WW 2 Sailor's Message to Obama

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You often get email that sounds like a hoax. This was sent to me and is what the man wrote to President Obama.

(This was certified on snopes as true. http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/haroldestes.asp)


Here is the Email

This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii

for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes

all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body,

he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now.

He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.



Dear President Obama,



My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.



I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor, allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.



One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.



So here goes.



I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.



I can't figure out what country you are the president of.

You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

" We're no longer a Christian nation"

" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even

announced to the world,"America is mean-

spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching

that nonsense to 23 generations of our

war dead buried all over the globe who

died for no other reason than to free a

whole lot of strangers from tyranny and

hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.



After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."



Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.



I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.



Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.



Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.



And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts, who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.



One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.



You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.

And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.



Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes



When a 95 year old hero of the "the Greatest Generation"

stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it

to him to send his words to as many Americans as
we can. Please pass it on.

It is a shame to see the World War 2 vets aging. It is a shame to lose so many of our heroes. However, we must keep the support of the military going forward, and honor those who serve. They make untold sacrifices for the people who do not choose that way of life.

Are You Scamaphobic?

Ok you heard it here first. My new word of the day is Scamaphobic. Do you send news of every latest scam to everyone on your email list? I tend to get notified of so many of these scams. I read them, too, and then I usually check them out on snopes.com if they seem really scary.

Here is an example of one that I got today.
Have you heard of the 809 Area Code scam? This is from the FCC website in response to the 809 area code scam.

The Scam Works Something Like This

*

You get an e-mail, voicemail, or page telling you to call a phone number with an "809", "284", "876" (or some other three-digit) area code to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, engage in sex talk, etc.
*

You assume you are making a domestic long distance call - as "809", "284", "876" (and other three-digit area codes involved in this scam) appear to be typical three-digit U.S. area codes.
*

When you dial the "809", "284", "876" (or other three-digit) area code plus the number, however, you're actually connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and charged international call rates. (In this case, "809" goes to the Dominican Republic, "284" goes to the British Virgin Islands, and "876" goes to Jamaica.)
*

You don't find out about the higher international call rates until you receive your phone bill.

Minimize the Risk of This Happening to You

*

Check any area codes before returning calls.
*

If you do not otherwise make international calls, ask your local phone company to block outgoing international calls on your line.

Filing a Complaint with the FCC

If you are billed for a call you made as a result of this scam, first try to resolve the matter with your telephone company. If you are unable to resolve it directly, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an FCC on-line complaint form found at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your complaint with the FCC's Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.

That should help.

Please when in doubt of what to do about giving any personal information about yourself over the phone, or answering calls that seem confusing or impossible take steps to check things out before you do something you might regret.