http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_dougherty/20000414_xnjdo_west_point.shtml
West Point censors WWII vet
Luncheon speech canceled due to criticism of women in combat
By Jon E. Dougherty
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com, 14 Apr 00
An officer at the United States Military Academy at West Point
canceled a
luncheon where a World War II combat veteran had been scheduled
to speak to
cadets, because comments the vet made at an earlier function --
comments
critical of women in the military -- were deemed inappropriate,
according to
an academy source who contacted WorldNetDaily.
The source -- a cadet at the New York-based academy who
requested
anonymity -- provided documents written Mar. 28 detailing the
chain of
events.
According to the report, the veteran -- who made four combat
jumps during
WWII -- was originally scheduled to address the cadet body to
provide
insight into and discussion of life in a combat zone.
However, the report said, after the vet made what the academy
officer
considered inappropriate remarks about women serving in the
military, the
luncheon was cancelled and the vet was permitted to speak only
to a small
group of cadets.
Specifically, said the document -- an "after action" report of
sorts -- the
vet questioned the logic of women who even wanted a combat role,
and said
female officers would never be afforded the same respect by
their troops as
male officers. The vet further explained that "he would feel
overprotective
of a female" in a combat situation and "would therefore be
unable to fight
effectively."
According to the report, the vet also "expressed his opinion
that issues of
harassment rarely exist, and that they are merely 'created.'"
Maj. James E. Whaley III, chief of the Public Information Branch
at West
Point, confirmed the report as authentic to WorldNetDaily.
"The memorandum is an internal educational document posted on an
internal
web site," he said. "It is used to educate cadets on leadership
challenges
in today's Army. We use real life issues to help cadets grow as
future
leaders in the Army," he added.
A cadet instructor reportedly asked the veteran for comments
after he and
other veterans sat in on a company "commandant's hour class"
entitled,
"Creating a Climate Free of Sexual Harassment."
The report said that shortly after the vet made his comments --
which
"stirred mixed emotions within the first-class cadets" of an
unspecified
company, his grandson -- a cadet at the academy -- wrote to the
first-class
cadets stating he would not apologize for "his grandfather's
comments." The
cadet grandson explained that "'while my grandfather's words may
have stung,
everyone is entitled to their own opinion ... but that
[first-class cadets]
had better think about the value in his words.'" (Emphasis
contained in the
report document.)
The after-action report said the cadet sent the message only
after
"consulting a couple of cadets, all of whom shared the same
perspective on
the issue" in an attempt to emphasize the value of his
grandfather's
experience and "respect [his] opinions as personal beliefs."
But that message generated more controversy, said the report.
Though "all
agreed" that the cadet's grandfather "had much to offer in terms
of combat
experience and certainly deserved to be treated with utmost
respect," the
message's tone disturbed others who were upset by the cadet's
"demand that
others find value in statements which are inconsistent with
current Army
policy."
The report went on to say that four other cadets eventually
approached the
veteran's grandson "and asked him to ensure that his grandfather
refrain
from raising the subject of gender integration (again) at the
dine-in"
luncheon.
The officer who ultimately canceled the veteran addresses, a
major who was
not identified in the documents, had been on leave during the
incident. When
he returned a few days later, the report said, he received "an
email message
from a cadet in the company addressing the issue at hand" and
"reinforcing
the final request that [the cadet's grandfather] not repeat his
previous
statements ... at the dining-in."
After speaking to the cadet grandson, the report said, the major
"decided to
cancel the dining-in, explaining that he could not allow someone
to speak at
the dining-in who had already expressed many views inconsistent
with the
Seven Army Values."
The cadet's grandfather "did speak about his combat experiences"
in a
company day room "immediately following" the lunch "for anyone
who cared to
attend."
The report said the cadet grandson "stated his belief that a
large part of
the issues ... resulted from miscommunication," adding that he
felt if "he
had more clearly communicated his understanding that his
grandfather's
beliefs were not applicable in today's army," the dine-in
cancellation could
have been "averted."
The document also concluded, "If the events in this company
reflect the
Corps as a whole, then we can conclude that the integration of
women into
the Army is still a controversial issue with many cadets.
"Leaders at all levels are encouraged to emphasize the issue of
gender
integration and equality," the report added.
