Thursday, July 31, 2008

Army doctor speaks out about Obama troops snub

It's hard not to admire Dr. Danny Jazarevic, who although an M.D., has spent much of his career since the mid-1980s in the Army, the National Guard, or the Army Reserve. Through the John McCain campaign, the good doctor issued a statement about Barack Obama's cancellation of his scheduled visit to Landstuhl Military Hospital in Germany.

By the way, this is my second post in a row about a recipient of the Bronze Star.

Today, Dr. Danny Jazarevic, who served as the Chief of Trauma, Critical Care and Vascular Surgery at Landstuhl, issued the following statement on Barack Obama's canceled visit to Ramstein and Landstuhl:

"Last week, Senator Obama skipped a visit with wounded U.S. troops at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany because the Pentagon would not allow campaign staff or media to accompany him into the hospital. I served as director of trauma surgery at that hospital for nearly four years and saw the effect that a visit from a celebrity like Senator Obama could have on morale. During that time, I do not recall a single member of Congress canceling a visit with the troops despite being just a few hours away, but Senator Obama seems to have been more concerned with how the visit would affect him than how it would affect the soldiers recovering from wounds received in the service of their country."

Dr. Danny Jazarevic served as the Chief of Trauma, Critical Care and Vascular Surgery at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. In 1984, Dr. Jazarevic joined the United States Army and later the Florida National Guard. He has since served in Honduras, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, and Iraq. From December 2002 through January 2006, Dr. Jazarevic was assigned to the U.S. Army Hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where he served as Chief of Trauma, Critical Care and Vascular Surgery. During this period, he deployed to Iraq numerous times, including with the 101st Airborne Division Forward Surgical Team and as Director of Operations for the 44th U.S. Army Medical Command. He is currently the Chief Trauma Surgeon at a civilian medical center in Florida, and also serves as a full Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Dr. Jazarevic has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. Even after the McCain campaign admitted their "Troops" ad was based on a lie... they're still using GIs to promote their own lie, and you're still peddling the fibs.

What was it you said about "judgment"? Oh yeah, that the Senate investigation behind the Keating 5 scandal found that McCain lacked judgment... Must be chronic, and catching.

Anonymous said...

PS: Dr. Jazarevic's spin (like the McCain camp's "childish" antics of late) makes little sense given that Obama called the GIs at Landstuhl (without any media present) after the Pentagon suddenly changed their mind on his visit. It makes even less sense in light of the fact Obama also visited recovering troops at the Green Zone battle hospital while the delegation was in Iraq, also without media.

After 8 years of it, rational Americans are tired of all this hollow spin and divisive lying.

(And it was McCain's former campaign strategist, John Weaver, who called him "childish" -- not any Dems. No longer Weaver doesn't work for McCain any more.)

Greybeard said...

Man, Rob_n!
You are quite the Obamaboy/gal, aren't you?!
So, do you think the O campaign finally got together and found some reason why he didn't visit our wounded heroes that won't lose him too many points in the polls?
His campaign has floated:
...1- "It would have been inappropriate because campaign funds had been used."

When that didn't stick, we tried:
...2-"The Pentagon wouldn't allow me to come because it would have appeared to be a political event."

Gee, ya think!
A politician attending a "political event"? Imagine that!
(And now a U.S. Senator is taking orders from the Pentagon? Holy Cow!)

Cheer on Rob...
Are your eyes brown? :>)

Anonymous said...

Grey,

The McCain camp admitted their ad was false.

The Obama camp has already elaborated on why the Pentagon allowed the Senator to visit wounded troops in the Green Zone in Baghdad but decided at the last minute to not allow him

It is standard military protocol to prevent political activity on bases and by GIs in uniform (in their civvies, on their own time, is another story). This explains precisely why the McCain camp's spring tour of military bases went to private and public, but not military, facilities that were specifically off-base.

Why is that so difficult for you to understand?

What was surprising was that the Pentagon would've approved the Landstuhl visit in the first place knowing full well Obama would be staffed with campaign people, not Senate staff.

What is not surprising is that, as has been implicated, McCain's contacts at the Pentagon set up the Obama campaign. Not a smart thing to do to your potential boss.

As for the rest of your childish diatribe... Yes, I do support Sen. Obama's campaign for president. His positions on the issues line up with my values much more closely than do Sen. McCain's positions.

And, clearly, I'm male. Why is it when con partisans have the truth pointed out to them they insinuate the other fellow is a woman (or a girl)? Leave that sort of play-acting to your comrades like Larry Craig and David Vitter.