NIMBY Types Upset with Air Force

It appears some suburbanites in Phoenix are upset with the Air Force base (which has been there forever). A letter and response to Luke AFB:

The complaint

Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:

Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet.. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyn's early bird special?

Any response would be appreciated.

The response:

Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured..

A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you ... Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Lt.. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel Jr.
USAF

Grouchy Old Coot Loses His Faith in the Military

Ricard Cohen in his Acting Career

Type: Geezer C.H.U.D.
CHUDitude: 3
Location of Outbreak: Washington Post Op-Ed (h/t This Ain't Hell)
Description of Attack: Richard Cohen pens a lengthy, partisan Op-Ed about the not-so-Straight Talk McCain, but throws in a complete non-sequitur regarding the awfulness of the military for no logical reason other than he's just a grouchy old geezer that missed Matlock last night. From WaPo:

Who believes that in Afghanistan last month, only five civilians were killed by the American military in an airstrike, instead of the approximately 90 claimed by the Afghan government? Not me. I first gave up on the military during Vietnam and then again when it covered up the death of Pat Tillman, the Army Ranger and former NFL player who was killed in 2004 by friendly fire.

Mr. Cohen will be glad to know that some of our elderly citizens still believe in the military, as it has been doing an okay job even before the invention of the Rascal, Viagra, and the advent of the cultural phenomenon known as the Golden Girls.

Prognosis: Richard Cohen is a grumpy old curmudgeon who has become sort of an icon of parody amidst circles in the blogosphere. His tirade against online book sales and tattooed whippersnappers has made him an easy target for those devious Gen Xers who won't get off his proverbial lawn on WaPo. However, a C.H.U.D. attack was a bit unexpected, as the nation's elderly can still recall when the military was the institution preventing the U.S. from being wiped off the face of the earth in WWII. As TSO says, what a moran!