Of all the jabs and barbs being flung tonight, one was more obvious to the members of the military and their families. Did you notice it? If you don't know someone in the military serving overseas, then you can be forgiven. Sen Joe Biden can not.
Look at any picture or video of the debate, Gov Palin is wearing, above her flag lapel pin, a small blue star banner pin. The blue star banner is worn or displayed by those with family members serving in combat overseas. She never once referred to it, but military members around the world nonetheless keyed on to it.
A blue star banner hung in the window of my home for the entire time I was away. 465 days. It was a touchstone for my wife, and a point of reminding my kids where daddy is. Serving his country.
Gov Palin gave an under the radar sign to military families tonight that she understands their hardships and worry. And she was classy enough not to mention Sen Biden's son, who will get no closer to actual danger than a scary plane ride. Heck, he may even be one of the JAG officers looking into the Haditha affair. Wouldn't that be funny.
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That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of Minnesota against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The ravings of an infantryman far and long from the home he left, but trying to find his place in this world.
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It should go without saying, but what you are reading on this blog is my opinions. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the content here does not represent the official view of the Minnesota National Guard, the US Army, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Republican Party, the Great Pumpkin and especially not my wife.
3 comments:
He was dinging our heroes all night, but on a technicality factor, which is where troop support fence sitters (not to mention spinmeisters in the main stream media) live, I believe his son has not yet deployed.
If the pin is a sign of overseas combat deployment, he may not yet be attackable for not wearing it.
I could be wrong though and will retract in a millisecond since it pains me to even defend a defeatocrat like this on an issue like this.
Fact Sheet on Service Flags from the Pentagon.
From the fact sheet:
"The service flag authorized by the Act may be displayed in a window of the place of residence of persons who are members of the immediate family of a person serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities in which the Armed Forces of the United States may be engaged, for the duration of such period of war or hostilities."
(i.e. the stars are authorized for anyone on active duty. You don't have to be in overseas combat deployment)
They also define "immediate family" on the fact sheet. If Sen. Biden's son is on active duty, he could (and should) wear the pin, and display the flag.
Our family's front window has a two star service flag - for my husband's two brothers, one of whom is currently in Afghanistan.
Most commonly for the national Guard, it's displayed when a family member is, or is about to, deploy overseas. I'm surprised that Sen Biden didn't acknowledge his son's deployment somehow. It's an area that Dems are traditionally weak in.
And for the record, Captain Biden had a sendoff ceremony the day after the debate.
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