The funeral of Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene.

PO3 John Jeter — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 11:33:02 -0400

Did anyone else anticipate that POTUS would be a no show at this funeral? Is a "Commanding Officer" obligated to attend services for a subordinate when and if possible? Does the death of a flag ranked officer merit the presence of a Commander in Chief or a personal representative at the services? (I'm having trouble using non-perjorative phrases here so I will leave it at this.)

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Aug 18 at 2014 5:21 AM

CW2 Joseph Evans — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:21:46 -0400

Excuse me... Who was this slick sleeve flag officer on his cherry combat tour? And why should I care?
You want a reason to shoot down the POTUS priorities, please pick a better justification than the death of a man that took a bullet in the back.

Response by Sgt Packy Flickinger made Aug 18 at 2014 5:55 AM

Sgt Packy Flickinger — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 05:55:47 -0400

The current potus is a coward, a liar, and a traitor. He supports terrorism and doesn't give a damn about the constitution. He disrespected the funeral of the ambassador also. He showed only for a photo op then walked out during the honors. He's one of the most disgusting men I can name in history. Half if America feels the same way. He's doing everything Hitler did in his rise to power. If I were still active and on presidential detail, I would have transferred or gon AWOL by now. Or worse, "upheld the constitution". "Against all enemies foreign and domestic". I'll leave the perjoratives out also, I usually don't.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 18 at 2014 7:03 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 07:03:20 -0400

I'm not sure if they are purposely avoiding it to NOT show preferential treatment when they have avoided all the others like the plague. He was the highest ranking member to die since Vietnam? To me, that will make a note in the history books. POTUS et als. could easily work something into their speech to honor everyone previously who gave their life in these conflicts. I know the media will play on the left and right and see how riled up they can make us.

Response by CCMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2014 10:43 AM

CCMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 10:43:19 -0400

General Greene was laid to rest during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The burial followed a private memorial service at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall.

Private. Memorial. Two very key words. Where the President goes, the media flocks. The logistical piece alone is a huge footprint. It would require the 800 mourners in attendance to be vetted in advance. "Sorry Uncle Tim. You're not allowed to attend this funeral because the Secret Service did not clear you or your family." Think, honestly, of the nightmare of burying your spouse. Now imagine holding that service at a time and date convenient to the POTUS schedule, with ample planning to allow for the PSD sweeps, the security, the vetting. Now, take your private ceremony and open it up to a media circus, with Nancy Grace herself narrating a play-by-play as TAPS is sounded.

We've yet to hear from the family, but everybody is assuming his absence was a slight. How do we know it wasn't by request of the family? Or that they were told he'd attend but - for security and protocol - they would have to jump through dozens of flaming hoops and that his widow didn't simply decline? This is the first combat death of an O8 since Vietnam - a very different time. What IS customary for this? A lot of assumptions are being made here, and sadly, instead of remembering a hero with dignity and honor, his death is being used as a political poster to say "Ah ha! Gotcha! This President doesn't honor our military's fallen." I wish they would let MG Greene rest in piece and latch on to ANY other example.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2014 12:20 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:20:42 -0400

I'm glad you refrained from the non-pejorative phrases; from the post (and the extracted quote) below, neither Presidents Bush nor Nixon attended the funerals of flag officers who died in combat, which the author knew. You were manipulated.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2552095

"Davis stated definitively that Nixon had attended the Dillard funeral in 1970 and Bush had attended the Maude funeral in 2001, a "tradition" of presidential attendance that Obama "bucked" by ignoring the Greene funeral. As it turned out, none of that was true, and Davis, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who played an important role in the War on Terror and who today teaches law at Howard University, knew it when he wrote it."

Twitter, Obama and the Gen. Harold Greene funeral hoax

Major General Harold Greene, the first U.S. general to die in combat since Vietnam, was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 14. At the time of the funeral, President Obama was on the course at the Vineyard Golf Club in Edgartown, Mass. As the president vacationed, the question of whether he should have attended the funeral set off an occasionally ugly, and certainly instructive, series of events on the Internet.On Friday morning, the...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2014 12:42 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:42:40 -0400

The Twitter Feed of the person who posted about Obama not attending MG Green's funeral:

Col. Morris Davis @ColMorrisDavis
Follow

@jsc1835 @MikeH7 Thanks! It's pretty funny that the RWNJs keep retweeting me not realizing (1) it was sarcasm and (2) it's not true.

Response by CW2 Jonathan Kantor made Aug 18 at 2014 1:04 PM

CW2 Jonathan Kantor — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 13:04:59 -0400

I think it would show preferential treatment to one Soldier over all the others. Yes, he was the highest-ranking Soldier to die in combat since Vietnam, but the three folks you listed can't go to every funeral so I think it is best that they go to none (Unless they know the person personally). The President personally calls or visits with the family of the deceased Soldiers for fatality. He has done so since he took office, and while not all Presidents have done that in the past, most have tried to do so if they were able.

Response by 1SG Steven Stankovich made Aug 18 at 2014 2:02 PM

1SG Steven Stankovich — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 14:02:26 -0400

I read this statement the other day. It is attributed to Matthew Joseph Myer Greene, MG Greene's son. I have no way to confirm that he actually said it, but I thought it would add something to the discussion here.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, while the president and vp were welcome to attend my father's funeral and burial lets make a few things clear.
1) my father is no more important than any other soldier lost in war. What message does it send if he attends one funeral over another? Does it make that soldier more important than another? What does it say to families?
2) do you think the president being at the service helps bring my father back or make us feel any better that he is gone? The answer is no.
3) If the president or vp had been there, there would have been more stress on our family simply in terms of logistics let alone security. More people would have had to stand outside or not come at all due to the security requirements .
I am happy the president or vp did not come because the ceremony was more personal, more intimate and better because we got to share it with the people who meant the most to us.
Do not allow news outlets to make a political soapbox out of my family or my father."

Response by 1SG Steven Stankovich made Aug 18 at 2014 3:36 PM

1SG Steven Stankovich — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 15:36:37 -0400

Chief, I don't think that there is a message that we as service members should take away from their absence at MG Greene's funeral service. Below is something that I read the other day and it is attributed to Matthew Joseph Myer Greene, MG Greene's son. Now I have no way of verifying that he said these words, but it does offer a different perspective to the topic.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, while the president and vp were welcome to attend my father's funeral and burial lets make a few things clear.
1) my father is no more important than any other soldier lost in war. What message does it send if he attends one funeral over another? Does it make that soldier more important than another? What does it say to families?
2) do you think the president being at the service helps bring my father back or make us feel any better that he is gone? The answer is no.
3) If the president or vp had been there, there would have been more stress on our family simply in terms of logistics let alone security. More people would have had to stand outside or not come at all due to the security requirements .
I am happy the president or vp did not come because the ceremony was more personal, more intimate and better because we got to share it with the people who meant the most to us.
Do not allow news outlets to make a political soapbox out of my family or my father."

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2014 3:42 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 15:42:39 -0400

I take away that they treat all fallen members the same. Seems to be a lot of finger pointing because they didn't go. What about all the other fallen? Was their sacrifice not as important as MG Greene's? I bet their families would argue otherwise. I just don't see where their lack of attendance should gain so much media attention.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 18 at 2014 3:54 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 15:54:54 -0400

The message we should take away is, "Do not let the left-wing or right-wing media do your thinking for you!" Some may think it would be a great sign of respect for the President, VP, etc to attend. However, for once I agree with the fact they didn't attend. The funeral was the last moment that his family would have with him. It was not the ocassion for a political statement to be made, and yet by him not attending, the media choose to make a political statement out of that. I am not a fan or supporter of much this President does or has done, however, this time it was a good decision not to attend the funeral.

Response by GySgt William Hardy made Aug 18 at 2014 5:13 PM

GySgt William Hardy — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 17:13:45 -0400

Back to the original question. When I use to teach US History and US Government, we did a lesson on the duties and responsibilities of the executive branch. One of those duties was to attend the funerals of important Americans and foreign dignitaries that were important to the USA. The President of the United States normally attends only the very important leaders. This leaves the Vice President, who has plenty of time on his hands, to travel and attend the lesser funerals, mostly overseas. Not taking away from the General in question, but he may not have "rated" the President's attendance or for that matter, that of the Vice President. I believe that under the current circumstances with his falling approval ratings and not so good standing with the military, his advisers would have strongly suggested he attend the funeral. In light of the fact that he often finds time for golfing holidays, it only went against him for not attending. Am I surprised? Not at all. It has been his pattern so I saw it as just another day in his administration. He missed an opportunity and now it will work against him...so what's new?

With no President, Vice-President, or any official high ranking executive branch official, it was really in bad taste and will just add to the fire of criticism in the Obama administration. I guess playing golf in Massachusetts is more important.

Response by SPC David S. made Aug 19 at 2014 2:43 AM

SPC David S. — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 02:43:58 -0400

While he definitely should offer his condolences in some manner such as a letter; imagine a spouse not being able to attend a funeral because he or she was flagged by secret service as a risk. As history has shown very few presidents have attended military funerals of individuals. A presidential appearance would more than likely take away from the purpose of the funeral - to honor and mourn.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 21 at 2014 3:19 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 15:19:13 -0400

Presidents rarely attend military funerals. Neither Presidents Nixon nor Bush attended the funerals of the last two Generals killed by enemy action. One rundown indicated that the last President to attend a military funeral was LBJ - and that was for a personal friend. Here are two articles, this one written recently:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/twitter-obama-and-the-gen.-harold-greene-funeral-hoax/article/2552095

Twitter, Obama and the Gen. Harold Greene funeral hoax

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 21 at 2014 3:23 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 15:23:41 -0400

This article (written during the Bush Administration) addresses the historical record of Presidents and military funerals:
http://hnn.us/article/1784

There are valid reasons to criticize President Obama, as there were President Bush (and pretty much any President). The question of military funerals is not one of those - unless a President was attempting to use the funeral for political purposes.

Have Presidents in the Past Attended the Funerals of Dead Soldiers?

Recently, President Bush has been criticized for failing to attend the funerals of the soldiers killed in Iraq. Maureen Dowd noted sarcastically in a recent NYT column that the president had not even bothered to attend the funeral of Specialist Darryl Dent, a "21-year-old National Guard officer from Washington who died outside Baghdad in late August when a bomb struck his truck while he was delivering mail to troops," though the service took...

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 29 at 2014 9:02 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 21:02:27 -0400

LTC Yinon Weiss, I mistakingly marked it as spam, but it's a duplicate post