|
To: Stewie-baby Now to the personal stuff. Aside from a few attempts at humorous sarcasm, I have attempted to keep this conversation on a factual plane of the issues raised by my writings and your criticism of them. But your defense of Stapleton (and his initial e-mail to me) was so full of accusations and assertions regarding my personal character, that I am compelled to respond with a few factual comments and questions regarding leadership and character.
I do not know you personally or professionally, so the only direct evidence I have of your 'character' is your unsubstantiated claims regarding mine. You state that "Today you are widely viewed as only 'one dimensional,' white noise on the hill,' 'aims at the wrong targets,' 'radical, 'enjoys no credibility in academic circles, publishes his work using a vanity press, which is very lame and a bit off the deep end.'" Since I haven't seen you or any other of my critics supply an iota of evidence to support these claims, I must conclude that you don't or, worse yet, cannot, argue any of the merits of the issues or subjects on which I have written. You and the other critics can only ASSERT your claims and press a personal attack. But there is more here than meets the eye concerning your 'character.' You see, Stewie-baby, I have heard those claims before. First from a reporter at my Pentagon book signing event. And they came primarily from the PAO flacks and flag-rank officers of whom I have been critical. So, I know that you did not come to your conclusion by any independent study of the evidence, including my published works. This leads us to wonder whether or not you can think independently or whether you are, indeed, a lemming. Or worse yet, maybe you are currying favor with your superiors by sucking-up and parroting the party line. Did you do this with Pipper Burns? I heard these claims before also from RADM Kendall Pease, the PAO who was ADM Boorda's agent for misleading the American people throughout the Hultgreen affair. RADM Pietropoli, then a CDR in Pease's office, was also in on this coverup. It is on the published record that he lied at least twice to reporters, including Bob Caldwell of the San Diego Union-Tribune, about this matter. Is it a surprise that Pease was rewarded with a plush public relations job after retirement with General Dynamics Corporation? Is it a surprise that Pietropoli is now in Pease's former Navy post? My, but success in today's Navy does depend on one's 'flexibility' with the TRUTH. As to the 'vanity press' charge, you and the Navy flacks are completely off the mark. My books have been reviewed in the USNI 'Proceedings,' the Tailhook Association's 'Hook,' ANA's 'Wings of Gold,' the 'Military' magazine and various national newspapers. I have had full-fledged book signings at the Pentagon Book Store (inside the Pentagon) and at Barnes & Noble in Annapolis. My books have sold over 7,500 copies in mainstream bookstores, including Borders Books, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com. The 'From Trust to Terror' book has been used as a textbook at a college in Pennsylvania.
Oh, and there is another item of interest to us. You state that, "My generation has been shot at, won Distinguished Flying Crosses, gone to TPS, flown in air shows and done it all without bragging and measuring manhood on the Internet." Stewie-baby, I thought this dogfight was between you and me. Please tell me about your DFC, your Most Outstanding Test Pilot award at TPS, the year and aircraft that you flew in the Paris Air Show, been shot at, and done it all. Just what have you accomplished in your Navy career, Stewie-baby? We are waiting with baited breath to hear the details. Could it be that you are just a bag full of hot air? Could it be that you have seen too many Tom Cruise movies? Could it be that you don't quite measure up, except on the playboy 'joke net?' And one more thing. You make the accusation that, "...I hope you do not unravel like that...in combat." For one who has not even had the opportunity to engage a resourceful and determined enemy in prolonged combat, this is a strange charge to make. So, I searched all over for my 'Texas sized' ego cruise box and finally found a scrap book in the basement which contains my DFC citation. It was way over in a corner which is piled high with other stuff. I haven't looked at it in over ten years.
"On 2 June 1966 Lieutenant Commander ATKINSON was the pilot of an escorted RA5C reconnaissance aircraft flying against the heavily defended Vinh Son target complex in North Vietnam. It had long been realized that this stronghold was a concentration of extremely heavy antiaircraft activity with surface-to-air guided missile sightings in the immediate vicinity. Recent photography was unavailable to determine the reason for the impregnability of enemy defenses. Analyzing the expected enemy defenses and planning tactics to gain best coverage, Lieutenant Commander ATKINSON boldly executed the assigned mission. Eight miles from the target complex he observed many muzzle flashes from eighty-five millimeter guns and jinked only in altitude in order to obtain best photographic coverage. As the accurate barrage surrounded his aircraft, violent concussions made control of the aircraft extremely difficult. The escort warned that radar controlled fifty-seven and thirty-seven millimeter fire was tracking at Lieutenant Commander ATKINSON's six o'clock position and altitude and after jinking violently to the left he felt a series of hits which were later determined to be thirty-seven millimeter holes of ten inch diameter in the horizontal stabilizer and of four inch diameter in the wing's leading edge. Disregarding the extreme danger to himself and his aircraft, he boldly turned back into the center of the target complex amidst continuous intense eighty-five, fifty-seven and thirty-seven millimeter antiaircraft fire to gain complete photographic coverage, having been under fire during the entire fifteen mile run. Through his superior airmanship, determination and disregard for his own safety, he obtained photographic intelligence that enabled the subsequent devastating strikes to destroy or heavily damage many of the targets provided by his efforts." "The photographic information obtained included extensive, undamaged barracks and storage areas; a new petroleum storage depot; three serviceable highway bridges and an undamaged railroad bridge, as well as a suspected surface-to-air guided missile site under construction. Additional coverage included extensive waterway traffic and numerous antiaircraft sites. Utilizing this information, strikes were repeatedly conducted against these targets with outstanding results from 5 through 23 June." Don't get me wrong, Stewie-baby, I don't view myself as a hero as a result of this award. I was a professional naval aviator just doing my job. I send this citation to you only because of your challenge of whether or not I "...unravelled in combat." So, now, Stewie-baby, please give us the benefit of reading the details of the citation for your Distinguished Flying Cross -- if you have earned one. We would all be interested in learning whether or not you 'unravel' under actual combat conditions.
|
||