After Outcry, Rumsfield Will Begin Personally Signing Condelence Letters To Families

[NATO AIR]

um, i don't really see why this is such a big deal, but at the same time i guess when you compare rumsfield's treatment of the famiiles to pres. bush, rumsfield is put to shame

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10891-2004Dec18.html
After Outcry, Rumsfeld Says He Will Sign Condolence Letters

By Dana Milbank
The Washington Post
Sunday, December 19, 2004; Page A05

The Pentagon has acknowledged that Donald H. Rumsfeld did not sign condolence letters to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq, but it said that from now on the embattled defense secretary would stop the use of signing machines and would pick up the pen himself.

In a statement provided to Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper, Rumsfeld said: "I wrote and approved the now more than 1,000 letters sent to family members and next of kin of each of the servicemen and women killed in military action. While I have not individually signed each one, in the interest of ensuring expeditious contact with grieving family members, I have directed that in the future I sign each letter."

Letters from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to families of slain soldiers used a signature device.

The controversy arose when soldier-turned-writer David H. Hackworth penned a column on Nov. 22 reporting that two Pentagon-based colonels told him that Rumsfeld "has relinquished this sacred duty to a signature device rather than signing the sad documents himself." After checking with various families of the dead, Hackworth wrote that "one father bitterly commented that he thought it was a shame that the SecDef could keep his squash schedule but not find the time to sign his dead son's letter."

Hackworth wrote that a Pentagon spokesman, Jim Turner, dutifully told him that "Rumsfeld signs the letters himself." Now, that assertion turns out to be inoperative.

This is an unwelcome discovery for Rumsfeld, whose handling of the Iraq war has earned him complaints in recent days from several Republican senators. In particular, Rumsfeld drew criticism for his dismissive treatment of a question from an Iraq-bound soldier about the lack of protective equipment.

Stars and Stripes quoted families of the dead saying they were insulted that Rumsfeld did not sign the letters himself. They also said they were suspicious about the signature on similar letters they received from President Bush, but a White House spokesman said Bush does put pen to paper himself.

 

[Patriot]

Having Rumsfeld sign condolence letters is pathetic. If you dont understand what you are getting into when you join the military, and if your family isnt fully supportive of your choice then maybe you need to get a new family and maybe you need to rethink your choice of profession.

Last time I checked this was a ALL VOLUNTEER MILITARY!

 

[Gem]

This is just another liberal "GOTCHA!" to Rumsfeld...as if he has nothing better to do...you know, like try to make decisions to keep the other thousands of men and women in Iraq and Afganistan alive!

I'm sure that it is nicer to get a signed letter than a form letter...but I really think that it makes next to no difference to a grieving family.

 

[krisy]

He says he writes them all himself. Isn't that what's most important? I was surprised by that. I mean,isn't it more important what's in the letter and that he wrote as opposed to him signing it? JMO I think the media is on a mission to get him to resign,as if the terrorists will go away in Iraq if he isn't in charge anymore.

 

[dilloduck]

He's pissed off some big boys in Washington---I was glad to see Bush defend him so firmly. He's just the next whippin boy for the left.