Heroes lead effort to reinstate DADT

A joint statement of two of America's greatest living military heroes – Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton (USN, ret.), a POW for seven years, seven months in Vietnam, and Maj. Gen. Patrick H. Brady (USA, ret.), Medal of Honor recipient – calling for the 112th Congress to reinstate the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which was repealed in a rush by the lame-duck session of the Pelosi-Reid-Obama 111th Congress, has sparked a strong and growing response.

That response has ranged from an almost immediate action by American Legionnaires in California to pass a formal resolution calling on the 112th Congress to reinstate DADT, to endorsement and re-publication of the joint statement of Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady by such national organizations as the Thomas More Law Center and the Alliance Defense Fund.

The joint statement of Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady was published by WND in conjunction with the special February 2011 edition of its Whistleblower magazine, which is devoted entirely to the issue of DADT. Both Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady are featured in the issue, titled "Dropping the 'H'-Bomb." It includes such other military heroes as Lt. Gen. William Boykin, U.S. Navy Commander and former POW Eugene B. McDaniel, and scores of commentaries by active-duty personnel, many of whom asked that their names be withheld for fear of retaliation.

In their joint statement, Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady wrote, in part:

"We each contributed our views to this special edition of Whistleblower, and believe it is the best single resource for understanding the implications, ramifications and potential unintended consequences of repeal of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy and consequent creation of a 'quad-sexual military' (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual and transgender) in which open homosexuality is not only allowed, but authorized and approved for the first time in American military history.

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"As two who have proudly served in our nation's military in war, we believe such a transformation of the unique military culture is fraught with danger to our armed forces – and to our nation. Therefore, we believe that the 112th Congress should and must reinstate the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, which was hastily and shamefully repealed by the lame-duck 111th Congress before the newly elected 112th Congress could consider the issue with the care and deliberation it deserves."

Whistleblower Editor David Kupelian, in his own column in Whistleblower, challenged the 112th Congress to reinstate DADT, writing: "Let's honor the service and sacrifice of our armed forces by not enforcing an absurd, immoral and dangerous social experiment on them. We're at war; let's act like it."

Kupelian said that due to the importance of the "don't ask, don't tell" issue and the joint statement of Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady, and in response to requests from members of The American Legion and others, the special DADT issue of Whistleblower is for the first time being made available, free, online.

Adm. Denton, one of the most decorated officers in Naval history, first became nationally known when, as a POW, he foiled an attempt by his Communist captors in Vietnam to use him for propaganda purposes in a television interview to be broadcast internationally by a Japanese firm. Instead, Denton, while refusing to condemn the U.S. as demanded, blinked erratically on camera as if there was a problem with his eye. In fact, he was blinking "T-O-R-T-U-R-E" in Morse code. American intelligence recognized immediately that Denton was confirming the suspicions that American POWs were being tortured. When the North Vietnamese Communists realized Denton had tricked them, he was savagely tortured to near death. Adm. Denton tells the story of the terrible torture that American POWs endured by Communists in Vietnam in his shocking, unforgettable book, "When Hell Was In Session," a new and expanded edition of which was recently published by WND Books.

"I am gratified to see the response of veterans and other citizens to the joint statement that Gen. Brady and I issued calling for the 112th Congress to reinstate the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. I have received calls and e-mails from all over the country from veterans and other citizens since publication of our joint statement by Whistleblower magazine and WorldNetDaily.com," said Adm. Denton, who served as spokesman for the first POWs to return home on Feb. 15, 1973, and was later elected to the United States Senate from the state of Alabama.

"My experience in the U.S. Navy convinces me that repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' represents a profound transformation of our American military, which is both unwise and unconscionable, especially in wartime," Adm. Denton said. "And my experience in the U.S. Senate convinces me that if this transformation of the American military by the present administration is to be halted by reinstatement of DADT, it will take a nationwide demand of Americans, particularly veterans, on their representatives and senators in the 112th Congress, and on President Obama, to do so and do so quickly."

Maj. Gen. Patrick H. Brady, one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. history, received the Medal of Honor for service as a "Dust Off" combat helicopter ambulance pilot. He became a legend for flying where it was thought impossible to fly, including knowingly landing in mine fields. He is credited with rescuing over 5,000 wounded in over 2,500 combat missions. In the action for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor, Gen. Brady had three helicopters consecutively shot up so badly they could not be flown. He kept returning for the wounded as each helicopter in turn was shot up.

As modest as he is heroic, Gen. Brady celebrates not his own heroism but the "unsung, untold story of the humanitarian acts of American soldiers in Vietnam, unprecedented in the history of war," in his book: "DEAD MEN FLYING: The Legend of Dust Off: America's Battlefield Angels," which he authored with his daughter, Meghan Brady Smith, herself a former Army captain and Bronze Star recipient in the war against terrorism in Iraq. WND Books will soon release a new edition of Gen. Brady's book, a must-read if the truth of American veterans' humanitarian acts at war in Vietnam is to be known, and belatedly appreciated, by their country.

Gen. Brady has also authored a must-read essay in Whistleblower, detailing rarely carefully examined implications, ramifications and likely unintended consequences of creating a "quad-sexual military" based upon political rather purely military considerations, including the fact that every soldier is a "walking blood bank" in combat, and homosexual males cannot donate blood, raising the question of whether they can even be deployed. Asked the reason why he joined with Adm. Denton to publicly call now for action by the 112th Congress to reinstate DADT, Gen. Brady said:

"In my lifetime, I have never seen such an assault on the military, its traditions and readiness. They are undermanned, over-committed and hollowing out. In the middle of a resource shortfall and op tempo from hell, resources are being cut and the leadership is introducing homosexuals, transgenders and bisexuals into foxholes and military communities. Soon to follow we will teach our mothers and sisters to kill. If all these changes stand, our military will fall below the hollow military of the '70s. Citizens, particularly veterans, should take a stand and demand the 112th Congress put a stop to this, and not make any change without careful deliberation and solely on military considerations, not on political grounds."

Gen. Brady emphasized: "It is not enough to attempt to justify a change on the ground that it will not worsen military cohesion and effectiveness. It must be shown that a change enhances military cohesion and effectiveness. Elimination of DADT and creation of a quad-sexual military cannot pass that test."

As far as is known, none of the recognized major veterans' services organization has supported elimination of DADT. For instance, The American Legion is the largest wartime veterans organization in the world with 2.5 million members in 14,000 Posts. The Legion "strongly opposed" the rush to repeal DADT by the 111th Congress. In a position statement it said:

"The American Legion has repeatedly asserted that now – in the midst of war – is simply not the time for social experimentation. This cautionary message was the same offered by Commandant of the Marine Corps. Gen. James Amos and the leadership of the Army and Air Force. They agreed in testimony … before the Senate Armed Services Committee that repeal of don't ask, don't tell would be a distraction upon those in combat roles today."

National Commander Jimmie L. Foster has stated succinctly: "The American Legion remains convinced that a repeal of don't ask, don't tell cannot be easily implemented and could compromise the effectiveness of crucially needed fighting forces."

Almost on the same day the joint statement of Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady was released by Whistleblower, American Legion Post 79 in Riverside, Calif., voted to adopt a formal resolution calling on the 112th Congress to reinstate don't ask, don't tell as called for by Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady. Post 79 Commander Robert D. Castillo, a Vietnam War veteran (USN), said: "We in Post 79 are proud to salute and follow the lead of Admiral Denton and General Brady, for whom we have the greatest respect and admiration, in their call for action to demand that the 112th Congress reinstate DADT."

Castillo said the Post 79 resolution inspired by Adm. Denton and Gen. Brady would be voted upon by "Fighting District 21," covering 6,000 Legionnaires in 22 Posts in Riverside County, Calif., on March 6. If passed, it will be submitted to the California Department Convention (approximately 130,000 members), and, "we hope it will ultimately be adopted by our National American Legion Convention," Castillo said.

Adm. Denton was asked how he would respond to speculations by liberal political pundits that even if veterans and citizens mount a grass-roots movement demanding reinstatement of DADT, and even if the House voted to reinstate DADT, the Senate probably would not, and President Obama would veto such a bill, as he owes so much to homosexuals.

"If members of the House or Senate should vote against reinstating DADT, or if President Obama should veto reinstatement, then they should pay the price in the 2012 elections when a new Congress and a new president will be voted upon," Adm. Denton said.

"It has to be remembered that the primary constitutional duty of the president is to defend Americans against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That is why the president is also the commander in chief," Adm. Denton said. "That duty, our military and the lives of those fine Americans serving in our military are too important to be jeopardized by a transformation based upon political grounds, including advancing the homosexual agenda, instead of policies being decided solely upon military grounds advancing the effectiveness and cohesion of our military."

Rees Lloyd is a longtime civil-rights attorney and veterans activist.