Hero O'Grady Four-Square Behind the President

Hero O'Grady Four-Square Behind the President

Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Saturday, Aug. 7, 2004

Capt. Scott O'Grady (U.S. Air Force, retired) once was on the cover of Time magazine, perhaps the first individual warrior-hero of America’s challenging new era of conflict. Shot down while flying a fighter in support of the NATO no-fly zone over Bosnia in 1996, he escaped and evaded the enemy for days until a Marine team flew in for the rescue. The gutsy aviator captured the imagination of Americans and gave a face to GI heroes all over the globe.

Electing to end a 12-year career in the Air Force, the hero now lives in Dallas and is pursuing a master's degree. And he’s supporting the re-election of President Bush.

In speeches and lectures around the country and recently even in an Internet chat room session sponsored by the White House and attended by NewsMax, O’Grady spells out that he has no doubts about his president’s hard line on the War on Terror:

“President Bush has shown through his decisive leadership that we will take a stand against terrorism. Because of his leadership, we have made major changes in our government to help us against this war, such as the Homeland Security Department, the PATRIOT Act, and a proactive policy of fighting terrorists on their own soil before they come and kill us in our country.

“I believe that it's President Bush's personal values, morals and his clear determination not to allow the terrorists to succeed and to take a proactive role against them, and to view it for what it is - a war - not a criminal act that we need to fight with law enforcement, as the previous administration did and failed.”

'Nightmares' About Admitted 'War Criminal' Kerry

Capt. O’Grady is equally vocal about his distaste for candidate John Kerry as a potential commander in chief:

“I can tell you that I, Scott O'Grady, do not see him fit. I have had nightmares about this. Let me put it this way. I have myself have heard John Kerry testify that he committed war atrocities, where he came out and admitted that he is a war criminal. That he was involved in activities in Vietnam where he hurt innocent civilians.

“There is a big difference between war operations where civilians are hurt or killed in collateral damage. It's a tragedy of war versus actually targeting civilians, which is a criminal act. It's against our military laws of warfare. It is an unlawful act to purposely target non-combatants.

“I've heard from Senator Kerry's mouth when he testified after coming back from Vietnam that he purposely took part in activities that targeted civilians.

"The other reason I don't see him fit is his Senate record. His voting record does not support the military: the supplies they need, the pay they receive, the support for their families. I think it would be a major mistake for the American people to vote for John Kerry.”

When a cyber-questioner looks to the controversial Patriot Act as an indication that Bush has overstepped, O’Grady fires back:

“The misleading myth that the Patriot Act has carte blanche authority to violate civil liberties is a lie. All the Patriot Act does primarily is to allow federal agencies to communicate more effectively with one another to fight the War on Terror with intelligence and allows federal agencies to investigate terrorist groups just as if they were organized criminals, i.e. the Mafia.

“Federal wire-tapping was allowed before the Patriot Act to follow individuals. All the Patriot Act does is to take policies already in place to fight crime to be allowed to fight terrorism. I will also note that there has not been one instance of reported abuse because of the Patriot Act.”

Media 'Very Biased'

If O’Grady nurses a pet peeve it has to be what he perceives as a media bias toward the negative when it comes to reporting on the war in Iraq.

“I drive my opinions by stories from people who just came back from Iraq. They tell me of the great stories of freedom going on over there. Citizens embracing them for granting them freedom and allowing them to participate in activities they would not have been allowed to before. I feel the media has become very biased lately, and I find that very disheartening.”

O’Grady is also opinionated when it comes to those who suggest that President Bush hasn’t been mindful enough of our men and women in uniform.

“[I]t is my understanding that President Bush in 2004, his budget contained the largest increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs than has ever been requested. I also understand that President Bush's budget allows for more than a million more veterans to seek health care than in the year 2000. It's also my understanding that President Bush's 2004 budget included the largest ever increase for veterans' health care.

“Since President Bush took office, the VA's health care budget has been increased by over 30 percent.”

O’Grady says he was inspired to join the service by a Vietnam veteran father and a call to duty he could not dismiss. To this day he says he was able to survive his dramatic ordeal in Bosnia because of his faith in God and country.

President Bush could ask for no worthier advocate.