Unlike Senator John Kerry, whose self-proclaimed war-hero status of some 30 years ago is questionable at best, not a single individual doubts the past valor of House Representative John Murtha thirty-five years ago in Viet Nam. It�s what has happened to him since then that gives rise to great doubt. Mostly, his recent recitation of DNC issued political propaganda concerning the mission in Iraq, which has a very familiar ring to it.

Do these words sound familiar? �Our welcome has been worn out," "They're subdued [our troops] compared to normal morale of elite forces," "There's no military solution.� "The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further militarily. It is time to bring [the troops] home."

They sound a lot like the words Rep. Murtha used less than a week ago leading up to his formal call for troop withdrawal from Iraq. However, these are instead the words Rep. Murtha used to convince Bill Clinton to withdraw troops from Somalia in 1993, after 18 U.S. soldiers were attacked and killed in the streets of Mogadishu.

The most important part of this story for every American to know and understand is this.

Al Qaeda, at the direction of our friend Osama bin Laden, organized that street attack against U.S. Soldiers in Mogadishu. Bin Laden himself later said that America's withdrawal from Somalia had emboldened his burgeoning Al Qaeda force and encouraged him to plan new attacks. (This was years before 9/11.) "Our people realize[d] more than before that the American soldier is a paper tiger that run[s] in defeat after a few blows," the terror chief recalled. "America forgot all about the hoopla and media propaganda and left dragging their corpses and their shameful defeat." Osama bin Laden, (Source: HAN in Nairobi) 

This is indeed not the first time Rep. Murtha has adopted a �cut and run� attitude towards a challenging, but worthwhile mission. In fact, this is not the first time he has done so while staring into the face of international terrorism and not the first time his words have emboldened America�s enemies, here and abroad.

There is a 95lb tigress from Ohio named Jean Schmidt though, who is currently being maligned for bravely carrying a message from a U.S. Marine to the floor of the people�s House. She is being tarred and feathered by her colleagues in the House and the media around the world for reading a Marines statement that was at odds with Rep. Murtha�s �cut and run� attitude and that of his faux patriot friends in the DNC.

But that Marines message was kind compared to what many active and retired military folks would like to say on the floor of the people�s House, given the chance. I have included a letter from a reader who responded to my recent column �When Rhetoric Clashes with Reality�, just so you won�t miss the point� I receive similar messages from active and retired military on a daily basis, as I�m sure the press does as well. This one just says it better than I could ever hope to�and unlike the press, I�ll publish it.

The letter is from a New Jersey man who served in the Fourth Division of the U.S. Army in Germany from 1954-1957. He is the very proud father of two Marine sons�, both of whom have served in Iraq. His oldest received the Navy Meritorious Medal for his actions directing attacks on Najaf. The younger is a Cobra helicopter pilot who flew missions in the attack on Fallujah. Both of them volunteer Marines, both of them commissioned at Quantico. The youngest has volunteered for further duty in Iraq. This writer is also a former FBI agent and no novice in the arena of national security. His name is Robert Hallett� (Without edit)

�Mr. Williams,

I think many people have bought into the BS that Rep. John Murtha is a "well-respected veteran of the Viet Nam War."  He was decorated and earned two purple hearts.  But, you know, I simply don't buy into a man' courage demonstrated thirty-five years ago, that whatever he does today must be measured by that once demonstrated act of valor.  As a Democrat he has surrounded himself with the lies and fury of his party for too long.  It clearly has made him into a coward today.  I'm truly sorry to malign a man who once demonstrated his courage on the battlefield but it is his act TODAY that angers me.  As a man who was once in battle in an unpopular war, he more than others should know what advocating "cut and run" really means.  Obviously, he doesn't remember or more likely doesn't want to remember.  Today, he is a Democrat politician and as such, I call him a coward as I would have called him a hero thirty-five years ago.

I know that what I am saying here would anger many Americans and I'm sorry they feel that way but I have said it and I mean it.  People change over time and it is clear to me that Rep. John Murtha has changed.  For his political end he has, like that other Viet Nam "hero", John Kerry, changed his stripes and he has become a yellow coward for his own political gain.

Bob�

Before going to press with this statement, I offered Mr. Hallett an opportunity to reconsider his strong words, to which he replied. �I reread my statements to you a moment ago and feel sad that I should state a decorated Marine Viet Nam hero should have changed his stripes so significantly, apparently to satisfy his current political status.  I hold Rep. Jean Schmidt's comment, "Cowards cut and run, Marines never do" in high esteem and quite correct.  Hopefully, Col. John Murtha will rethink his statement and his attacks upon a commander-in-chief (same speech) as a liar.

Bob�

Like the Marine that sent Rep. Schmidt to read a message to congress, Mr. Hallett�s comments do nothing to malign the past heroism of Rep. John Murtha some thirty-five years ago in Viet Nam. Instead, they rightfully question the motives behind the current acts of cowardice of Democrats throughout the people�s government, including the recent acts and statements of one Rep. John Murtha.

I believe that Mr. Hallett is exactly right here. People do change with time, not always for the better and not always for the best reasons. It does appear that Rep. Murtha has either lost his will to win, his will to defend freedom and liberty, whether in Somalia, Iraq, or even here at home, or been overcome by the leadership of his failing Party, resorting to the same desperate attacks that have become standard DNC operating procedure today.

Viet Nam was the first war fought on our TV screens, and consequently, the first war to be heavily politicized back home while our troops were in harm�s way. Democrats and their minions in the press have worked diligently to turn the war on terrorism into another Viet Nam by once again politicizing a war effort in search of an elusive political power.

Soldiers shouldn�t have to remind Americans back home how to properly behave during a time of war. They sure shouldn�t have to remind the people who authorized that war.

As sad as it is to see a good mans past honor tarnished in the political brawl over Iraq, it is even sadder to think of what it must be like to be in uniform, on the ground in Iraq or many other parts of the world, fighting an enemy capable of 9/11, feeling the need to write home just to tell your politicians to shut up and have a little backbone.

Clearly, the blood of real Americans is nearing a boiling point and the era of tolerance for anti-Americanism at home is fast coming to an overdue end� Jack Murtha will always be a Viet Nam war hero. Nobody can ever take that away from him.

But his actions today, like the actions of his fellow Democrats, are anything but heroic. And no amount of hogwash from DNC headquarters or their many minions in the press can change that either.

Copyright by JB Williams, www.JB-Williams.com