From: Susan Watson <susanwatson@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 11:20:16 -0800
Fwd Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 19:33:47 -0500
Subject: Re: Military Retirees & Secrecy

[Non Subscriber Post]

I have been following the postings on this thread with great
interest as I am the daughter of the referred-to officer. My
brother and I did not know the specific details of our Dad's
duties when we were young, but as all children do we heard and
observed what transpired within our home. It was not until later
in our lives that we became fully aware of the depth of his
involvement.

I can see from the postings here that there needs to be some
clarification. My father is no coward. He put his life on the
line for this country more than once. He shed his blood during
war for this country. Eventually, he lost his wife and marriage
because his first sworn duty was to this country. Dad was not
present in our lives most of the time. He was away performing
his assigned duty. What was he doing? He was giving every ounce
of himself to help secure the safety of you and yours.

Last night I had a long talk with Dad. The issues raised on this
List woke my curiosity once again. As I got deeper into trying
to pick his brain for answers I felt a sense of shame. The
conclusion that I have arrived at is this:

Never once has my father swayed from his loyalty and commitment
to this country. There is honor in this man's heart. He holds to
his pledge in spite of the fact that he is grievously
disappointed in the direction of our nation. It would be
disrespectful for me to attempt any further extraction's of
information, I am closing the book. I can at least honor the
man....if not the country that created him.

Thank you all for your responses.
Susan Watson