The Extreme (Part one): Greyhawk on CJ

The header is from a piece that is over at Mudville Gazette. It is a column about our friend CJ Grisham. It starts with the column that is this week all over the Military Times publications, which I referenced earlier.

In Greyhawk's piece, though, there is much more than is found in the Military Times. No suprise, Greyhawk and CJ are friends, so no surprise, Greyhawk gives some personal insights into CJ and the current 'challenges' CJ and his family are facing..

...So my friend CJ isn't afraid of a fight. And now he's got one. I introduced as much of the story as I could here recently, but as you can see from the above picture there's now more in the Army (and Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps) Times - via the "Off Duty" insert that appears in each. Excerpt:...

...

Last June CJ was talking to White House officials, determined to get an explanation for why President Obama had not made any official statement regarding the murder of Army Private William Long in Little Rock by a Muslim extremist. The president had responded immediately to the murder of an abortion doctor that same weekend, but on the killing of one of his Soldiers, "other than an AP claim to the contrary there's actually no evidence available that the White House (or President Obama himself) has issued a statement regarding the murder of Army Private William Long earlier this month." In fact, "my follow up search [of the White House web page] for "Private Long" yielded only documents related to private long-term health insurance."

Those last quotes are from my coverage of CJ's story from June, as is this:

Some might question C.J.'s motives in keeping this story alive. All I can offer in response to that is that he's an Iraq war veteran (Bronze Star with V) and founder of the web site They Have Names - you can read about his motivation for that project here - but I can also offer personal testimony.

CJ and I were at the White House together, and given the chance to address the national security and veterans affairs staff he took the opportunity to express both his support and concerns for their efforts with regard to active and veteran troops - in a manner that impressed me as respectful, candid, honest, and authentic. At the time, the veterans should pay for their own healthcare story was resolved but still recent, and the President's decision (later reversed) to release additional Abu Ghraib photos was making headlines. He advised them in no uncertain terms that he saw those as early stumbles, that it wasn't a great start, but that he hoped for better things to come.

I'm certain this was not what he had in mind.

But the guy who wasn't afraid to fight his way out of an ambush in Iraq wasn't going to balk at politely asking the White House about what appeared to be (at best) a demonstration of very little concern for the murder of a US soldier by an Islamic extremist on US soil. Clearly the White House noticed CJ's efforts, and it should surprise no one that they didn't appreciate them. Then "last summer Grisham got into hot water when someone complained to officials"....

Greyhawk has much more to say about CJ. He also brings up a point that has puzzled me. In the aftermath of the recent Ft Hood murders, it became clear that the US military had been very aware of the radical leanings of Hassan, the murderer. (I refuse to give him his rank, since to do so - in my opinion - is an insult to every officer and soldier in the US military.) Despite repeated red flags waving furiously, that murderer was able to execute his plan of murder, that saw a base under attack. Nobody responded to obvious issues needing urgent attention, intervention, in that case.

Yet, when it comes to CJ Grisham, the military seems all too willing to respond to smears and innuendos, unbased fictions, to attempt to destroy a decent American. CJ has proved, every day of his military career, every line he has written in his milblogging, that he is a patriotic soldier - a HERO - yet the army seems hell-bent on doing their damnedest to embarass themselves, as they mishandle ANY part of what I can only describe as a deliberate trashing of a fine man, his family, and his career.

CJ does NOT stand alone in his efforts, however. Read all of Greyhawk's piece here, then follow his link to the Dawn Patrol. The military (and school and school board) has severely under-estimated the willingness of CJ - and military/milblogging colleagues - to see this battle to the end. BIG mistake.

I am confident that CJ will win this one. I am SURE that justice will prevail. There is no other viable, acceptable outcome. And yes, even over here in Bratville, I stand with CJ. It IS the moral thing to do.