Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Every Picture Tells a Story

It seems straight-forward enough. The year was 1970 and it was Vietnam near the Cambodian border. Captain John Poindexter was leading Troop A, 1st Sqdn of an armored cavalry regiment. A company of US infantry was being over-run and without hesitation he led his men to the rescue. It's strictly John Wayne stuff with M113s and helicopters.

His men deserved a number of decorations for their heroism and he submitted the recommendations. Like so much paperwork, it got lost. But Capt. Poindexter was not one to forget. He pursued the issue and finally it led to a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. His troopers were presented a Presidential Unit Citation by The One.

Here's Capt. Poindexter and the picture tells so much about the moment:



What sincerity we see on the face of the President as he looks into the face of a true warrior... He can't even take a second to look directly at the man. His concern is where is the door out of here. I've don't think I've seen such utter disdain for the moment since Bill Clinton expressing his abhorrence of the military.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Unless the president spent the rest of his life looking into the eyes of the Vietnam Veteran there would have been a moment that he would have turned away. This is just crap take it from a Vietnam Vet that also served.

MagiK said...

While I am loathe to give "The One" any benefit of the doubt (because he has proved unworthy of it so many times) I admit that he may have been caught glancing away, still images are limited like that.... BUT if one examines his behavior and attitudes one would know that it is not outside the realm of possibility that O really did just want to get it over with and get out of there. After all he does despise Those Who Serve and all they stand for....its in his book. (The first one)

Unknown said...

I have not read President Obama’s first book. Have you?
Can you tell be on what page he said, that he despises “Those Who Serve and all they stand for”....it’s in his book.
Remember if you are assuming he said that in his book: “ assumption is the mother of all fuck ups. “

Ed Rasimus said...

For those who apparently missed it, the essential isn't that the Messiah eventually had to look away or that he was caught at a bad moment.

This is a presentation of a decoration to a group. The representative of the group is receiving the President's acknowledgment with his hand-shake.

If you shake my hand without looking at me, I will never do business with you. If you had me an award with a handshake and don't establish eye contact I will refuse your award. If you have no expression of personal interest in me at a time when you are supposedly honoring me, you are dishonoring me.

"I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it." Woodrow Call, Capt. TX Rangers

Unknown said...

Do you not think that calling the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military, the Messiah is rude behavior, I do. When I was in Vietnam I had a personal disdain for Commander-in Chief Nixon but as a NCO in the US Army I had a sworn oath of duty to honor and respect him.
I have no doubt that there is no way based on that picture to know if President Obama was or was not looking the man in the eye during the presentation.

Ed Rasimus said...

Gosh, Janice, were you in Vietnam? I didn't realize. Did you know John Kerry?

Unknown said...

Ed, you come across as a bitter old man. I was in nam in 1970-71 long after Kerry. I enlisted and requested duty in Vietnam in the Medical Corp. I asked you two simple questions and all I get back are sarcastic mean spirited remarks. It seems that we are the only two people reading you blog. You can chase me away and talk to yourself if you like. I also know what it is like to self publish a book that very few people read. We can have a honest dialogue on politics in America or you can just quote crap from fox news and right wing lunatics from the internet ,

WestRight said...

Wow JJ, a little touchy? BTW I thought the NCO's sworn oath was to the US Constitution not to the CIC. Why did you hate Nixon so much after all he was actually trying to win after the Kennedy & Johnson magnificent FU's and the treason from John Kerry and the rest of the Leftist America haters?

Unknown said...

Good bye, I see that it will be impossible to have an intelligent conversation here. Any one that does not agree with you hates America. People that quote from books that they never read are hard to talk with .

Six said...

Not the only 2 janice. Most of us don't respond to all of Ed's posts because it's not necessary. That doesn't mean we don't come here every day and read what he writes.