1
1
0
Did anyone else anticipate that POTUS would be a no show at this funeral? Is a "Commanding Officer" obligated to attend services for a subordinate when and if possible? Does the death of a flag ranked officer merit the presence of a Commander in Chief or a personal representative at the services? (I'm having trouble using non-perjorative phrases here so I will leave it at this.)
Posted in these groups: 
Office of the President (POTUS)
Respect
Office of the President (POTUS) Respect
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 16
15
15
0
General Greene was laid to rest during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The burial followed a private memorial service at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall.
Private. Memorial. Two very key words. Where the President goes, the media flocks. The logistical piece alone is a huge footprint. It would require the 800 mourners in attendance to be vetted in advance. "Sorry Uncle Tim. You're not allowed to attend this funeral because the Secret Service did not clear you or your family." Think, honestly, of the nightmare of burying your spouse. Now imagine holding that service at a time and date convenient to the POTUS schedule, with ample planning to allow for the PSD sweeps, the security, the vetting. Now, take your private ceremony and open it up to a media circus, with Nancy Grace herself narrating a play-by-play as TAPS is sounded.
We've yet to hear from the family, but everybody is assuming his absence was a slight. How do we know it wasn't by request of the family? Or that they were told he'd attend but - for security and protocol - they would have to jump through dozens of flaming hoops and that his widow didn't simply decline? This is the first combat death of an O8 since Vietnam - a very different time. What IS customary for this? A lot of assumptions are being made here, and sadly, instead of remembering a hero with dignity and honor, his death is being used as a political poster to say "Ah ha! Gotcha! This President doesn't honor our military's fallen." I wish they would let MG Greene rest in piece and latch on to ANY other example.
Private. Memorial. Two very key words. Where the President goes, the media flocks. The logistical piece alone is a huge footprint. It would require the 800 mourners in attendance to be vetted in advance. "Sorry Uncle Tim. You're not allowed to attend this funeral because the Secret Service did not clear you or your family." Think, honestly, of the nightmare of burying your spouse. Now imagine holding that service at a time and date convenient to the POTUS schedule, with ample planning to allow for the PSD sweeps, the security, the vetting. Now, take your private ceremony and open it up to a media circus, with Nancy Grace herself narrating a play-by-play as TAPS is sounded.
We've yet to hear from the family, but everybody is assuming his absence was a slight. How do we know it wasn't by request of the family? Or that they were told he'd attend but - for security and protocol - they would have to jump through dozens of flaming hoops and that his widow didn't simply decline? This is the first combat death of an O8 since Vietnam - a very different time. What IS customary for this? A lot of assumptions are being made here, and sadly, instead of remembering a hero with dignity and honor, his death is being used as a political poster to say "Ah ha! Gotcha! This President doesn't honor our military's fallen." I wish they would let MG Greene rest in piece and latch on to ANY other example.
(15)
(0)
PO3 John Jeter
I tried to restrain my wording in my original post, but my political dislike came through anyway. I won't apologize for that, it is what it is. I did not intend for this to be a "gotcha" on POTUS. My actual intent was to question just what is appropriate in showing honors and earned respect with an officer this senior. Would it not be proper for the white house to at least have a senior member of the staff attend the burial service as a rep? I did see that a senior member of the Pentagon did attend. I take your points about the logistical nightmare of POTUS attending. I must admit in my brief flare of anger, I had not considered that in full. My bad, I will take the hit for that lack. I simply expected a more visible recognition of the loss from our political leadership.
(2)
(0)
11
11
0
Chief, I don't think that there is a message that we as service members should take away from their absence at MG Greene's funeral service. Below is something that I read the other day and it is attributed to Matthew Joseph Myer Greene, MG Greene's son. Now I have no way of verifying that he said these words, but it does offer a different perspective to the topic.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, while the president and vp were welcome to attend my father's funeral and burial lets make a few things clear.
1) my father is no more important than any other soldier lost in war. What message does it send if he attends one funeral over another? Does it make that soldier more important than another? What does it say to families?
2) do you think the president being at the service helps bring my father back or make us feel any better that he is gone? The answer is no.
3) If the president or vp had been there, there would have been more stress on our family simply in terms of logistics let alone security. More people would have had to stand outside or not come at all due to the security requirements .
I am happy the president or vp did not come because the ceremony was more personal, more intimate and better because we got to share it with the people who meant the most to us.
Do not allow news outlets to make a political soapbox out of my family or my father."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, while the president and vp were welcome to attend my father's funeral and burial lets make a few things clear.
1) my father is no more important than any other soldier lost in war. What message does it send if he attends one funeral over another? Does it make that soldier more important than another? What does it say to families?
2) do you think the president being at the service helps bring my father back or make us feel any better that he is gone? The answer is no.
3) If the president or vp had been there, there would have been more stress on our family simply in terms of logistics let alone security. More people would have had to stand outside or not come at all due to the security requirements .
I am happy the president or vp did not come because the ceremony was more personal, more intimate and better because we got to share it with the people who meant the most to us.
Do not allow news outlets to make a political soapbox out of my family or my father."
(11)
(0)
1SG Steven Stankovich
MSG(P) Michael Warrick , I appreciate the feedback on the post. However, I posted this message as a point to be made for the family, not a point to be contended by political means. You are passionate and that is admirable. Leave this one to the family. There will be many other opportunities to voice your stead...one that is common among many veterans....
(2)
(0)
Maj Matt Hylton
MSG Steven Stankovich - where did you get that statement from his son? I'd love to show that to my father, who insists that the President should have been there and that it was disrespectful to Maj Gen Greene's family NOT to attend.
Nevermind - I found it on his son's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.j.greene.3/posts/ [login to see] 540125
Nevermind - I found it on his son's facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/matthew.j.greene.3/posts/ [login to see] 540125
Ladies and Gentlemen, while the... - Matthew Joseph Myers Greene | Facebook
Ladies and Gentlemen, while the president and vp were welcome to attend my father's funeral and burial lets make a few things clear. 1) my father is no...
(1)
(0)
1SG Steven Stankovich
To be quite honest, a friend of mine posted it on Facebook. From there, I checked the name to see if the gentlemen had a page and he did. Looks like it is MG Greene's sons page. Again, I cannot verify it though.
(1)
(0)
5
5
0
I take away that they treat all fallen members the same. Seems to be a lot of finger pointing because they didn't go. What about all the other fallen? Was their sacrifice not as important as MG Greene's? I bet their families would argue otherwise. I just don't see where their lack of attendance should gain so much media attention.
(5)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google