Over 6 years ago when you were a candidate for President I nearly 17 years old. Not understanding the issues fluently at the time I viewed myself as a Republican. I was raised Catholic, and like many of those who share my faith we consider ourselves conservatives. Even though I didn't have a vote in that election, I supported Bush.
I graduated High School that year and headed off to college, after just a few weeks of school I decided to drop out and enlist in the military. Still only 17, in August 2001 I signed an obligation to serve in the Navy for 4 years starting on September 17th of that year.
Then September 11th happened. I remember watching the entire attack on our country happen as my aunt was giving birth to her second child. I truly thought during those moments that the world was ending. Six days after that horrible day my enlistment began.
We flew from LAX to Chicago-O'hare and then we were bused to bootcamp. We were the first planes or some of the first flights to go airborne after the attack. No lie, that night I was being processed in the Navy it was dark and rainy. I could feel that my life would change forever.
I spent 3 months in bootcamp, not knowing who Osama Bin Laden was. Not knowing who the enemy was. Only knowing that our RDC's (Drill Instructors) were preparing us for a service of war.
I was in bootcamp with so many people from New York City, a good portion of our division. I remember one of the biggest guy's I ever had seen lie in a fetal position after hearing that his brother could not be found.
That is how my service to this country began.
After bootcamp, everyone went to different schools around the country. I went to the Admin & Supply School in Meridian, Mississippi. I spent a little over 2 months there. Then I was given my first orders, I would spent the remainder of my enlistment of the USS Abraham Lincoln in Everett, Washington.
I arrived to the "Abe", the great aircraft carrier in March of 2002. We went on a few training (short) deployments before we set out for our 6 month regularly scheduled deployment to the Persian Gulf. Because I genuinely feared for my life I started to pay attention to the news.
In June just weeks before we were to leave, I read about John Kerry warning Bush not to send us to war with Iraq. It caught my eye. I had this feeling that our 6 month deployment wouldn't be just 6 months.
I told friends on the ship, and they didn't believe me. I told them in the summer of 2002 that we would go to war with Iraq.
On September 11th, 2002 as our ship spelled out the words "READY NOW" when we entered the Gulf we truly sent a message to the world.
In the fall of that year we saw the UN put the pressure on Sadddam. In October our Congress gave the President the full authority to wage war.
In January we were headed home after a lengthy 6 month deployment, but in the middle of the night we turned around. We weren't going home, we were headed back. We spent the next 2 months plus, in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Our ship got a lot of attention, we had most of the media embedded on our ship. Officers gave up their staterooms to accommodate our journalists. And before the President made his historic visit on our ship I wrote another letter to a leader I thought could help change the world.
His name was General Wesley Clark. When I came back home we were greeted like hero's. I was proud to serve our country, but I was worried about the impact of our decision to go to war. I got involved.
In most government jobs, you can't work on political campaigns in uniform. So everyday after work, I took it off. I met Howard Dean, and worked on Clark's short Presidential campaign in 2004.
Soon enough my time was up in the Navy and on the USS Abraham Lincoln, I decided at the last minute to spend 2 more years in the military where I am now in Washington DC.
Things have been great here, I have served and on my off duty time (out of uniform) I have worked on some great campaigns. Last year most notably I worked on Sen. Jim Webb's campaign.
My service has changed me, not just politically but personally as well. I feel more obligated to step forward no matter what the consequences if I feel something is morally wrong.
I am not sure if it just was 9/11 that made me question how Republican I was or if it was Iraq but I no longer feel that the GOP represents my values.
I value peace, I value diplomacy, I value military defense as a last resort, I value economic fairness, I value taking care of Veterans.
We have great Presidential contenders, they all are adding great value to this debate about our future. However, I was wrong to support Bush in 2000. There is only one person who can change this world I was given.
That's you, Al Gore.
Here's my story, all I have known in my adult life is service. All I have known since I have been alive is fighting for what I believe in. Now even more so even as I spend my final weeks in the Navy, I will always fight.
Please fight for us, we need you. This country, this party, and my generation needs a leader who will truly change this country.
Please Vice President Gore, run for President.
Sincerely,
--Dave Montoya
P.S. I met you and Tipper this year when you testified to the Senate, you shook my hand and thanked me for coming. I didn't get to tell you, thank you for being there and thank you for speaking out for all of us.
I still think the 2000 election was rigged. It strikes me odd that the state with the most poll problems is the one with Bush's brother as the governor of.