Decorated Vet Rips General for 'Hide the Uniform' Order

[sfc_darrel]

Friday April 18, 2003 3 p.m. EDT
Decorated Vet Rips General for 'Hide the Uniform' Order

Members of the U.S. military, in San Antonio and everywhere, should be able to wear their uniforms with honor, pride and dignity.

But they've been warned against wearing them in public by their own commander, Maj. Gen. Darrel R. Porr.

Yes, you read that correctly. Our heroes can't wear in public what should be the finest piece of clothing any American could don.

And one Purple Heart veteran of an 18 month combat tour in Vietnam as a 101st Airborne Division paratrooper and a Green Beret with the 5th Special Forces Group, who is also a former Special Agent with the U.S. Treasury Department and has a Master's in military history, thinks it an outrage.

"There is absolutely no excuse for a general officer ordering our service personnel out of uniform. He had several options open to him other than this namby-pamby approach to giving in to the thugs," wrote Lonnie Shoultz, whose son is in the Coast Guard and on assignment right now in the Middle East.

"I hope that my son never has to serve under a gutless officer like the one in San Antonio. These are the timid leaders who get good men killed in combat."

Mr. Shoultz was in fact so angry that he mailed off some letters with a few choice words in them.

he told NewsMax: "I just sent my Congressman's office a copy of my letter to the San Antonio newspaper story about the instructions to the service personnel to take off their uniforms, a copy of my letter to the reporter who wrote the story, the reporter's message to me this morning asking to print my letter and my permission statement to him."

"I told my Congressman's Chief of Staff that I never wanted to be accused of going behind anyone's back about something as serious as calling a Major General a coward.

"I asked him to get a copy of all the documentation to the Inspector General of the Army so that the paperwork will be on his desk when my letter hits the street in San Antonio on Tuesday. I just will not have a gutless bastard like General Porr defiling a post like Ft. Sam Houston where brave men are honored.

"The name that came to mind was Roy P. Benavidez, a Medal of Honor winner in Special Forces in Vietnam. Read his medal's citation sometime [you can read it by clicking here - Ed.].

"I attended Roy's funeral in San Antonio at Fort Sam Houston and I want the commanding general [Maj. Gen. Porr] to explain to the Inspector General of the Army why he took the coward's way of telling his subordinates to conceal their membership in the U.S. Armed Forces.

"He has besmirched every man and woman who ever wore a uniform of the military in this country."

Yes, it's bad enough that we have to put up with the blame America first leftists in Hollywood, and the communist-supported appeasement activists who burn our flag and denigrate our country, but the heroes of our military should never have to hide their uniforms.

So, Americans, if you see a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine or a member of the Coast Guard on the street, remember to tell them that we support them, honor them and thank them for our freedom.
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecov...03/4/18/145428

[Seascamp]

My guess is some word is out that local Troops are targeted for some kind of demonstration and/or violence. This was more or less SOP in a lot of places during the VN war. I know we couldn?t wear the uniform in Manila, PI, and some Australian ports and a few times in Singapore. In San Francisco it was recommended that we not and it was a similar deal in Seattle/Bremerton. I suppose wearing the Cracker Jacks was a function of how feisty an individual felt and how many pals he had close at hand. I don?t recall any trouble aside from the usual Sailor in port insanity and that was usually more than enough problems, for sure.

Scamp

[sfc_darrel]

Roddy Stinson: 'Avoid wearing of uniform' general warns local soldiers


Web Posted : 04/13/2003 12:00 AM

"If possible, avoid wearing of the uniform when dining in public places."
? From a "Protective Measures Awareness" notice sent to San Antonio's U.S. Army personnel by Maj. Gen. Darrel R. Porr on Friday

April 11, 2003, will be remembered as one of the saddest dates in Alamo City history.

Because of recent instances of harassment of uniformed personnel, Porr, the commanding general at Fort Sam Houston, felt compelled to warn the men and women who serve under him to use caution when traveling, shopping and dining in San Antonio.

"Two separate incidents against military personnel have occurred," Porr reported. "In the first incident, two males on the city's Northeast Side made threatening gestures and pounded on the car window of a drill sergeant and his spouse while they were on their way home.

"The second incident involved two sailors, in uniform, who were accosted by several males who said, 'You'd better not go to war,' as they departed a River Walk restaurant."

Porr provided this possible explanation for the hostile actions:

"There has been a significant increase of demonstrations throughout the United States in opposition to the ongoing U.S.-led military operations in Iraq.

"As individuals voice their opinions against military operations, they tend to direct their frustrations toward governmental and military symbols."

On receiving a copy of the notice from an anonymous e-mailer, I called Fort Sam to ask for more details about the incidents, in general, and the harassers, in particular.

A post spokesman indicated that more information was available, but declined "to go there."

He then made a point of emphasizing:

"Soldiers here in San Antonio have always proudly worn their uniform because of the support for the military.

"Previously, there has never been any perceived threat. This is quite unusual.

"Even during Vietnam, San Antonio was one community that supported the military forces.

"That's one reason the general put that notice out ... because (such harassment) is so unusual in this community."

The notice included cautions other than the warning not to wear uniforms when dining in San Antonio restaurants.

Porr also recommended:

"Be cognizant of people who gather and voice their sentiments against the military efforts in Iraq. Do not get involved."

"When in public facilities, soldiers should avoid conversations related to work or military operations in general."

"Always practice the 'Buddy System' when traveling."

"When in uniform, minimize the number of stops when traveling from home to work or vice versa. Wear civilian clothing when possible."

There you have it: San Antonio, Texas, anno Domini 2003, in all its un-glory.

What's worse ...

Community leaders continue to show pitifully little support for U.S. soldiers.

Example in point:

City officials have been mute as mice since troops entered Iraq. (The San Antonio City Council, which regularly passes resolutions honoring everything from the Dallas Cowboys to Hike and Bike Week, has deigned only to observe "a moment of silence" for the troops and their families.)

Add to that palpable hush the rants of the town's Saddam Hussein apologists, and "Military City USA" can easily degenerate into a South Texas backwater, where men and women in uniform can't safely wear their uniforms in public.

"Sad" hardly describes such a miserable state of affairs.

Fortunately, all of the news surrounding the recent threats isn't dreary.

One unofficial source I talked to said he had seen the police report of the incident on the River Walk, and he provided this description of the confrontation:

"Some Marines who were nearby saw what was happening and went to the sailors' aid.

"The matter was then taken care of by combined military action."
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.c...aen&xlc=979366

[reeb]

I along with alot of sailors, marines, air force wore our uniforms on liberty in Manila and Alongapo in the Phillipines in 65/66.

When we crossed the equator in 66 to Australia we wore them. The same in New Zealand.
When I came home for the 30 days leave ( only once). As soon as I got to Seatac Airport, the civies came out., but you also stood out like a sore thumb.

To me I think you should be able to wear your military uniform when and where you want but at your own risk.

This Gen., most likely wears his to functions that dont require them.

The EM are being pointed out again for some reason.

enough...........

[SuperScout]

Early this morning, I heard about this story on the local radio station, a talk-show/news/weather and traffic format. I was so pissed that I pulled over, cranked up my cell phone, and blasted that spineless general with a burst of 8. This general's type of gutless wonder-dog behavior only fuels the fires of the cowards, and I would like to put on my uniform (it still fits) and tell him to his sorry face that he is a disgrace and should resign his commission immediately. Two totally unrelated, miniscule incidents, and this idiot of a leader panics. That wouldn't inspire a good deal of enthusiasm or high morale in my books.

[sfc_darrel]

SuperScout

EXACTLY!

From SE Asia to Central America and from Europe to the USA, I wore my uniform with pride, with honor and with dignity. No gutless SOB could have ever stopped my pride in the uniform that I wore.

The General should resign his commission and find clothing more suitable to his intestinal fortitude.

As for me, I shall let everyone know that I was a member of the military and support our troups.

Darrel

[SuperScout]

Dammit man, you just might have provided sufficient inspiration for me to put on my greens, (I was given a black beret with appropriate rank, when I was recently invited to give the graduation speech at Ft. Benning), and take the short drive down to San Antone. I live about 70 miles from Ft Sam, have enough salad to have some credibility, and will hold a news conference outside the main gate at Ft. Sam. I want to see the slimey excuse for a general officer squirm like the spineless worm he is. My best guess is that he will be doing some furious backing-and-filling before the weekend's out.

[39mto39g]

In 1968 I got out of the Army, I didn't have any civilian cloths, I did have a Jungle shirt with Army on one pocket and last name in Marker on the other pocket, Camo, CIB, 25th patch on the right sholder and 5th inf on the left. This State cop stopped me one day as I was walking down the road with it on and told me to take it off or go to jail, Because I wasn't in the Army any more. I had kind of a temper back then and I proceeded to tell him &%^($#@!!, and (*{:")*&^> The superviseor came to me and said Im sorry and shook my hand and turned and left. I went, WHAT the hell was that.
I expected to go to jail. I wasn't going to take that shirt off.
Im looking at it right now in my closet.

Ron

[SEATJERKER]

...There is no place on GOD'S green earth that I would ever be ordered to remove my uniform,...(should I still be in one)...

...You Earned It, You Wear It, Until someone takes it off you....PERIOD...

[Andy]

Give me a break! I can?t tell you how many times two men yelled at me and maybe pounded on my car, or a group of people made threats. Of course the guys at Ft. Sam are military and I was a cop but these two incidents were enough to be ordered everyone not to wear the uniform off base? How could someone like this get to be a general? Aren?t officers supposed to have an aggressive bone in their bodies? Doesn?t he sound like a pacifist marriage therapist? My wife has more balls than this guy. How do you think the locals would react to a few Psycho Vets???

?69 were turbulent times, that was when I got out of the service but no one ever ordered me to wear or not wear anything. My uniform (Class A's) were discarded because all the good looking, easy girls were hippies, so a college t-shirt and pair of jeans were the correct uniform of the day. Hell, if a group of locals, or if some military officer ?ordered? me not to wear the uniform there?s no doubt that?s what I?d have worn (except when in pick-up bars).

Not trying to sound like I ever went out looking for a fight, really not that sort of person. However this order sounds like someone ordering me to go out on ambush and take a full back pack, flack vest, helmet, e-tool, gas mask and a piano. Screw that, screw the general!
Scout: Make some noise.

Stay healthy,
Andy