This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country.
A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.
Dear President Obama,
My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.
I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.
One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man. So here goes.
I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish. I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
"We're no longer a Christian nation" " America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world," America is mean-spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)
I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.
After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals." Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom. I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.
Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.
And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are; terrorists.
One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.
You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president. You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.
Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes
When a 95 year old hero of the "the Greatest Generation" stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can. Please pass it on..
Kristi
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Dear Kristi,
ReplyDeleteWe all live in a free world thanks to men like Harold B Estes. For that, we owe him gratitude and respect. Europe could not be freed of Nazi occupation without the enormous effort of the US and its military. Of course America is a great nation. But the world is now a different place from the days heroes like H B Estes took the beaches of Normandy, fought the battle of the bulge 60 miles from where I live, and ended Nazi terror.
I know that Americans are very proud of their nation. So, of course it sounds strange to hear your President, when abroad, saying that America has been arrogant and that it hasn’t lived up to its ideals. Was this an act of a man who had lost faith in his own nation? No, it was a man who faced the mess the Bush administration left behind in the rest of the world. America had become the bully in the classroom, with virtually no friends. An iron curtain between the US and the rest of the world. I don’t think many Americans realize how bad the international situation actually was. That’s why President Obama took a humble position, to show that the Bush days of playing solo are over and that allies and friends are important again to America. From our point of view, America reconnected with its ideals.
The clear distinction President Obama made between the Iraq war (based on lies about weapons of mass destruction that didn’t exist) and the Afghan war (against Al Qaeda, the Taliban, those that caused 9/11) is a prime example of how the President tries to bring the actions of a free America in compliance with the ideals this nation has always stood for.
“When your battle-hardened field General asks for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him.” No, I don’t agree. America is a democratic nation, not a military dictatorship. Not the General, but the President and Congress decide on the deployment of American soldiers. And it is the President’s damn hard duty to define the mission, to verify if the means serve the end, before deciding how many young men and women will be send over there, risking their lives. Obama has now decided to send in more troops, over 30,000 more young men and women. The General gets what he wants, after democracy (America’s biggest ideal) has had its say. This is good. I hope our politicians will have the bravery of supporting America here, by sending additional troops like your president asked.
“You’re not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That’s not our greatest threat.” I’m sorry, but without a solid economy, the military power of America will crumble. I bet the crisis already made it more difficult to finance the war effort. And let’s be honest here: those who cry hardest for military action, are often also those who don’t want a tax increase in order to pay for the whole thing. So, America needs a strong and prosperous economy, to be a leading nation in the world, as a basis to send it’s values and ideals overseas.
I deeply respect you, Harold B Estes, for the freedom you have brought us. That’s why I take the time to answer to your letter. Although you and I may have a different opinion on the current Presidency, I know deep in my heart that we all strive for a free world for all.
Yours truely,
Johan
You speak very intelligently and respectful Johan and I certainly appreciate your honesty. I also LOVED hearing your point of view from "the other side" of the world. I like knowing what others think. I agree with most of what you said, you are definately correct our economy must be strong to stabilize not only our own nation but the worlds. That is why so many are depending on us to get this situation resolved and stabilized. I am so glad to hear that the other nations see Obama as helping us to reconnect with our ideals. However what most of you do not see is the things that are going on here, inside the US. I do hope Obama can help to bring other countries, the world, back to our side. BUT, for those with our eyes open, we see that we are being torn apart from the inside out. Our government is changing too fast and the economy will not be repaired. It will be destroyed to a point we will never recover. From many of our points of view, it seems as if Obama is trying to do this with a purpose. A purpose I have yet to completely figure out. So many outside the US, even inside, seem to only know one thing. It's a race thing if you disagree with Obama! Play that race card. However, that is so far from the truth it's almost scary. More soon, but until then, I have to respect what Mr. Estes says as a defender of our country. I respect what others think of our president and how we "look" to them. But I can only say, to please read between the lines and look very closely. Once the things trickle down to the rest of the world that are happening here, you may think differently. Then again, your eyes.. may also be closed.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully,
...
When one discusses a serious topic like this, respect and hnesty are necessary.
ReplyDeleteAs far foreign policy is concerned, President Obama got from his European allies what he asked. He wanted 5000 extra European troops, it seems European NATO countries may be sending even a few thousand more. I can assure you that your Presidents foreign policy is appreciated. I think you can be proud of him and of his performance on the international scene. America is back in our hearts.
Indeed, I don’t have detailed knowledge of everything that goes on inside America. As far as I can follow the news on the US from here in Europe, I have the feeling that America is strongly divided about its president and its goals. His interior policy is less visible to us and maybe more difficult to understand, as it often relates to the specific American situation.
The banking crisis pushed the government to pump an enormous sum of money into the banking system. For this part, I think there was no other way out. However, in addition to that, President Obama spent quite some money on stabilizing the economy itself and he wants to introduce a healthcare plan that will at least initially ask an important investment. The national debt is skyrocketing. And President Bush had already stretched America’s finances to the limit… Is this the right moment? I mean: Americans deserve a much more efficient healthcare system. The current US system is 50% more expensive than the one in my country (15% vs 10% of GDP, and your GDP/head is even bigger than ours!) and not giving a fundamentally better service. But maybe this reform of healthcare should be done at a moment the economy can more easily bear it? Any reform risks to cost some money initially. On the other hand, one has to decide on the outlines of the new plan now, as it will certainly take a few years to implement (starting from the idea that the plan will be more than “cosmetics”)
Yes, I’m worried about all that. My eyes are not closed. When the Euro was fixed at 1.19 Dollar in 2002, my feeling was this should have been a 1:1 exchange rate, considering the stronger US economy at the time. But now we are at a 1.70 Dollar to the Euro exchange rate… This is absurd! And dangerous to world stability.
Two things are however very clear to me:
- If you criticize the policy of the President – and only the policy, not the man or his race – you should not call you a racist. That’s too cheap!
- I don’t believe President Obama makes plans with the intention or purpose to hurt, to divide or to weaken America. He’s way too proud of being an American. You may disagree with the choices he makes, but please don’t play the man by somehow suggesting that he has one or other purpose to ruin the economy or divide the country. Nobody has to gain from such an absurd “plan”. Definitely not the President: if he can’t restore the economy by election time, it will be a ticket one way out for President Obama.
Personally, I believe in the resilience of America and its people. At this moment, it is not clear yet where President Obama is leading his country to. The economy seems to recover, but recovery remains weak, and uncertainties persist. I will follow the evolution in America with great care, as it has such an impact on my countries future. However, considering his international track record, I wish to give President Obama the benefit of doubt, also on interior policy. In a year from now, a lot may have changed and we’ll see more clearly if the Presidents recipe has worked or not.
Respectfully,
Johan
I only hope you are correct. Yes it is cheap but that is how it happens here. We can not say anything negative without it being about race now. I have yet to see in anyway how Obama is too proud to an American, his own wife said she had never been proud of American until her husband was elected. There are just many problems that have arisen due to this "split" we are going through. Many want our traditions of our founding fathers restored and many seem to want his push to a socialist economy that has already proven not to work in other parts of the world. So...personally, I just don't understand how his current plans are going to work. The economy could fix itself if they would allow it. But our government has shown they want their hands in everything from auto making, our banks, our schools, now even college football issues. That type of control is going back to a communist state of mind and that will divide us even more. Maybe together we can figure out just what it is that he is trying to do. Thanks for your insight!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome!
ReplyDeleteAbout Michelle Obama: I heard her say those things on TV, but the context was quite particular. I never understood her words as a lack of pride for her country. I’ll try to explain to you how It felt to me.
Comparison: Imagine a daughter who loves her father very much. That should not be difficult to do, as we normally all love our parents. However, dad has a drinking problem that causes lots of domestic problems. One day, she hears her father really quit drinking. And now, despite the complex relation with her dad in the past, she’s damn proud of him.
Imagine a black woman who loves her country. That’s not so difficult to do, as we all love the place where we were born, where we live. However, the country has a racism problem that causes a lot of domestic problems. One day, a black man gets elected president, proving her country can overcome racism. And now, despite the complex relationship in the past, she’s damn proud of her country now.
This is how I interpreted her words. And when Michelle Obama told this, in that context, I imagined many black people nodding yes, but I also saw many honest white folks with a puzzled face. So, I realize her words give genuine reason for doubt to white people, especially for those who are less familiar with the black American community. This is no racism by white people, these are genuine feelings of doubt and confusion because her words sound strange, even hard, and the context is not always easy to grasp.
I believe the above comparison is a fair representation of what she actually meant, at least that’s how it was understood over here. However, I’d advise the First Lady to be more careful in her choice of words, as by far not all whites are guilty of racism. It’s always dangerous to generalize, especially in the current emotional state of America with lots of splits between groups in society.
Personally, I don’t believe the US will become some sort of USSR. When I hear President Obama talk in public, I can clearly feel that his words are the words of an American, standing proud and tall. Yes, we share many values with you, let there be no doubt, but American leaders have a very recognizable and typical way of voicing those values. Obama’s speeches really fit in that great American tradition of freedom and democracy, responsibility and leadership. I assure you: Obama’s speeches would be the first literature Soviet leaders would forbid, as they incite a strong notion of self realization and individuality which goes against anything that is communist.
Well, I’d love to help you find out what President Obama is trying to do. I’ll share my views with you, whenever I can. I am still thinking on President Obama’s economic policy. The whole picture is not yet clear to me. But we will certainly talk more about it. At least, you don’t have to worry about me blaming your thoughts and feelings on racism. Like I said: that’s too cheap. And crying “racist” also kills any serious discussion before it even gets started…
Johan