Medal of Honor winner offends Muslims
Hat tip, Blonde Sagacity.
During a conference call with reporters (arranged by Florida's Republican Comittee --NOT John McCain), one of McCain's fellow former POW's said this:
"The Muslims
have said either we kneel or they're going to kill us. I don't intend
to kneel and I don't advocate to anybody that we kneel, and John
doesn't advocate to anybody that we kneel." ~Col. Bud Day
"Muslim leaders and Arab-American groups quickly denounced the ''bigoted'' comments by Day, a Pensacola resident, Medal of Honor recipient and member of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attack machine from 2004.
''This is as close to racist as it gets. These are cheap street tactics,'' said Khaled Saffuri, who helped organize Arab outreach for President Bush's 2000 campaign but is now a Libertarian. ``Even if this is called a mistake or a slip of the tongue, it shows a bigger problem with racism. McCain and the Republican party should denounce this.''
''It's perpetuating a form of Islam-ophobia,'' said Saif Ishoof, a Miami Republican and president of the Center for Voter Advocacy, a nonpartisan group in Florida that educates Muslims about the political process." (source)
Col Day never even mentioned race, and many leaders from the Muslim world have threatened us and our allies countless times. Here's to an American hero for telling it like it is.
On August 26, 1967, Day was flying in the F-100s back seat for Captain Corwin "Kip" Kippenham in Misty 31, directing an air strike against a surface-to-air missile (SAM) site west of Dong Hoi, 20 miles (32 km) north of the Demilitarized Zone in North Vietnam. Day was on his 65th mission and acting as check pilot for Captain Kippenham, who was flying as aircraft commander for the first time. 37 mm antiaircraft fire crippled the aircraft, forcing the crew to eject. In the ejection, Day's right arm was broken in three places when he struck the side of the cockpit, and he also experienced eye and back injuries.
Kippenham was rescued, but Day was unable to contact the rescue helicopter by survival radio and was quickly captured by North Vietnamese local militia. On his fifth night, when he was still within twenty miles of the DMZ, Day escaped from his initial captors despite his serious injuries. Although stripped of both his boots and flight suit, Day crossed the Demilitarized Zone back into South Vietnam, becoming the only U.S. prisoner to escape from North Vietnam. Within two miles of the U.S. Marine firebase at Con Thien and after 12-15 days of evading, he was captured again, this time by a Viet Cong patrol that wounded him in the leg and hand with gunfire.
Taken back to his original camp, Day was tortured for escaping, breaking his right arm again. He then was moved to several prison camps near Hanoi, where he was periodically beaten, starved, and tortured. In December 1967 Day shared a cell with Navy Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III who was even more seriously injured and emaciated. Air Force Major Norris Overly nursed both back to life, and McCain later devised a makeshift splint of bamboo and rags that helped heal Day's seriously atrophied arm.
On March 14, 1973, Day was released after five years and seven months as a North Vietnamese prisoner. Within three days Day was reunited with his wife, Doris Sorensen Day, and four children at March Air Force Base, California. On 4 March 1976, President Gerald Ford awarded Day the Medal of Honor for his personal bravery while a captive in North Vietnam.
Trackposted to Perri Nelson's Website, Rosemary's Thoughts, 123beta, Maggie's Notebook, Adam's Blog, Right Truth, Shadowscope, Cao's Blog, Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, Nuke's, Allie is Wired, Political Byline, third world county, McCain Blogs, Woman Honor Thyself, DragonLady's World, The World According to Carl, , Pirate's Cove, The Pink Flamingo, , CORSARI D'ITALIA, and Dumb Ox Daily News, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
