General Sheehan Regrets Comments Blaming Massacre on Gay Dutch Soldiers
Today the Associated Press reported that Marine General John Sheehan (Ret.) has apologized for remarks he made on March 18 before the Senate Armed Services Committee in opposition to open military service. In his testimony General Sheehan said that according to Dutch military leaders, gay soldiers were partly to blame for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
I was in the hearing room that day. When he made this outrageous claim, you could hear a collective gasp of disbelief from supporters and opponents of repeal alike. And now, the retired general has finally faced up to the facts.
In a letter dated Monday March 29 and addressed to the now retired General Henk van den Breemen of the Royal Dutch Marine Corps, General Sheehan acknowledges that his remarks were off base, saying the massacre "was in no way the fault of individual soldiers."
Below is a copy of the letter.
03-30-10 By Emily Sussman, Legislative Associate |
6 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.Bill on March 31, 2010 at 10.12 pm
I was also at the hearings. General Sheehan’s testimony was a sterling example from the old guard advocating ignorance and bigotry. His accusation that gay Dutch soldiers were a cause of a military fiasco was absurd. The letter he wrote to the Dutch general is an example of spin and misdirection, an insult to the Dutch and the entire world gay community. I assume General Sheehan was a superior war fighter, or he would not have held his past illustrious positions. He demonstrates, however, that good warriors are not always good people. Or, as appears to be the case with Senator McCain at these same hearings, perhaps the general is too embroiled in his own homophobia to join the 21st century. Sorry for the insults, general, but you represent a force throughout all western history for oppression of those who don’t share your narrow values. Had you lived in 1776, you probably would have sided with those who supported the death sentence for homosexuals of the day. Today, in a muted way, you still support that position, with continued resistance in today’s world of the gradual liberation of oppressed Americans including non-property owners, African Americans, women, and others. I suggest for your enlightenment you go to the Jefferson Memorial in DC and read what is written on the walls: “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”
And, if beneath it all you are a reasonable person, talk quietly with President Obama, Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen, General Shalikashvili, and even General Powell and consider siding with them rather than with Elaine Donnelly.
Tom Carpenter in Los Angeles on March 31, 2010 at 05.50 am
He tries to blame his untruthful testimony on a faulty memory. He got called on this by Senator Levin when he was asked who specifically had told him about the impact of gay soldiers on the situation in Srebrenica. He identified the Dutch Marine Commandant who subsequently denied such a conversation had occurred. This is no apology to the Dutch military and clearly is not a retraction of his damning testimony against repeal of DADT. As a fellow Marine, I contend his conduct has brought discredit to the Marine Corps and the United States. We should continue to demand he make a true apology for his false testimony.
veendam in Washington DC on March 31, 2010 at 04.22 am
He privately regrets that no one told him it wasn’t 1993 anymore… and that webcasts, blogs, twitter and internet news would instantly broadcast his words to a the worldwide audience outside the “safe” Senate hearing room.
Dino in Washington, DC on March 30, 2010 at 04.48 pm
I hope the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee see the letter of apology, espically those who are on the fence on DADT Repeal. Isn’t it nice that he wishes the Dutch General a Happy Easter (sarcasm). In the Easter Spirit it would be nice if he could extend his regrets to gay and lesbian servicemembers.
Rick Bodnar, Jr. in Tampa on March 30, 2010 at 03.16 pm
Sorry, I should have written, “...considering he tried to smear the honor of Dutch and American soldiers…”
Rick Bodnar, Jr. in Tampa on March 30, 2010 at 03.08 pm
The proper and honorable thing for this general officer to do is to apologize to the Dutch military, gay and straight. His comments to the retired Dutch Marine general fall way short, considering he tried to smear the honor of Dutch soldiers, just to bolster his bigoted thinking and to make it appear he had a legitimate argument. Funny (well, not so funny) he managed to use the term ‘gay’ in his testimony but excluded it in his so-called apology.