Why do conservatives hate our troops?

[barondave]

I'm a few days late on this one, gleaned from Democratic Underground's Top 10 Conservative Idiots 304.

Short of Purple Hearts, Navy tells vet to buy own

PEARLAND — Korean War veteran Nyles Reed, 75, opened an envelope last week to learn a Purple Heart had been approved for injuries he sustained as a Marine on June 22, 1952.

But there was no medal. Just a certificate and a form stating that the medal was "out of stock."

"I can imagine, of course, with what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, there's a big shortage," Reed said. "At least, I would imagine so."

The form letter from the Navy Personnel Command told Reed he could wait 90 days and resubmit an application, or buy his own medal.

After waiting 55 years, however, Reed decided to pay $42 for his own Purple Heart and accompanying ribbon — plus state sales taxes — at a military surplus store.

Comments

[davidwilford.livejournal.com]

Maybe the RNC has a few of those Purple Heart band-aids left they can give to the Navy to hand out instead.

[freeimprov.livejournal.com]

I think Bob Dole used them all.

(and since he's the only Republican I can think of to actually serve in ground combat... yeah, they have to reach back to WWII. McCain's POW stint doesn't count as "ground combat" to me. He was a pilot who got shot down and subsequently captured)

[davidkevin.livejournal.com]

McCain is permanently partially crippled from the torture inflicted on him by the North Vietnamese: in his most recent appearance on The Daily Show, I saw clear limits on his range of motion for both arms and his back. His Purple Heart is as well-deserved as any man's.

It is disgusting that Mr. Reed was made to pay for his own medal instead of receiving it in a proper ceremony where he would get the egoboo he deserves in exchange for what happened to him -- but neither McCain nor Dole should be blamed for this -- if brought to their attentions they'd be just as incensed as DavE.