George Schryer on the War in Afghanistan | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's Note: This article first appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

    Beaufort Observer Note: We have asked U. S. Air Force Senior Master Sergeant (retired) George H. Schryer to share with our readers his thoughts on the War in Afghanistan. George and his wife Gail have lived in Beaufort County for the last 17 years. He is a life member of the VFW, Disabled Veterans of America, and the Air Force Gunners Assoc. He is also a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America and has served as the Commander of both the Greenville and Washington VFW Posts as well as the Commander of VFW Dist. 2. He is currently the Chief of Staff for the Commander of VFW Dist. 2.
    Vietnam War Veteran George Schryer as the masters of ceremony at The Wall that Heals ceremony held April 22, 2010.     image by Stan Deatherage

    I am a combat Veteran with two tours in Vietnam and am amazed that what 58 thousand of my friends and fellow comrades demonstrated with their sacrifice has not educated the elected elite one whit. Why are we in Afghanistan? I mean what is the concrete end to our involvement that we can put our hands on? Do we not understand that their cultural background of tribal warfare is not amenable to the tenets of a Republican Democracy?

    We were told on 9/12 that we were going in to bring to justice the perpetrators of 9/11. The Taliban were not the perpetrators, the Afghan people were not the perpetrators, we were there to get Al Qaeda. Why have we been fighting, the Taliban? Oh yes and we have built schools and dug wells and propped up a leader who is as corrupt as they come. The politicians send our kids and our money, the true measure of the nation's treasure and in return get our kids sent back in pieces and our money goes down a rat hole of corruption. Where is Al Qaeda, they are in Pakistan and when we get ready to eliminate them our partners in this farce alert the terrorists and they disappear. If we do get one, UBL, then we have to apologize and kiss their backsides.

    Our politicians, and that is both parties, don't even ask Congress to declare a war, which is what is legally required before putting our youth in harm's way. Instead they resort to some legal double talk to justify their political motives. They even write a new meaning for the word hostilities and we sit back and listen to their 60 second sound bites while whining about what some movie star is doing or not doing.

    We the People, need to wake up, stand up and speak up. Did anyone notice that the Dept. of Defense is seriously considering a pay cut for our soldiers? Yes, send them into a combat tour of duty five or six times and then cut their pay to reduce the deficit. Even our president (lower case is intentional) said tonight he would stand by our troops. I sent a letter to him and to our senators and congressman asking if they would vote against this idiocy to cut our military's pay, but for some reason I have not gotten a reply or even an acknowledgment of my letter. I guess the Lords and Ladies don't have to answer to the serfs anymore.

    I spent 24 years of my life dedicated to the safety of this country, and many more in service to my community, as have many, many others and I think I can speak for them when I say that I don't feel as proud of that accomplishment as I used to.

    Bring all the troops home, let other countries determine their own destiny and if they should attack us again declare a war as we did in 1941 and let the entire might of this great nation fall on the perpetrators.