Cross Posted At Daily KosRecently, Lowell Feld a founder of RaisingKaine who helped successfully engineer 2 incredible netroots victories for Governor Tim Kaine and most recently Senator Jim Webb approached me about something.
He heard about the first draft letter General Clark received as he wants to possibly use it for a book he is working on writing.
So, I finally found it after searching for weeks on Blog For America's archives from 2003.
Here's the story and the letter that changed everything for me.
Follow me below the fold as I take out excerpts from Susan Putney's story from SecuringAmerica.com's "Then & Now" Series and post the letter I wrote to General Clark.
In early 2003 Susan Putney from New Hampshire began exchanging emails with me on the USS Abraham Lincoln as we were preparing to return home from our nearly 10 month deployment and as we prepared to host the President of the United States and his now infamous Mission Accomplished speech for which I was present for.
Susan was exchanging emails with me because of a letter I wrote about a General I seen on CNN and was inspired by. For weeks I had tried to find a person or organization to deliver this letter I wrote while on our deployment. That's when I found John Hlinko of Washington DC, who started the DraftWesleyClark.com site and emailed it him.
In turn, he and Susan Putney collected 1,000 letters via the draft website and presented them to General Clark in a visit to New Hampshire.
By May still working closely with John Hlinko, I heard General Clark was going to be in NH on May 11th and I was invited by George Bruno to meet the General. Our goal was to give General Clark the first 1000 letters that had come through from the draft movement.
She indicated in the email to me after she had given the letters that General Clark was moved and near tears and told her that he knew that I went a great length to write that letter to him.
As I handed him the letters, the letter from a young sailor, Montoya, was on the top. He had written to General Clark while coming back from the Persian Gulf aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln pleading for him to run.I made sure General Clark saw the email. As he read it, his eyes watered, he took my hand and shook it and said "These are amazing. I'm very moved. But I'm not a candidate."
When the press asked him what he thought about receiving 1000 emails, he remarked he did not know about the draft until just now, and he couldn't help but be moved looking at the letters.
He has always been humble, the Great military leader and hero to me and many others. When I saw him on CNN it was like truly seeing a President speak to country. I knew then, something had to be done.
So, I wrote a letter without knowing how to deliver it. I wrote it and finally it got to him by way of the draft movement.
I know this letter is not only important to me but to everyone who was associated with the early days of the Draft movement. It launched me into a life of activism and passion for change.
And, in some small way one Seaman helped a General find his way.
One serviceman's plea to Wes Clark
From David Montoya, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, now on its way home:
There are many issues that face the American public today. I am a military service member known by my e-mail address and my closing signature.
I am serving aboard the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) in route to return home after over nine consecutive months of arduous duty in the Pacific, Arabian, and Persian seas. As I approach home I reflect on what we have accomplished, what we have destroyed, and what is left to be constructed.
As an American, and now a young veteran of a foreign war I have seen the eye of danger, the eye of fear, the stare of uncertainty. In the early stages of conflict on this ship was not fully known our opponents capabilities.
What lay ahead no one knew, and if they did little supporting evidence was available for distribution.
My thoughts here today arrive in one crossroad. Where is my role in this democracy? After being "victorious" in this effortless conflict where is my call of duty today? I say my call rests in the choice of my national government. My duty as an American, and as service war veteran is to call upon my intuition and place my support.
I support and stand behind the mind, heart and the character of Wesley K. Clark, who if I am correct served thirty-seven years in a United States uniform.
No man or woman can discredit his heroic tenure in his years of service. Because if anyone can discredit him that who am I to be credited in this lengthy deployment? How can conservatives rally around our troops today and neglect those who sacrificed much earlier? How many men have died for the freedom of this country? How many men like Wesley Clark will the extreme right attempt to attack and discredit?
Well I say now if you discredit him then you discredit the boys that died on the beaches of Normandy, the depths of Pearl Harbor, and the streets of worldwide conflict. I know that I serve my country with honor just as those men who died before me. They have paid their sacrifice not in speeches or text but in blood, in sweat, and in tears.
What General Clark must do now is stand before his country and destroy all those who have neglected to honor the right of the people. Who have destroyed the honor of battle, victory, and conflict. Victory is not won in the battlefield but in the spirit of good people. If you forget that then all hope is perished.
Wesley Clark must carry his vision to the American people. To ensure that my dreams along with the dreams of many others have not died in the faces of those who discredit but that they may live in the hearts of those who still hold on to that of what will never be taken away. The self-evident notion that we, as humans are endowed the free to express rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Respectfully,
David J. Montoya
U.S. Navy
Even though I am currently supporting Barack Obama for President in 2008, General Wesley Clark knows how I feel about him. He knows, as I have told him and indicated to him via letter, diaries, and most recently in person I believe he's the best person to be our President.
If he decides to run for President, I will leave Senator Obama a person who I respect and am inspired by for General Clark. Not because one is greater than the other personally or politically but because I believe that there is no greater American leader or patriot in our country right now than General Wesley Clark.
He truly is an American hero, and should be treated as such.
Glad to have you on Team Obama.
Thanks for all you have done to show General Clark that there are people in this country who appreciate his integrity, humanity and maturity and who believe that if he were president we'd have hope for a better future.
I still feel both Obama and H. Clinton, as first term senators still serving their terms, have overstepped their bounds a bit and their duties to their own constituents... So I favor Clark.
Having said that, if Clark does not run, I'll throw in my lot with Obama or Edwards or Richardson - and I won't decide until after Virginia election 2007 is done.