Open Letter Signed By 121 Retired Flag Officers On John Kerry's Political Expediency Regarding The War On Terror

The following is a letter signed by those 121 retired flag officers.

I have little to add except to make the blindingly obvious observation that other than the one general who—for reason of his own—has sided with Kerry.



To Interested Parties:

There is nothing more important than supporting troops at war. We understand that because we have commanded Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen. We know that President Bush understands this obligation to the men and women of our armed forces. He increased pay and military funding prior to September 11th and has given our troops the support they need in the War on Terror.

In contrast, Senator Kerry has a record of votes against military spending. In his first Senate race at the height of the Cold War, Senator Kerry advocated a comprehensive reduction in our armed forces, and his record since has reflected that priority.

Senator Kerry has repeatedly voted against military spending and support for troops, but no vote was as egregious as his vote against the troops currently fighting in the War on Terror. In October of 2003, after voting to send troops to war, Senator Kerry was given a chance to vote to support our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq with supplies like body armor and ammunition. He voted no.

Just weeks earlier, Senator Kerry said that a no vote on the funding would be "irresponsible" and would amount to a vote to "abandon our troops." And yet, that is exactly what Senator Kerry did.

We now know from Senator Biden and from Senator Kerry's own staff that this vote against the troops was cast out of political expediency as a way to stall the momentum of Governor Dean. Senator Kerry voted against troops in combat for his own political benefit.

A candidate who sends troops into harm's way and then denies them the supplies they need to do the job cannot lead our nation in the War on Terror.

Sincerely,

Rear Adm. John Adams
Rear Adm. Donald S. Albright, Jr.
Lt. Gen. Teddy Allen
Brig. Gen. Dwayne Alons
Lt. Gen. Charles Bagnal
Brig. Gen. John Bahnsen
Rear Adm. Stephen Baker
Maj. Gen. John Barry
Rear Adm. Timothy Beard
Rear Adm. Frances Buckley
Brig. Gen. Richard Bundy
Brig. Gen. Carl Butterworth
Rear Adm. Joseph Callo, Jr.
Vice Adm. Kent Carroll
Brig. Gen. Robert Chadwick
Vice Adm. Edward Clexton, Jr.
Lt. Gen. John Conaway
Maj. Gen. Boyd Cook
Lt. Gen. Charles Cooper
Rear Adm. Frank Corley
Rear Adm. Michael Coyle
Maj. Gen. John D'Araujo, Jr.
Gen. John Davis
Vice Adm. George Davis VI
Gen. John Deane, Jr.
Maj. Gen. Gene Deegan
Rear Adm. Jeremiah Denton, Jr.
Maj. Gen. Neil Eddins
Rear Adm. Ernest Elliot
Rear Adm. Paul Engel
Maj. Gen. Merrill Evans
Rear Adm. Edward Feightner
Rear Adm. Kenneth Fisher
Maj. Gen. John France
Maj. Gen. Joseph Franklin
Rear Adm. J. Cameron Fraser, Jr.
Rear Adm. Alan Gemmill
Lt Gen William Ginn, Jr.
Maj. Gen. Harold Glasgow
Maj. Gen. Richard Goddard
Rear Adm. Fred Golove
Rear Adm. William Gureck
Rear Adm. Wallace Guthrie
Rear Adm. Frank Haak
Lt. Gen. Robert Hails
Maj. Gen. Jack Hancock
Vice Adm. Patrick Hannifin
Rear Adm. Whitney Hansen
Vice Adm. Peter Hekman, Jr.
Rear Adm. Grant Hollett, Jr.
Rear Adm. Bobby Hollingsworth
Lt. Gen. John Hudson
Brig. Gen. Oscar Hurt
Lt. Gen. James Johnson, Jr.
Gen. P.X. Kelley
Adm. Robert Kelly
Adm. George Kinnear
Rear Adm. J. Koenig
Brig. Gen. Peter Lash
Rear Adm. Paul Lautermilch
Maj. Gen. James Livingston
Rear Adm. Walter Locke
Rear Adm. Noah Long Jr.
Rear Adm. Joseph Loughran
Rear Adm. Thomas Lynch
Maj. Gen. William Lyon
Adm. James Lyons
Maj. Gen. Clark Martin
Rear Adm. Fredrick Metz
Brig. Gen. Thomas Mikolajcik
Rear Adm. John Moriarty
Rear Adm. Thomas Morris
Maj. Gen. James Mukoyama
Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter
Brig. Gen. Michael Neil
Maj. Gen. Stanley Newman
Vice Adm. John Nicholson
Lt. Gen. John Norton
Brig. Gen. Thomas O'Brien Jr.
Rear Adm. Robert Owens
Lt. Gen. Dave Palmer
Vice Adm. John Parker, Jr.
Maj. Gen. Jeremiah Pearson III
Vice Adm. Douglas Plate
Rear Adm. Don Primeau
Brig. Gen. John Quinn
Rear Adm. Conrad Rorie
Lt. Gen. Donald Rosenblum
Vice Adm. Robert Schoultz
Rear Adm. Luther Schriefer Jr.
Brig. Gen. Dennis Schulstad
Rear Adm. Jud Scott
Rear Adm. Kenneth Sears
Rear Adm. Joel Sipes
Rear Adm. Robert Smith III
Adm. Leighton Smith Jr.
Maj. Gen. Frank Smoker Jr.
Brig. Gen. William Spruance
Gen. Carl Stiner
Vice Adm. Edward Straw
Lt. Gen. Gordon Sumner, Jr.
Maj. Gen. Larry Taylor
Lt. Gen. David Teal
Rear Adm. William Thompson
Vice Adm. Howard Thorsen
Vice Adm. Nils Thunman
Brig. Gen. William Tiernan
Rear Adm. Ernest Tissot
Rear Adm. Paul Tomb
Brig. Gen. Guy Townsend
Vice Adm. Jerry Tuttle
Maj. Gen. Glen Van Dyke
Brig. Gen. Guy Vander Linden
Rear Adm. Lloyd Vasey
Maj. Gen. Russell Violett
Rear Adm. Edward Walker, Jr.
Rear Adm. Lemuel Warfield
Maj. Gen. Gary Wattnem
Rear Adm. Harvey Weatherson
Maj. Gen. William Webb
Adm. Steven White