Hey Joe, Why'd You Put that Gun in your Hand?

You can view Joseph A Palermo's post 'Hey Joe' - HERE

"Both Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. argued that the goals of social reform at home died in the jungles of Vietnam. For every American in poverty, they said, the US government spent $52; and for every "Vietcong" killed, over $120,000. Today, the spilling of American blood and treasure in Iraq is not an "issue" that can be shunted aside so we can indulge in cheery talk about health care, education, and the environment. As long as that occupation continues it will be a debilitating drain on scarce resources that we need to invest here at home; resources upon which any Democratic agenda worthy of the name depends."

40,000 US Troops Have Deserted Since 2000
July 05, 2006

Thousands of troops say they won’t fight
By Ana Radelat
Gannett News Service

Swept up by a wave of patriotism after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Chris Magaoay joined the Marine Corps in November 2004.
The newly married Magaoay thought a military career would allow him to continue his college education, help his country and set his life on the right path.


Less than two years later, Magaoay became one of thousands of military deserters who have chosen a lifetime of exile or possible court-martial rather than fight in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“It wasn’t something I did on the spur of the moment,” said Magaoay, a native of Maui, Hawaii. “It took me a long time to realize what was going on. The war is illegal.”
Magaoay said his disillusionment with the military began in boot camp in Twentynine Palms, Calif., where a superior officer joked about killing and mistreating Iraqis. When his unit was deployed to Iraq in March, Magaoay and his wife drove to Canada, joining a small group of deserters who are trying to win permission from the Canadian government to stay.
“We’re like a tight-knit family,” Magaoay said.
The Pentagon says deserters like Magaoay represent a tiny fraction of the nation’s fighting forces.

You can read rest of report HERE-Air Force Times

Navy Petty officer held in secret for 4 months
Tim McGlone

Aug 04, 2006

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA — A petty officer has been in the Norfolk Naval Station brig for more than four months facing espionage, desertion and other charges, but the Navy has refused to release details of the case.
The case against Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann is indicative of the secrecy surrounding the Navy military court here, where public affairs and trial court officials have denied access to basic information including the court docket – a listing of cases to be heard.
After months of requests, the Navy this week provided The Virginian-Pilot with Weinmann’s name, rank and the charges he faces.
In an e-mail, Theodore Brown, a spokesman for Fleet Forces Command, said, “It is sometimes a challenge to balance the desires of the media, the public’s right to know, and the rights of an individual accused of a crime.”
“In this case,” he concluded, the command “is attempting to provide as much unclassified information as is reasonable, while maintaining an appropriate concern for the privacy of the individual involved. ”
A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment Thursday.

You can read rest of report HERE or HERE

More photo's of the New 'Camp Casey - Crawford' can be found HERE