From: "T.N. Tanney" <ArlingtonRidge@worldnet.att.net> Save Address Block Sender
To: tnt7115@worldnet.att.net Save Address
Subject: Important news re: The Air Force Memorial at Arlington Ridge
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2000 00:36:03 -0500
TO: All Marines
************************
The following message (located below my signature) was forwarded to me by Dave Caldon, LtCol,
USMC (ret) as submitted to him by Rick Lottie for distribution to all Marines.
If you have not yet signed our "online" petition to our Senators and Congressional Representatives, it
is comments such as Sen. Hutchison's that make this effort a PRIORITY! It takes only 2 or 3
minutes, and we must relay our feelings about this issue before it's too late to preserve the sanctity of
our Iwo Jima Monument.
The links on the "Operation: Arlington Ridge" website will give you access to all Senators and
Members of Congress, including their e-mail addresses & websites. Incidentally, Ms. Hutchison's
e-mail address is:
Senator@hutchison.senate.gov (Perhaps we should send her a T-shirt and a map as she is obviously
confused).
NOTE TO NEW RECIPIENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER:
Please provide me with your proper name (real or screen name) for future updates. If you do NOT
wish to receive future newsletters, please notify me and I will IMMEDIATELY remove your name.
AOL users may access our website simply by "copying and pasting" into your browser or "go" option
on AOL).
Many thanks to Dave and Rick for providing this important information to us. Please feel free to share
this e-mail and our website with all concerned.
Semper Fidelis
Tom "Spider" Tanney {\{\oo/}/}
http://home.att.net/~arlingtonridge/index.html
<COPY OF MESSAGE>
My fellow Marines:
A little more than one week ago, at the Iwo Jima Memorial (officially the
Marine Corps War Memorial) on Arlington Ridge, directly opposite
Washington D.C., our country marked, with all the dignity and solemnity the occasion
deserved, the 55th anniversary of the invasion of Iwo Jima.
In stark contrast to the commemoration of that noble and courageous event,
I received yesterday a letter from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas,
indicating her support of an Arlington Ridge location for an Air Force
Memorial. Her support is based on Fort Meade being one of the first
places that U.S. aviation assets took to the sky. Since Fort Meade is located
substantially north of Washington D.C., in proximity to Baltimore, perhaps
a better location would be Baltimore Washington International Airport, where
there is abundant space that wouldn't detract from the solitude and
sanctity of the Marine Corps War Memorial.
Senator Hutchison's stock response concerns me for two reasons: one, she
obviously has a profound lack of historical perspective, in that I think
she means Fort Myer; and second, she simply neglects the national contribution
the Marine Corps made, at great loss to three Marine Divisions, in the
capture of Iwo Jima. Moreover, as 1st Marine Division Association
Chaplain and WW II Marine Father Denis O'Brien reminds us, Marine casualties at Iwo
Jima saved the lives of at least 25,000 airmen returning with problems
from Japan. Obviously, Senator Hutchison thinks we Marines have a trifling
complaint.
Many efforts are already underway to keep the Air Force Memorial from
being built at Arlington Ridge, but Senator Hutchison's letter makes clear that
more is needed. I ask you, therefore, to rise up and write! Write your
U.S. congressman and both your U.S. senators.
Forward this email to all Marines you know. Write letters to the editor.
Make a stink as only we Marines can!
Please, do whatever you can to stop the "no big deal" attitude that seems
to prevail among some of our politically elite. We are duty bound to
prevent the placement of anything on Arlington Ridge that intrudes upon the
sanctity of that great symbol of courage to our nation and to our Corps, the Marine
Corps War Memorial.
Thank you for your help and your support.
Semper Fidelis,
Rick Lottie
Tel 972-378-3604
