Jeff Edwards is a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, and an Anti-Submarine Warfare Specialist. He is currently working as a civilian expert consultant to the Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Command, the Navy's think tank for high-tech undersea warfare. His naval career spanned more than two decades and half the globe -- from chasing Soviet nuclear attack submarines during the Cold War, to launching cruise missiles in the Persian Gulf.
He puts his extensive experience as a Surface
Warfare specialist to work in his new novel,
TORPEDO.
In a plot that could easily be ripped from
today's headlines, TORPEDO combines an accident
at a nuclear power plant, an illegal arms
deal, and a biological warfare attack, to
ignite a crisis that could draw Western Europe,
the Middle East, and the United States into
all-out war. TORPEDO mixes the elements of
a classic sea chase novel with state-of-the-art
technology to create a cutting-edge Surface
Warfare Thriller.
Sound Off! Got an opinion about this article? Make your voice heard on the Jeff Edwards discussion forum.
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April 19, 2005
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Forum to sound off.]
I've spent a lot of time lately talking about the Fourth Estate's treatment of the U.S. Armed Forces. A few people have come away with the idea that I don't think the news media should be allowed to criticize the military. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Freedom of the Press is one of the fundamental rights that our Servicemembers fight to protect. Any attempt to muzzle the media would be a slap in the face of those who have purchased that freedom with their lives.
Nor do I think the U.S. military is above criticism. If you read some of my other columns, you'll see that I've been known to call the military on the carpet myself. Not every decision made by our military leadership is correct, and not all actions taken by our troops in the field are wise or well considered. Sometimes we screw up. And when we do screw up, I have no problem with the press or anyone else taking us to task for it. My objection is to the default position that every action we take is flawed. If journalists and pundits are going to criticize the military when it makes an error, it seems reasonable that they should recognize the military when it does something right. In my opinion, acts of dedication, gallantry, and sacrifice are at least as newsworthy as blunders. So are acts of generosity and human compassion.
To my way of thinking, the media has been a bit too stingy with the proverbial carrot, and a little too ready with the stick. Certainly our military personnel have made some mistakes in Afghanistan and Iraq; I don't think any of them would suggest otherwise. But they've also accomplished some incredible things, often while working under conditions that defy human imagination. If they're going to be castigated for their errors, they should be praised for their achievements and recognized for their heroism.
Of course there are people who do recognize and appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. In fact, there are a lot of them. Some of them even happen to be journalists. But the vast majority of the genuine support for our military comes from the Third Estate -- the common people.
In the not-so-distant past, the growth and power of any grassroots movement was limited by its ability to capture the attention of the media. A political or social organization that couldn't grab newspaper headlines or broadcast coverage was most often restricted to circulating petitions and handing out leaflets. But the technological developments of the past several years have transformed the common man's ability to communicate. Ordinary citizens are learning to leverage the tools of the Information Revolution to connect with enormous audiences. America is discovering that it has a voice that extends beyond the boundaries of print journalism and cable news. And it's discovering that it has something to say.
I've been exchanging emails recently with a gentleman from Military Salute. He and a small group of friends have authored an astounding half-hour multimedia presentation, packed with patriotic images and music. Their heartfelt tribute to America's Military is a powerful reminder of how much we owe the heroes who guard our country. People who've seen the Military Salute video describe it as touching, high-impact, and absolutely amazing. I've watched the video many times myself, and I can vouch for the accuracy of those comments.
These guys are not selling tee-shirts or bumper stickers. They don't even sell advertising space on their website, so there's no money in this for them. There's not even any fame or recognition. They tend to decline interviews, because any attention given to them draws focus away from their message. The subtitle for their tribute says it all: 'Honoring America's Military -- Past and Present.'
Shauna Fleming, a student at Lutheran High School of Orange, California, decided to do her part by starting A Million Thanks: a campaign to show support for our men and women in uniform through letters, cards, emails, thoughts, and prayers. Shauna's goal was ambitious: a million letters of support, nothing less. With the help of her family, her teachers, and her fellow students at Lutheran High School, she reached that goal in October of last year. Many people would have been satisfied with that. Shauna raised the bar. Her new goal is 1,400,000 letters. With her spirit and the help of her friends, I have no doubt that she'll get there. And then, I suspect, she'll look around for another way to show her patriotism.
In Adair County, Iowa, a talented young artist named Ray (Bubba) Sorensen II has a different way of displaying his love of country. Every year since 1999, Bubba has painted a Memorial Day tribute on a twelve foot high granite boulder outside of Greenfield, Iowa. His themes vary from year to year, but his murals are always patriotic and staunchly pro-military. Before Bubba began using it as a canvas for his paintings, the boulder was known as the graffiti rock, in reference to the many high school taggers who left their own marks on it. Now, this once nondescript stone is called Freedom Rock, and it has become a nationally-famous symbol of patriotism.
The murals can take up to three weeks to paint, and Bubba works for free. His only payment is the knowledge that his art serves a higher purpose. He is sending an unmistakable message of support to the men and women who defend our country.
The volunteer families who run Soldiers' Angels have sent thousands of care packages to deployed military personnel. They work tirelessly supporting wounded Soldiers, with transitional backpacks loaded with supplies to ease the burden of long hospital stays. They also make phone calls and personal visits to injured service members, and send letters of thanks to personnel from foreign militaries who serve alongside our Soldiers in the war on terror.
America's Voice/Kid Expressed was started by Christie Townsend, a teenaged girl in Rockford, Michigan who wanted to do something special for our troops. With the help of her family, she's raised enough money to purchase over two thousand 120 minute phone cards to help military personnel bear the expense of calling home. Christie is now passing the torch to her 12 year old brother who's ready and willing to take up the challenge.
Keystone Soldiers, Angels of Mercy, International Armed Forces Support, Operation Support Our Troops ... I only have room to mention a handful of examples in this column, but I could literally go on for days and still not name them all. There are well over a million websites dedicated to supporting the U.S. military, and many MANY military-friendly organizations with little or no presence on the Internet.
American citizens are speaking out in support of our troops. It's not just a few guys handing out leaflets. It's a groundswell, an outpouring of solidarity and gratitude from millions of Americans. In my book, that would make a hell of a news story. But don't expect to hear much about it from the Fourth Estate. Instead, ask your fellow members of the Third Estate. They know all about it.
