Just HOW MANY VietNam Vets are in Iraq now???

[SoCalDem]

Here's another 53 yr old who got "drafted"

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/10448968.htm

Posted on Sat, Dec. 18, 2004

For 53-year-old, recall by Marines 'very important to me'

CAROLYN KASTER

Associated Press


LEBANON, Pa. - This is what Frank Ryan is bringing with him to Iraq:

Fourteen pairs of socks, 10 pairs of underwear, eight uniforms, and an alarm clock with his son Matthew's picture in it. Four razors, the lubricated kind for dry shaving, a knife, one sweater, two hats, long thermal underwear for sleeping and more family photos on a CD.And that's not to mention the venison jerky for instant protein from Jan and Chuck Soulliard, friends from the post office.Ryan is a 53-year-old retired Marine colonel with 32 years of active and reserve duty under his belt.

An accountant from Lebanon, he got a phone call from the Marine Corps' manpower office in August. Officials wanted to see if he would come out of retirement to serve in Iraq.

Could he pass the physical? Was he interested?

Yes, he said, he would be ready to go. "Being able to be part of this is very important to me," he explained. On Nov. 3, his orders came in the mail, marked "Involuntary Presidential Select Recall." This was no longer a courtesy call. He would deploy on Dec. 5 to serve as deputy chief of the multinational force in Iraq. Ryan's assignment: to be responsible to the chief of staff and commanding general to coordinate the planning and operations of ground forces.

For Frank Ryan, 2004 is ending in ways he could hardly have imagined when the hectic year began.

snip...

[leftchick]

1. How sad is that? Serving in TWO fucked up wars for NOTHING!

I posted this earlier with his photos. Too bad he still can't call his Government on this BS! Is this some sort of Marine brainwashing?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2841963&mesg_id=2841963

[Selatius]

2. Maybe he's going to try to bring back as many guys in one piece as possibl

Any good leader is interested in seeing that his men come home, even if he has questions about the war. I'm not saying that he questions the war, but I think he did it because of this.

[leftchick]

4. nice try but....

given this debacle, the chances are not good for anyone. :(

[jimshoes]

3. The phrase

Involuntary Presidential Select Recall piqued my curiosity so I Googled it and found this PDF file on the stages of mobilization regarding call ups of military reservists and retired military. Very interesting. The documents date from 1997 so I do not know if these are current plans.

http://neds.daps.dla.mil/Directives/3060/three.pdf