Sam deserved Vuk

To: Dan, Mark, Rob, Dave
Copy: Dave, Rick, Fred, Eric

I’m not going to attend the Sam Watts mission. I traveled to SW Wisconsin for the other guy who was blown-up by that IED and they are both from my son’s division, but I am going to sit this one out.

I remember Mark droning on “…four-ways unless they override your turn signals, staggered formation, rear pegs down for the absent rider…” as if his job consists of reading every item on a check-list he has been building.

And I remember Vuk at the Waukegan Airport. We were in two flaglines facing each other. He wanted to march us out in good order, so one line would do a left-face and the other a right-face. But there were many non-military people among the flaglines and to issue those commands he would have to make clear which line he was addressing – it would have been messy. I would have messed it up. But he didn’t.

He stood at the end that he wanted to lead the two single-file columns and then, loudly and clearly:  Face me!

Just two words.  One column did a right-face and the other did a left-face. Everyone was looking at him. He turned his back to the two columns and pointed his two index fingers at the clouds. Then, in a single sweeping motion he brought both his arms forward so that his fingers were pointed in the direction we were to march. And then he simply started walking. And a “diverse amalgamation” wordlessly moved with military precision.

Leadership is more than authority. It is even more than charisma. It is a skill.

Dan Hough kicked me out of the ILPGR Facebook group because I posted sympathetic words about Eric Kuhn on the eve of his testimony as a witness during the trial of his father’s murderer. That is the reason Dan gave me. And they made that jackass SC?

So the ILPGR has become heavy on fundraisers. It not about the PGR mission anymore; it’s about the ILPGR institution. And what do they do with the money? Hire lawyers to sue Vuk. Perfect. I’ll tell you one thing: The McHone cemetery escort would not have gotten lost if Vuk were in charge.

All that so I can ask this: Why do you use military time? No one will think that 3:00 means the middle of the night. Everyone understands A.M. and P.M. No one who understands military time is incapable of understanding A.M. and P.M. Everyone, absolutely everyone, knows that the use of military time is purely for show, vanity and posing. So really, why do you use military time?

Like this excerpt from the current mission announcement which, as I write this, is posted to the website and broadcast by email:

DAY 2: 29 MAY
VISITATION:
Hultgren Funeral Home
304 N Main St
Wheaton, Il

TIME:
1500-1700hrs 3:00-9:00pm

Regretfully,

Don