The generals acted independently, coming in their own ways to the agonizing decision to defy military tradition and publicly criticize the Bush administration over its conduct of the war in Iraq.
What might be called The Revolt of the Generals has rarely happened in the nation’s history.
In op-ed pieces, interviews and TV ads, more than 20 retired U.S. generals have broken ranks with the culture of salute and keep it in the family. Instead, they are criticizing the commander in chief and other top civilian leaders who led the nation into what the generals believe is a misbegotten and tragic war.
The active-duty generals followed procedure, sending reports up the chain of command. The retired generals beseeched old friends in powerful positions to use their influence to bring about a change.
When their warnings were ignored, some came to believe it was their patriotic duty to speak out, even if it meant terminating their careers.
It was a decision none of the men approached cavalierly. Most were political conservatives who had voted for George W. Bush and initially favored his appointment of Donald Rumsfeld as defense secretary.
But they felt betrayed by Bush and his advisers…
General Paul Eaton has a special place in my heart. This is a man that decided to retire early so he could speak out against this war in Iraq. He was in charge of training Iraqi soldiers in 2004 to 2005. He knows a lot about war. He lost his father a pilot when his plane went down in Laos. His father was still reported to be MIA in a recent entry I read. He like his father and his younger son all graduated from West Point. His son is now a Captain in the service( I think he is a marine). This General knows a lot about war in Iraq and how much you can lose when your dad goes off to war. I don’t doubt his watching this war with our soldiers dying and getting maimed brings back memories of his deep loss for himself and especially his mother and grandparents. I only hope the work he is doing will encourage more generals to come forward to end this terrible mistake called the Iraq War.