselves look even smaller. So sleep soundly tonight while Orwell's "rough men" protect you and your right to attack the very people who protect you.
By , at
4:49 PM
________________________________________________________________
Many years ago I met Pappy at an airshow in CA; shook his hand and bought his book which he was pleased to sign. I thank God for those who serve in our military and feel nothing but disgust for the liberal "educators" who are so good at brainwashing our youths. Why any freedom-loving American would make a donation to a school such as UW I will never understand. The school I donate my money to believes in and teaches its students the values lived by the founders of our United States of America. I hope that the students on this committee will make a sincere and open-minded effort to "see the other side of the coin" and will not reject out-of-hand the comments made in most of the posts here, including mine. Sorry to hear that Pappy is gone - Jim B.
By , at
9:45 PM
________________________________________________________________
" Perhaps you should spend more time studying and less time calling others ignorant.
I don't suppose you see the ingnorance in this:
"....and particularly thier ignorant student senate"
By Anonymous, at 7:46 AM "
Even Anonymous needs to learn to spell, don't you think? Actually, fingers probably got on the wrong keys for both parties. :) But, he had to have something of which to complain.
________________________________________________________________
To karl d. smith:
While I understand what you are saying, I don't see a problem. "You improvise. You adapt. You overcome." Why not change the Memorial to encompass the shortcomings with the project you currently perceive? Why not have a Memorial that has at the top some opening words befitting men of such honor? Then have bronze plaques or a frieze of all UW's WWII Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. Then underneath each image, the pertinent parts from each citation. Then underneath the standard words that call the actions cited as being "above and beyond the call of duty." [Allow room for expansion to include other UW Medal of Honor recipients, both before WWII and after.] In Maj. Boyington's case, you have his citation to redact: "For extraordinary heroism and valiant devotion to duty as commanding officer of Marine Fighting Squadron 214 in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Central Solomons area from 12 September 1943 to 3 January 1944. Consistently outnumbered throughout successive hazardous flights over heavily defended hostile territory, Maj. Boyington struck at the enemy with daring and courageous persistence, leading his squadron into combat with devastating results to Japanese shipping, shore installations, and aerial forces. Resolute in his efforts to inflict crippling damage on the enemy, Maj. Boyington led a formation of 24 fighters over Kahili on 17 October and, persistently circling the airdrome where 60 hostile aircraft were grounded, boldly challenged the Japanese to send up planes. Under his brilliant command, our fighters shot down 20 enemy craft in the ensuing action without the loss of a single ship. A superb airman and determined fighter against overwhelming odds, Maj. Boyington personally destroyed 26 of the many Japanese planes shot down by his squadron and, by his forceful leadership, developed the combat readiness in his command which was a distinctive factor in the Allied aerial achievements in this vitally strategic area."
Like I said, I don't see the problem here, I see a miserable excuse of a justification.
By , at
4:12 AM
________________________________________________________________
Ignorance is bliss.. at least according to the UofW student senate. My degree didn't come from this University in Washington State, but I do feel very sorry for the damage a small group of people created.
By , at
1:18 PM
________________________________________________________________
I've pesonally met a Japanese pilot who was shot down by Pappy Boyington. This man was selling his personal memoirs at the Puyallup Gun Show. He had nothing but admiration for Maj. Boyington's skill as a pilot and integrity as a human being. Apparently, that's not enough for our vaunted U of W.
"Mac" McLachlin
CW4 U.S. Army Retired
By , at
7:08 PM
________________________________________________________________
Althought I think that the student government members at the UW are a pack of ignorant jerks who have assailed every vet past-present-future, I don't think Boyington was deserving of such an honor in the first place. He was not the great hero everyone believes him to be. Read Bruce Gamble's book "Black Sheep One" for some real insight into his escapades. If the UW wants to honor an alumni vet I would suggest B/G Bob Galer USMCret. dec'd. He commanded VMF-224 on Guadalcanal, was a double ace, a Medal of Honor awardee, flew combat again in Korea where he was shot down and evaded capture and was an engineering grad of the UW. He was everything Boyington wasn't.
By , at
9:16 PM
________________________________________________________________
Does "Anonymous" mean you don't have the balls to leave your name behind your statemwnts of belief?
Or just that you have no balls?
By , at
10:01 PM
________________________________________________________________
Mr. Mac,
Anonymous means nothing except I hit publish before I signed my name. I note that others you signed anonymous didn't raise your ire. Perhaps because they agreed with you.
The Japanese pilot you're referring to is Mike Kawato and he wasn't shot down by Boyington but claimed to be the pilot who shot Boyington down. This was a lie and he tried to use Boyington's fame to push his story and book which he renamed 'Bye Bye Blacksheep" from the original name of "Flight Into Conquest". Most every claim Kawato made about his combat career has been proved not true by noted Japanese/American aviation historian Henry Sakiada. Has for Boyington, are you interested in the truth or the "Black Sheep Squadron" TV show version. What do you actually know about the man that doesn't come from the TV show or his book? Read Bruce Gamble's biography and do some indeapth research I dare ya!
Jack Cook
x-AO1 (AC-AW) USN
By , at
11:37 PM
________________________________________________________________
Just another example of the over funded under-eduacated rich kids that will be entrusted with our nations future. By the time these youngsters in our countries state financed college systems figure it out, they'll be to far indebted to their masters to do nothing more than power down a few more martinis an play another round of croquet. If your gonna tread on your alumni for being war mongers, why not go for the prize. I'd like to see the U.W. senate diss on the late Senator Henry M. Jackson, who also served in WW II. Along with being a key proponent of environmental preservation, Senator Jackson championed the decision to base our pacific strategic missile submarines in Bangor and the Everett carrier port. And one of those subs, that can boast 144 independantly targetable nuclear weapons, was later named after him. Why does this matter you ask, I dont like to have kids pick an choose who should be honored on the basis of a couple of years of indoctrination from professors and interns that have been in school all their life. If your gonna diss on heroes, atleast be consistent. By slamming Major Boyington, you slamned me and my grandparents, all who are U.W. graduates. Is the U.W. senate trying to say that my grandfather who helped design the LST that took the fight to the enemy beaches, is a war criminal. He got his engineering degree at the U.W. and went on to the corps of engineers to build stuff to effect the end of the war. If your gonna hate, you better be consistent, or maybe you rather be speaking german now. one of the greatest moments in my life was to be able to take a flight on a restored B-17 bomber that had bombed Germany in the war. To be up in that aircraft an get a small taste of history, was inspiring. To think of the kids who had to go up into combat every third day in that tin can boggled my mind. And to have the same kids today crap on their memory makes me understand why people hate America so much. We've become a bunch of spoiled brats
By , at
12:49 AM
________________________________________________________________
I've met someone a lot like Pappy. He was a man in his mid 80's that came to our small town slop house for a beer every afternoon. I was fresh out of the Marines with no job, so I had a lot of time for drinking in the early afternoon when he came. He told me he "soldierd for the corps" for 4 years in the south pacific as an infantryman. I'm willing to bet he killed a lot more Japs than Pappy or any other fighter ace for that matter. He told me quite a few stories that would qualify him as a hero in my book. I don't really have a point to my story, sorry. I'm willing to bet that most World War 2 vets, the ones that really fought, could give two shits about what college kids monumentalize on their campuses. The one I knew was too busy watching the weather channel and drinking cold tap beers. I feel honored to have met him
By , at
5:04 AM
________________________________________________________________
Sorry, but after looking into this I have to say that it seems everybody has gotten this way wrong - apologies are in order and people should be commending what the UW students were trying to do - and might very well still do, despite the acid many posters here are throwing at them for the stupid and childish statements some of them made.
After taking a look at what Karl above has had to say as well as the minutes of the decision, what is obvious is that the UW students on their own initiative seriously considered and nearly decided to recommend to the administration that the U put up a memorial for one of the several UW alums who have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
At a time when there must be a fair degree of sentiment on the UW college campus against the Administration's decision to use the military to implement foreign policy goals, the strong vote in favor of the resolution (which failed to pass by merely one vote - after a 45-45-10 tie) should be seen as a clear and deeply meaningful sign of how most of the UW student body leaders have been able to separate support and appreciation for the sacrifices of our troops from any disapproval that may be felt with governmental policies.
It seems that despite strong support for the resolution that it was basically tripped up over misgivings about a number of pragmatic issues, such as why the students should, on an ad hoc basis, request a memorial just for Boyington when no memorials in place or being proposed for UW's four other Medal of Honor recipients, no memorials were being proposed for a host of other highly-esteemed UW alums, whether there was sufficient campus space for this and other such memorials, and probably other issues such as whether alot of memorials are the best use of limited funds and whether the resolution would be sufficiently persuasive to get the administration to take favorable and timely action.
I hope that the resolution will be redrafted to propose a memorial for Boyington and other UW Medal of Honor winners, which would avoid the potential disservice done by limiting the memorial to just one of them and should have a better chance of earning the support of a majority of the senate and, ultimately, the backing of the UW administration.
Those of you in favor of this should make a visit to the US student senate blog and encourage them to finish what they started - approving a suitable memorial for UW's alums whose service to our country was recognized by the Medal of Honor.
http://senate.asuw.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
________________________________________________________________
The arabs have locked-up the east coast maybe UW folks can reccommend the sale of the west coast ports to China or Japan. HELL! Maybe Bush hasn't thought of that yet.
By , at
2:04 PM
________________________________________________________________
What I read of the proposed monument text, said Boyington 'destroyed... aircraft'. It made no mention of killing. Removing the phrase of destroying aircraft because it glorifies 'killing'... is a lame excuse, and politically oversensitive. Just maybe try to commemorate all those UW'ians who serve, MOH winners if you choose, and... (especially those who object) try -not- to offend them, while doing so, hmmm? Think before you speak in a public capacity? They 'serve' far more than you do.
By , at
4:16 PM
________________________________________________________________
text is a pretty color but unreadable. i suggest more contrast.
By , at
5:51 PM
________________________________________________________________
That Squadron did serve a purpose, and they all should be commended for what they did. But, Pappy was not a very diciplined marine, and i don't feel he is an example of a Marine Officer. I loved the corsairs though.
you can see replicas of them at www.showplacecollectables.com
I always loved air power, and tanks.
By , at
10:37 PM
________________________________________________________________
I have found this discussion to be profoundly interesting. While reading the minutes of the Student Senate I found that although the reporting of this incident to be misleading in part it is also quite accurate in part.
While some of the discussion was practical and thoughtful other bits of it were inane and insulting. While two of the young ladies seemed to have no idea of what they were discussing and its importance one young man did but displayed the naivete that the soldiers in a "controversial war" were less deserving of honor than those who were soldiers in WWIIl.
As a physician of 20 years I have had the honor to care for a gentleman who was in the 82nd airborne in WWII and was a veteran of paratrooping into Normandy on the night before the invasion, the Battle of the Bulge and the battle for the Bridge at Nijmegan; another who was a Ranger on D-day and landed the night before the invasion by riding a rubber raft with an electric motor from two miles out to take a bridge before the invasion; a man who was a Chaplain on Normandy beach and described by the his commander on the day of his funeral as "the bravest man I ever knew"; a man who fought for 3 years in the Phillipines and was awarded 4 Purple Hearts, and a man who was on Hamburger Hill in South Vietnam. Those are the men I know about. Each of these men are honorable good men who are productive citizens of this country and each of them would have preferred to have never entered battle. To imply that veterans of WWII are due greater distinction than any other veteran who has fought honorably in any war for our country is egregious.
Although I believe all veterans should hold a place of honor in our society, I don't have an opinion as to whether this particular memorial should be erected, and the naive attitudes of the "educated elites" from the "left" coast believing they are appearing sophisticated and enlightened are not unexpected. The idea that "not killing" is a leftist value however is absurd. The "leftist" governements and political operatives of such are the most guilty of mass murder in the history of the world. Even greater than that of the fascist governments in WWII.
Refusal to acknowledge that war and killing are unfortunately necessary at times is not "leftist" thinking. It is "stupid" thinking. Believing that using discipline or force to confront any evil is wrong, is characteristic of the "passivise" and supposedly "enlightened" values of the self appointed elites. It is actually a sign of cowardice and a personal lack of the discipline necessary to deal with the unpleasant aspects of our world.
By , at
12:32 PM
________________________________________________________________
I read with great interest and disgust the article about Gregory "Pappy Boyington. Jill Edwards and Ashley Miller the two student senators at the University of Washington must be crack smoking, snotty little rich kids. Who in their right mind would show such blatant disrespect for one of our country's greatest patriot's? I am so appalled by these girls ignorance that I would like to see them expelled from U of W for being so mindless. It is assumed that people go to college because they posess some intelligence and that they are there to obtain more. These two need to go back to grade school and learn about respect and history before going any further. I wonder how these two brats would like to be in a country where they would be forced to learn certain things or have their heads lopped off.
-Ron war veteran
By , at
4:28 PM
________________________________________________________________
i would like to know how anyone could call "Pappy" a rich white guy he was part sioux,plus came from a not so well to do family.maybe these kids could read up on their subject before running their mouths
By , at
6:00 AM
________________________________________________________________
To all of you who act shocked at the attitude of a few students at this university, you either must be young, or oblivious. My father took his air wing to Viet Nam when I was in high school, and the student equivalent of the time tarred him and the rest of our serving forces as immoral for doing their duty.
When I was in college, I joined the NROTC, not because I was in danger of being drafted in the lottery, but because I had always known I owed my country a duty to serve. A moral position on my part, if you will. But the "left" even then was unable to practice "diversity and tolerance" as to other's moral stances, when they knew that only they had the moral right of it. And I guarantee you, from personal experience, that Princeton at that time made Washington University look conservative.
This elitism of the "left" is nothing new. A sampling of Kipling will show that contempt for the military among prosperous civilians is not unique even to our time. I'd bet Roman centurions were dissed by some of the Senators even then . . .
When I took my oath, it was to uphold and defend the Constitution, and I don't remember anything in it saying I was exempt from sophomoric world views. I defended the right of the students of my day to burn the flag, even as I vehemently disagreed with their position.
I didn't know Pappy Boyington, but I knew my father, also a WWII and later Naval aviator, and I knew a great many men who served bravely and with distinction. I did not know any who felt cheated because they had no individual memorial, but many who would have liked to have seen those they served with honored.
I suspect that if asked, Col. Boyington and his compatriots would like to think that what they, their predecessors in arms and those who followed would be recognized as valuable to our society. But I bet they would have still done their duty even if they knew that some student cocooned in school would deride them later.
In rereading this, I realize that it rambles aimlessly, but I do want to make the point that even in the Viet Nam/post-Viet Nam era, which many who experienced both said was even worse than the Korean experience, ingratitude and a "holier than thou" attitude has been around a long time. There is more to this country than the coasts, though, and the majority of our citizens respect the honor and sacrifice of all types of service. A few ivory tower undergraduates are not worth getting het up over.
By , at
8:54 AM
________________________________________________________________
I would like to speak to anyone with information on Pappy Boyington.
He is my husbands great great uncle or something like that.
Please email me at gmboyington@yahoo.com
Thank you,
Michelle Boyington
By gmboyington, at
2:34 PM
________________________________________________________________
It is a sad fact that to many young minds have been indoctrinated into the "everything is Americas fault" group that is so prevelent on university campuses lately, the latest from UW just goes to underscore that fact. However they are not the future of America, the future of this country is those brave men and women who serve our country now, and those that truly support them. Take hope, every generation produces greatness you just have to cut through the PC BS to see it
By , at
5:30 PM
________________________________________________________________
I wonder if they will put up a monument to the Japanese soldiers who orchastrated the death march, or maybe they will honor those that ran the Nazi death camps. I wonder how the guys at the bottom of the Arizona or Oklahoma feel about these so called educated individuals. George Boyington put his life on the line so these morons could make the kind of statments they are now and wonder if any of them would even have the courage to stand up for a belief that gives them the freedom to take the actions they are now. Probably not. Get a grip on history and how it repeats itself.
By , at
7:41 PM
________________________________________________________________
Sounds like these students follow the teachings of enlightened pacifists--Jesus, Gandhi, Dr King, Einstein-- who taught us that war is neither heroic nor necessary.
The pioneers of a warlees world are the men and women who refuse military service.Albert Einstein
Blessed are the peacemakers. Jesus of Nazareth
By , at
1:32 AM
________________________________________________________________
Although I graduated college 20 years ago, I still work with recent college grads who are of the current, left-wing train of thought. It's always amazing to me the arguments and ideas they come up with.
What I find sad is that they don't usually get a "real world awakening" after college. They often find others of like mind and sit around in their cubes, discussing their revised history and how Bush is evil.
Some prime examples: One said he wanted to put the American flag on the bottom of his shoe so he could walk on it, and when someone who claimed to be "proud" of America came by, he could hold his foot up and stick it in their face. Another gave a dissertation to his comrades on how you can only have freedom of religion if there is freedom FROM religion.
I know that Jill Edwards and her ilk will get along fine after college, because America is becoming infested with their way of thinking. We will soon have another Clinton running for office who probably feels the same way. I, for one, don't have much hope for our future. In the next generation or two we will become an easy target, a nation of pacifist just ready and willing to be taken over by some aggressor nation...probably China. The decline and fall of Rome happened after years of decay from within, until it existed in name only, and then not at all.
By , at
12:25 PM
________________________________________________________________
Anonymous said: A bunch of hippie stuff about Jesus, Gandhi, Dr. King, and Einstein.
Dude, both Jesus and Dr. King DIED for what they believe! Are you saying we should die for what we believe in? Or that we should hate those who fight for what they believe in and don't die? Or what? haha
That's typical hippie drivel from someone who knows a little bit about a few subjects, but never studies them in depth.
And when the peacemakers are killed off because they don't defend themselves, then everyone else will be at the mercy of the people who killed them!
Eventually someone will have to stop the aggressors, defeat them, or they will continue to kill.
At some time in your life, you will have to stand up for yourself.
By , at
12:37 PM
________________________________________________________________
"The pioneers of a warlees world are the men and women who refuse military service.Albert Einstein"
Far be it from me to go against the teachings of the great Albert Einstein, but if the whole world isn't on board with this idea, and STAYS on board with it forever and ever, then the one group who decides to have themselves a military and start kicking others around will have a pretty easy time of it, don't you think?
By , at
12:43 PM
________________________________________________________________
I am, as so many of you, sickened over the obvious contempt of our most larger than life heroes and their complete dishonor of our country, our heritage and our ‘American’ culture. The concepts declared and desperately rationalized, by these college age children, provides for us a platform to view the realm of beguiling brainless obscurity they live in. These individuals see the world and our country through some sort of kaleidoscope that will ruin not only their lives, but potentially the lives of our fellow countrymen.
I do not view this as their fault. I believe it is first their parents fault. First, for not raising them right and teaching them, in the home, about our heritage and our American culture. Secondly, for not making sure that these children had good school boards and teachers, early on, who would endeavor to teach them history and the value of freedom, liberty, free enterprise and to at least acknowledge that our Founders and most of our greatest leaders honored our Creator – God. And, to teach them the sacrifices and incredible honor of those who fought to take us away from tyranny and oppression, like our Founding Fathers, our Revolutionary Patriots and our honorable heroes of all the wars including ours today in Iraq and elsewhere.
I hope that all of you reading this will wake up, smell the coffee and WRITE TO YOUR SCHOOL BOARDS and demand that our children be taught these most important things for their freedom, their prosperity and the continued advance of freedom and prosperity for the people of the entire planet.
By , at
1:33 PM
________________________________________________________________
My father was a member of the Flying Tigers and flew with Boyington. He said if your had Boyington in the air with you, you flet good because you knew he would give the fight 100% and you could count on that every time.
By , at
7:04 PM
________________________________________________________________
My father (5yr Veitnam Ex-POW) just pointed me to this article of UW. As a UW graduate (2003) I saw libral crap like this brewing was glad to rid myself of the university and it left-wing brainwashing. I am now a successful researcher and have vowed NEVER to give alumi contributions to any part of that university except to personaly named researchers. I will do a John Kerry and throw my medals from UW over the fence. But readers do keep in mind that the senate, while elected by the student body, does not represent all of them. Ask a UW student first if they support the senate before you give them the beating they diserve. *Ignore the typos I hate re-reading entries.
By , at
7:39 AM
________________________________________________________________
Einstein is quoted here. Wasn't it he who saw wrote the letter to FDR advising him to develop nuclear weapons to help thwart the axis powers? He was indeed a brilliant man, who saw the need for action in the face of aggression. It's one thing to sit around hoping that everybody will take the peaceful, nonviolent route. It's another to see an aggressor for what it is and take the proper steps to defend your own liberty. That's what Boyington and his comrades were doing. All those Japanese pilots he shot down were instruments of war, bent on depriving Americans, Filipinos, Chinese, Koreans and others of their God given rights to "life, liberty and property/pursuit of happiness." And he acted on behalf of future generations, guaranteeing their right to freedom of speech, which they now use to tarnish his image and accomplishments.
By , at
11:31 AM
________________________________________________________________
This REALLY ticked me off.
I am a 40 something woman who
spent much time in the 1970's in the Far East when MANY of these WWII vets, Japanese and Chinese Vets were still alive. My husband and I attended the Reno Air Races and met Boyington NUMEROUS times. I met, personally, and heard stories from original Flying Tigers, what they went through during WWII. I did my honors thesis about Chennault...SO I KNOW WHAT THEY DID. It's time that this generation learn what this means...and the values it encompasses....I am tired of this kind of filth being paraded as 'news'. I am a trained journalist and and writer, and am disgusted at the back-peddling, damage and spin control I have read about in these and comments on other blogs from the 'students.
I honor and appreciate
the Tigers, BaBa Blacksheep and other WWII vets, (including my father-in-law) who 'killed' and had his 25 missions under his belt
when he shipped home from Britan--his air group had an 87% death attrition rate, he was one of because he was in the first wave of B-17 bomber pilots to hit Germany after we declared war ont them.
My parents took me on an 'informal' tour of the Pacific, Hawaii and Corrigidor and Hiroshima Memorial
I'll never forget the comment that
has remained with me all these years at the Arizona War memorial:
"God Bless Harry Truman and
don't start something you can't
finish."
Something the UW students need
to learn.
D Le Fevre
By , at
3:29 PM
________________________________________________________________
I am a 1987 UW graduate. In the mid 1980s the UW campus was already steeped in a totalitarian liberal religion where anyone not willing to kiss the blarney stone of political correctness was a social outcast in nearly every social circle, large or small. I’m not sure how it could have gotten worse, but indeed it has. Today’s students are so PC brainwashed, they cannot even see that any other world view exists. It has nothing to do with principles, but has everything to do with kissing the backsides of their politically correct peers and activist professors. These students and their views are nothing more than the product of thirty years of social engineering.
By , at
10:14 AM
________________________________________________________________
For anyone that grew up when world war history was actually taught in detail in schools and who's parent's actually encouraged them to read history books, it is known that besides America's industrial might to produce the weapons of war, we had the ability to produce the wagers of war. Pappy Boyington was one of those great men.
In the end, it was the wearing down of our enemy's ability to wage war as well as the elimination of their skilled and experienced wagers of war. Pappy took out 28 of them and survived. I think that's worth celebrating.
By , at
10:16 AM
________________________________________________________________
I'm proud of my dad's service (Pacific, Navy, WW2) and all other WW2 vets - including Pappy Boyington.
Those that choose not to honor our WW2 vets don't realize that without their sacrifices they today would be forbidden to speak their ill-formed thoughts under a fluttering flag bearing a swastika and/or rising sun.
God bless those that served and died so that we today can live free. I'm thankful that my children (ages 27, 22 and 20) were raised to honor those that have made such sacrifices for their freedom.
By , at
1:20 AM
________________________________________________________________
I can't fathom the reasoning behind the UW student senate's decision not to honor this hero...BUT all of you who responded with such anger and venom are as much in the wrong as they are. What do our armed services fight for? To uphold and maintain our freedom. This means that people have the freedom to express the most ridiculous opinions. Our world would be a much better place if we could respectfully disagree rather than spew hate at those who we think are wrong.
Lastly, a big thank you to any veterans or current servicemen and women who may read this! As a college student myself (and a fairly liberal one at that), just know that these UW senators do not represent us as a group. Keep it up, and know that you are not forgotten.
By , at
3:00 PM
________________________________________________________________
It is a shame to me as a Gulf War vet to see this happening everywhere, not just on UWs campus. The disrespecting and villification of US soldiers and Marines. I think it is a sad commentary on the state of Americas future when soldiers can be degraded like this for nothing other than being good at being soldiers.
I worry for my childrens future if these degenerates are going to be in charge for even a second. It seems to all boil down to Democrats in the end. The Democratic Party is self destructing and America will tire of the rhetoric eventually.
I killed people in 1991 and I'd do it again if I was called to duty. I am a Marine and I salute Pappy Boyington as the obvious hero that he was.
By , at
8:28 PM
________________________________________________________________
I truly hope these kids' parents aren't spending too much money for the "education" they are receiving at U. of W. Thanks for your excellent post -- I've linked to you at my military-related blog.
________________________________________________________________
I guess I feel like I almost wasted my time reading all of your comments on this blog. For the majority of them were sad, one-dimensional, slanderous shots at a few students who voiced their opinions. A university is meant to be a centre of thought, were people of all walks of life can learn and become the people they wish to be. I am extremely offended when I see that what you consider to be leftist, hippy, pot-smoking views of history are in fact just examples of freedom of speech and thought working to its best ability. In all fairness it is the old world conservative thinking that would be the most damaging in the future. The inabilities to look beyond the imperialistic wars of the past generation and realize that maybe its time to grow. I am all for honoring those lost in the wars and those who fought bravely, but should the students of today not be striving for other goals. Of course the past is important, but the future should reflect that. A soldier is not a proper role model for a university. A military school perhaps, but not a public university. Sure, leadership, strength and determination are all upstanding qualities... but could they not be found in alumnus who have dedicated thier lifes to the pursuit of human rights, social equity or the progression of modern technology.
I am honestly sickened by the inability of the bloggers here to realize that it is time to think about peace rather than dwelling on war time. Obviously we should never forget, but there comes a moment when the new generation should begin to view the world differently. Not as a world to conquer and develop as this ultra-conservative government sees fit, but as one to unite.
Maybe it is time you right-wing extremists put away your nationalistic views and realize that maybe the students of the UW senate had a point to their statements and that maybe its time you accepted that not everything has to stay the same.
Its not that students these days arent still grateful for what has been done for us, and speaking from my point of view, I know it had to be done. I just don't see how choosing to honor a war hero is necessary for a university.
And as a side note, student senators are not necessarily rich white kids. I pesonally know most of the student on the senate at my university and all of them provide their own way through school, with out rich parents backing them. Universities inspire people to think outside the accepted norm of society... and I think thats where you are all having your problem.
You just can't seem to think.
By , at
10:02 AM
________________________________________________________________
Jason: just who do you think instigated the "imperial war" in which Boyington was fighting? I do believe it was the Japanese and the Germans. If not for men such as Boyington taking action, this blog on which you have "wasted your time" would not exist. Americans would have been toiling as slave laborers in German and Japanese camps and computer technology and the internet would have never been developed; freedom of expression would have been denied to you and all around you. Boyington and his comrades defeated the forces of darkness and totalitarianism so that your ideals of promoting peace, developing technology and protecting free speech could flourish. And, by the way, the US also helped establish free and open societies in Germany and Japan and gave billions of dollars to those defeated enemies, so that their people could enjoy the same freedoms that Americans enjoy. If you fail to see the need to recognize the citizen-soldiers who put their lives on hold for at least four years, and in 290,000 cases permanently, to defeat the axis powers, perhaps you are the one who isn't doing any thinking here. I believe the comments you have read on this blog are also part of the "university of ideas" and are needed to balance the preponderance of leftist views on the campus of UW.
Ron
By , at
11:26 AM
________________________________________________________________
"Incensed" and "disgusted" are the two key words I'd use to describe the complete lack of intelligence shown by these UW students.
I, too, met Greg Boyington from his air show appearances. Only once, mind you, but it remains a vivid, memorable experience for me. I won't sugarcoat the fact that he was an alcoholic, or down-trodden by decades of post-war life. The man was not rich by any means; he didn't profit much from the NBC-TV show (Donald Bellisario, exec. producer) or his best seller. If anything, it did accord him recognition with post-WWII generations, including myself who was actually blessed to know about him -- and other WWII vets -- thanks to my parents, vets, and teachers who gave a damn about teaching historical facts/information. I don't forget that war is an ugly reality, but uglier yet when you consider the cruelties inflicted then that pale to anything our troops have committed in Iraq.
I want to add: The Daily Standard, while a conversative publication, presented a superb article filled with supporting facts that contradict the ill-logic and disbaraging remarks by the UW students. I want to thank you, too, James for writing boldly on this topic.
My own children will understand what the U.S. fought for, and how that period of time was marked by different situations which created the catalysts for WWII. They'll known soldiers like Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington were not "murderers." And while Boyington's record depicts a rough and rebellious Marine pilot (despite the decorations and accords), we are reminded that he fought for liberty and freedom - words often downplayed as cliches. And lest those UW students be reminded of the dedication and duty ANY soldier gives to his country, regardless of a popular or unpopular war. I don't need to hear some conservative or liberal spin on any of this; the fact was: Boyington served his country, he performed above and beyond, he endured torture and he lived a humble, if unrecognized existence post-WWII until the twilight of his years. He wasn't celebrated as a murderer, but a Marine Corps officer.
I could ramble on, but I just wanted to say "thank you" for tackling this topic in your blog. Perhaps those UW students could join an exchange or outreach program with Iran. Perhaps they, like the current Iranian gov't, think the Holocaust didn't happen either. (Cheap shot, I know.)
Michael
By , at
2:39 AM
________________________________________________________________
I was 15 years old when I read Pappy Boyington’s book. Over the years it has had a profound effect on me. I was always the black sheep of our family.
In part, because of the book, I became a pilot, a successful business man and no longer the black sheep of the family.
In 1986 I saw Pappy Boyington at the annual Experimental aircraft fly in. He was at a desk signing his book. At the time he was all alone. I wanted to go up and thank him, but I was too in awe of this great man. I did not go and tell him how much he had done for me through his book. For that I shall never forgive myself. Not for not having met him, but for not letting him know how much good he did for young men like myself trying to find themselves.
NOW:–TO YOU YOUNG STUDENTS AT THE U OF W
I don’t want to rag on you for what you do or do not know. I just want you to ask yourself a simple question—
You say you don’t want to honor a guy who killes people, a rich white guy? Forget all that.
Can you honor a young man sitting alone, ALL ALONE, in an airplane over the pacific ocean at 20,000?, knowing that he has to kill or be killed, knowing that if he is shot down, he will probably drown or be eaten by sharks? His country asked him to do that. Not once, but day after day! for his fellow countrymen, for his county, and yes, for you. He, and 1000,s others did the same.
Honor him. Honor them. Know it or not, you owe them, you owe him. (BIGTIME!)
So—even though it may be a little late,
THANKS PAPPY, YOU DID GOOD, VERY GOOD!
A 15 YEAR OLD BOY, WHO REMEMBERS.
By , at
8:46 AM
________________________________________________________________
Jason said: "A university is meant to be a centre of thought, were (sic) people of all walks of life can learn and become the people they wish to be. I am extremely offended when I see that what you consider to be leftist, hippy, pot-smoking views of history are in fact just examples of freedom of speech and thought working to its best ability." TRANSLATION: To Leftists there is no empirical truths, truth is relative, facts (empirical evidence) can be reconciled in order to suit the detractor's worldview under the guise of "freedom of speech." Jason's post is laced with leftist drivel. He is aghast at 'nationalism'. That's left-speak for patriotism. He admonishes us to throw off our "imperialistic ways." Yes, OUR imperialistic ways. Paraphrasing the old Leftist Cold War mantra of 'Better Red Than Dead' he basically says: 'Better Slave Than Brave' as he proclaims that the fight for liberty and freedom is an antiquated endeavor. Especially if it comes down to armed conflict, in which event the towel is to be quickly thrown in. The fact is that many Universities and Colleges around the Country have become viper's nests of Leftism and all Conservative thought and speech is censored if at all existent, students and professors alike. Leftists believe in freedom of speech only to the extent that you agree with them. If not, then you are ostracized as mean-spirited, bigoted, racist, homophobic, etc. Disagreement does not allow room for difference of opinion. If you wish to become enlightened as to the pervasiveness of this onerous concept visit former leftist David Horowitz' website (FrontpageMagazine.com). Mr Horowitz is fighting the Leftists on campus tooth and nail.
Speaking of Communism/Marxism...regarding Albert Einstein, we now know from the 'Venona Secrets' that Einstein was a Communist Sypathizer who was associated with a Scientific Club in Berlin that was a Communist cover organization. Thus he was in close association with Soviet agents and is highly suspected of passing our Atomic Secrets to the Soviets.
Finally, while Pappy Boyington was by no stretch perfect, having his many flaws that he especially admitted, in no way detracts from the criticism of the actions of the Student Senate at UW, since they were ignorant of just about everything about Boyington. To include his flaws, achievments and heritage.
By , at
9:42 PM
________________________________________________________________
Of course Albert Einstein was a Communist sympathizer too. ;) re:the above post.
"Just last year, the university (UW) erected a memorial to diversity. Why can't we do the same for Pappy Boyington and others who have defended our country?"
This is very telling, since the memorial should have actually been erected to 'The Great Melting Pot' which is worthy of such an honor. So-called Diversity and Multi-Culturalism are tearing the fabric of our Nation apart at the seams. They are completely at odds with The Great Melting Pot theory and serve only to encourage hyphenated citizens and balkanization of our Country. Which of course is what the Left strives to accomplish. After all it's harder to make the case for OWG (one world government) if things are going smoothly.
Here's something that speaks to that and of course a subject that is front and center in our consiousness presently, Immigration.
Here's what a great American had to say about Immigration:
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us,
he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else,
for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man
because of creed, or birthplace, or origin.
But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...
There can be no divided allegiance here.
Any man who says he is an American, but something else also,
isn! 't an American at all. We have room for but one flag,
the American flag...
We have room for but one language here, and that is
the English language...
And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty
to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt, 1907
By , at
12:42 AM
________________________________________________________________
Pappy was one of the most unique individuals I have ever met. And he was far from being "rich."
I was moderately acquinted with Pappy back when I was a senior in high school, growing up in Fresno, CA, back in the '70s. I was even invited to his house, and had a number of occasions to talk with him while I still lived in Fresno.
I think some of the members of this sutdent senate are intimidated by his memory as they know they will never measure up to the likes of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington.
________________________________________________________________
What we have to remember, is that most of these students are still wet behind the ears, they haven't experienced life at all.Yes they think they know it all and that what they're doing's important and who wasn't like at that their age?
They don't appreciate what the veterans did for us because they have no idea as to what life's like, all they have to worry about is getting up for lectures, how much money they have for booze and sleeping. Many of their lecturer's (i'm from England)are still living in cuckoo-land because again, they haven't lived.There are some exceptions, such as Mr Everett and Mr Smirnoff both of whom should be commended.
I live with the satisfaction of knowing, that for many of those students, they are to have a serious awakening.Fortunately for them, due to the sacrifice of many, they probably won't be drafted into the military at 19 years of age, given a rifle and then be told to fight. God forbid if it did happen, i'm sorry to say,if America is yet at the same stage as Britain , then there's no such thing as national pride anymore, Britain is a bastard country that no longer has an identity.
By , at
1:52 PM
________________________________________________________________
Joe Toye was a member of Easy Co. 101st Airbourne, 506PIR aka, Badn of Brothers.The text below, is written by JoeToye's son, Peter, who is writing about his father, having seen the episode from the miniseries where Joe has his leg blown off by a German shell. Perphaps these students should take note that this story is not atypical of veterans.
"I don't really know why I am taking the time to post this as I am a private person of relatively few words but last night's episode has left me stunned and numbed. The truth be known, I am back to mourning the death of my father, Joe Toye, who died of cancer 6 years ago. I know he's up there watching me type this little ramble saying to himself, "Christ, Peter, let it go". Sorry Pop, I tried and I can't. Like many of the vets, he returned home scarred both inside and out and dealt with it all in his own strong and silent way. His life after the war was no joyride either but I think he finally found peace with his second wife, my stepmother, Aunt Betty. There was never a question of the depth of his love for his children. He'd give us the shirt off his back. He returned to the States to a culture that didn't yet go out of its way to cater to the handicapped although my father NEVER considered himself that; even though this proud and decorated warrior returned home and could find little more that janitorial work for a while because of his disabilities. Nevertheless, he'd pass on the freebies (hunting licenses, etc) that he was entitled to as a result of his wounds. In a world where folks destroy friendships and families to save a dime, such behavior made no sense to me. When I'd ask him why he wouldn't take some financial benefit he had coming, he just say, "Get the hell outta here, I don't need it!" As I got older, I knew exactly what he meant. One of my most vivid childhood memories was when he'd take my brothers and me camping and put on some trunks to dive in the lake. On his crutches, heading for the beach, I'd walk sightly behind him staring at his scar-covered body -- it seemed front to back, head to toe -- scars everywhere. Wrist from Normandy; back courtesy Holland; arm, leg, stomach a result of refusing to bend at Bastogne. I'd notice others staring at him as well because he made a formidable sight. But I never thanked him for leaving all that he left of himself in Europe so that we could take vacations like this whenever and wherever we wished. In his own hard and quiet way, he taught us all that it's never OK to stay down on the mat no matter how much we may feel beaten. You always get back up and you never quit on yourself, NEVER! I can only hope that I have instilled this same 101st Airborne attitude on my children because my old man's guts and pride courses our veins as well and there is no greater gift. I'd like to close with the eulogy that Major Dick Winters honored us with at my dad's funeral at Sacred Heart Church, West Reading, PA on Sept. 7, 1995:
By , at
2:22 PM
________________________________________________________________
Well, Paradosis, you now know full well that the UW Senate has approved the Boyington memorial, for the same reason that it was delayed - so that it could be amended to cover not only Boyington but the other MOH recipients from UW. Maybe now that the students have redeemed themsleves you can make another post taking back all of the stupid, ugly and uninformed invective that was hurled at them?
It’s nice that this has passed, but it was in the cards two months ago, and is the real reason why the Boyington-only memorial proposal failed (by a tie vote) - the student senators thought it better to have a memorial to benefit all UW MOH winners, not merely Boyington. That they did so despite the blogswarm is a credit to them.
Some students deserved the criticism tha they received, but to be honest clearly there was a gross and uninformed over-reaction. Perhaps now may be a good time for those who jumped on the bandwagon without thinking.
Please see my post here for more details:
http://captain-toke.redstate.com/comments/2006/2/17/1664/32017/24#24
The resolution itself can be found here: http://senate.asuw.org/legislation/viewleglist.cgi?view=final.
Regards,
TT
________________________________________________________________
Oh Looky, a CYA moment!!
By , at
12:44 PM
________________________________________________________________
Tokyo Tom,
You're either very naive by attempting to incinuate that those on this board are stupid, in that we somehow misread the students comments.
Ok, so a bunch of kids are playing at politics, they think what they're doing is important (it's not), most kids that age have left wing leanings, which, once they experience life and start paying taxes, will change for many.It's a prcess that one goes through.
Please do not insult the intelligence of many on this board in an attempt at passing the buck from the gross Insensitivity that the students portrayed. They are wrong, you know that they're wrong, so you (and the students) would do well in recognising that and quit before any further damage is done.?
By , at
10:24 PM
________________________________________________________________
My uncle, Robert Garrett, gunnery aboard the USS Charles Osburne, under Arleigh Burke, was rescued by Boyington who went out of his orders, as he had done many times, to take out an enemy cruiser that had them fenced in! (Look it up!)
Thanks Pappy!
Sincerely,
Uncle Bob's nephew,
Patrick
By , at
2:45 PM
________________________________________________________________
DOING THIS TO BOYINGTON IS A DISCRASE, HE FOUGHT WITH NO FEAR, I WISH I WAS HALF THE MAN HE WAS, TO REJECT A MEMORIAL TO HIM IS UNAMERICAN,BUT HE WILL AND DOES HAVE A PLACE IN HISTORY, HIS LEGACY WILL PREVAIL, ONLY ONE OR TWO OF "PAPPY" COME ALONG, HE WILL GET A MEMORIAL, WHO NEEDS WASHINGTON, "PAPPY" WILL GET A BETTER PLACE, AS HE DESERVICES IT, I WISH I COULD HAVE MET HIM
By , at
4:49 PM
________________________________________________________________
Dear Sir's or Mam's,
I'm gonna tell ya somethin 'bout Pappy.
My pedigree aint no long haired, pot smokin, stayed in college, and probably ended up spittin on me on the freedomflight,punk english major home from some country that is just a bit more screwed than Canada(so shoot me), BUT-Pappy was more of a man than most of you will ever,EVER be able to become.
Pappy did like a good scotch.
Put up or shut up-do what he did or sit in your own (rap.
Any one has a problem with it I will send you my physical LOC and we can step out back and talk about it---then youd have to figure out the math and you -above the 45th parrale--I know I cant spell, BUT I AM a Doorgunner, and a Marine, appreciate your freedom.
Doorgunner
By chris and rusty, at
4:52 PM
________________________________________________________________
And then addendum(there goes my spellin again) Most of y'all dont know scare or scared. Please by all means do some time as a POW in an asian country-dont care what war, what year. Try this- "I am not affraid of death-been there, it's life that scares the (rap outta me".... Why? them 45 that said no.
Doorgunner
By chris and rusty, at
5:09 PM
________________________________________________________________
What scares ME is the way people make knee-jerk judgements based on stereotypes springing, not from the best qualities of others, and not even on the WORST qualities of others - but on the worst FEARS they have of others. Fear leads people to focus on the words and actions of the most ignorant, and to highlight those as being somehow "more important" than the words or actions of the wisest or most noble.
So a couple of ignorant students fear the image of a WWII vet, based on assumptions that he is rich and white (and therefore priviledged) or that soldiers who have killed in battle are murderers. Such judgements are easier than honest and open-minded assessment, which requires looking at the best and most virtuous qualities in our rivals.
So how is it any less ignorant to judge the entire student senate, the University of Washington, or even the entire STATE of Washington(!) by those outspoken ignorants? No, it's not - but it's EASIER, because the words of ignorants are always more outrageous and thus more effective at rousing emotion.
So go ahead - vent your outrage at the third-hand report of the statetments made by a couple of loud dorks, and just assume that the vote went that way because of THEM. Ignore karl d. smith's comments that they're paraphrased and out of context and that someone did this deliberately to generate attention. Rant about the racist liberal multiculturalists and feel self-righteously good about yourself.
Just don't pretend that you're any different, or any better, than they are, because you're doing exactly the same thing.
By , at
9:14 PM
________________________________________________________________
I can't judge the whole Student Senate and I would hope that her statements won't be the basis for a decision to not honor Pappy Boyington. My father served in world war II and was captured by the Japanese for almost the whole part of the war which tells me that he didn't "kill" that many Japanese. He suffered beatings, beri beri, black water fever, malaria, dysentery,scorpion bites, hunger and much more. He'd seen his best friend beaten then tied to a tree with live red ants crawling all over him. My father had no shoes while they forced him to work in the jungles of Burma. Needless to say he suffered with deep callused feet for the rest of his life. This whole experience drove him to alcoholism yet 'til the day he died in 1984 he gives credit to the Lord Jesus Christ for rescuing him. Only the members of our family honor what my dad went through and that's ok, but there is nothing wrong with publicly honoring a man of worth.
By , at
7:59 AM
________________________________________________________________
i never had the pleasure to meet mr boyington but i wish i had.
i did serve in the us navy during a conflict time although i luckily missed combat who is this person to liken pappy to a murderer or say this isnt the type of person we want to memorialize?
take these cry babies and send them overseas to see how others are treated and tortured and forced to live.
i give thanks everyday for the men and women who fight and protect us and our country from those who would destroy us and our way of life.
the only reason these crybabies can say what they do and not be jailed or tortured or murdered is because of our fighting men and women.
mr boyington is correct, show him a hero and he will show you a bum.
a hero is a person thrown into a situation that only an act of lunacy can get him out of.
i have been a hero, i have the papers to prove it, i know what im talking about, so did Pappy.
rest well pappy, you did a great job and will never be forgotten as long as there is history.
By , at
1:59 PM
________________________________________________________________
Hello. I'm very pleased to see that the work of Pappy didn't go unrecognized. I am Pappy's 4th cousin. My great Grandma was a boyington and Pappy's cousin. He wa a very proud man and my family and I are very proud of him. and anyone who doesn't like the work that he did defending our Great Nation...well then you can kiss my ass! thank you!
By , at
12:43 PM
________________________________________________________________
I met Pappy at an airshow in Oshkosh Wisconsin many years ago, where he was autographing copies of his book. It was obvious to me, thinking back on this, that Pappy did not think too highly of himself, as apparently these students do. What these students really fail to realize, is that they are living under borrowed freedom. I'm going to say that again, as it deserves to be said again. These students are living under BORROWED FREEDOMS. Yes, that is correct. The freedoms that they "freely" enjoy, they paid NO price for. The very freedoms that even allow them to make these kinds of idiotic protests, were paid for by men like Pappy Boyington, and Pappy himself. As a fellow Marine and Viet-Nam veteran, I am outraged. Semper Fi
By , at
8:17 PM
________________________________________________________________
I think that Spiro Agnew had the correct description of these type of pin heads. I'm sure that many will have to look up Spiro Agnew to see who he was, but I can't remember whether it was just before or just after Kent State, that he referred to these idiots as the "educated effite". Spiro hit the nail on the head and I'm sure that some of these brainwashed students can claim the "educated effite" as older cousins or aunts and uncles that spew this type of hogwash and hatred for our men and women who have put their lives on the line in order that these people can have the liberty to spew this garbage onto other people. I am a Viet Nam Vet, and am proud to have been able to serve. I also have something in common with Pappy Boyington, I can only claim a portion of my heritage to the Lacota Sioux Nation. Go out and enlist in one of our branches of the Armed Forces, and grow up. You might get the chance to become a hero too. For you people to disparage the name of Pappy Boyington, only to graduate and leave that University is a disgrace. I should post this as annonymous, but that wouldn't be nice would it.
By , at
5:14 PM
________________________________________________________________
Im a 25 year old student at Radford University and would just like to say how disgusted I am with the students at UW. My generation has a well deserved reputation for this kind of ignorance that I do not share in the least. I realize I am the exception, not the rule, and just wanted people to know that a very small percentage of us respect and admire to the utmost the soldiers, sailors and pilots that fought, bled and died for freedom, here and abroad. I would be proud as hell to have a memorial to a "rich, white male" like Boyington on my campus.
By , at
10:01 PM
________________________________________________________________
