Matthis chases off another IVAW member
So I got the whiff of another IVAW member leaving (actually, I’ve heard from a couple of folks who are leaving or getting run off) because of the antics of Matthis Chiroux. Someone mailed me this letter of resignation;
I sit down at this desk and begin to write the hardest letter I have every written. A month ago, I came across a video of the “We Are Not Your Soldiers” stop at a California High School. What I saw was so shocking and devastating that it called into question my very membership in IVAW.
After the Board of Directors voted not to take any action against Matthis Chiroux for burning the American Flag on March 20, 2010, I became sick of IVAW national politics that did nothing but undermine the work of local chapters. I stepped away from any involvement in the national politics, and stepped into local work, hoping that I might accomplish some real good. Alas, while the local results were encouraging, the idiotic ramblings of Mr. Chiroux found me.
On the evening of May 24th, I was sent the link to a video of the “We Are Not Your Soldiers” Tour stop on May7th, 2010. In the video, there was one speaker, a woman, whom I did not recognize, and Mr. Chiroux. From the context, it appeared that they were speaking to high school classes about the video Collateral Murder. While some of what Matthis said regarding the fear that war instills was right, there was a slew of half-truths and exaggerations that offset any grain of truth he was trying to communicate. First there was the terrible editing job: interspersed video of US, German and UK soldiers with extremely graphic photos of dead and wounded people from Iraq, Israel, Afghanistan and violent street riots in the US and England. Then there was a stream of generalizations, over simplifications and half-truths about war that were laughable coming from a veteran who spent a week in Afghanistan. Even as a non-deployed veteran, I can tell when someone has never actually seen war.
The final portion of Mr. Chiroux’s talk was the most shocking. After a short tirade about slavery to the American flag, Mr. Chiroux states that must not support the troops. I have to admit that this was quite a shock to hear, even from Matthis. Not support the troops? How does that work with being the leader of an organization that is of the troops and for the troops? He made it very clear that any soldier who deploys is committing genocide and should NOT be supported. He told the civilians in this class that they need to let soldiers know that they do not support them and that they should not honor the warrior or the war.
At this point in the video, I was sick. I had been told of people like this: activists who attack all soldiers without regard for their humanity. Nevertheless, to actually see someone talk about soldiers like Mr. Chiroux did, was socking. I could not believe I was hearing. As a Conscientious Objector, I am keenly aware that not every soldier is opposed to the war. I understand that the decision to get out of the military is a very personal and very serious decision that no one can force a soldier to make. It is an absolute necessity that we support the troops while opposing the wars. While Mr. Chiroux makes no distinction between these two ideas, one can support a soldier without approving of the war he is taking part in. I have sent care packages, helped family members of deployed soldiers – I have even helped soldiers who have chosen to stay in the military! We can support and help soldiers even if we disagree with their decision to remain in the military and deploy.
I am quickly running out of options with regards to IVAW. Over the last few years, members have left the national scene to focus on local work. Others have gotten more and more involved in the internal politics of IVAW. Neither option has proven very successful at either ending the wars or changing the problems within IVAW. For me, more involvement with the national scene has led to heartburn and stress, while just focusing on local work has been hindered by the national ravings of Matthis and his ilk. Thankfully, I have been given some very unique opportunities to focus more on reaching out and building relationships with soldiers, regardless of their position about war. I feel that IVAW will only hinder these efforts.
I do not leave in protest. I do not expect IVAW to change to keep me as a member, nor am I demanding that. I am not leaving activism – I leave to free myself for more direct and personal involvement in reaching out to soldiers without the hindrance of IVAW.
Signed,Daniel
At some point, IVAW has to start taking into account that this is not the 1960s, that the membership of this organization is more mature, more rational and more intelligent than the smelly, illiterate twits of VVAW and VFP. Time and again, members of IVAW have made it clear that they have nothing against this country or their comrades who remain in the service, but the International Socialist Organization-affiliated members of IVAW are the ones who drive the organization away from it’s members.
I have nothing against opposing the war, but I do oppose the far Left moonbats who want to manipulate that opposition into a Marxist revolution, and apparently some of the members feel the same way. Some of them are honest enough to admit that they don’t want to belong to an organization that is being used by radical extremists in the RCP and World Can’t Wait.
The ISO members and their useful idiots as well as the dinosaurs of the VVAW/VFP are scrambling to mitigate the latest damage to their propaganda machine and I’ll have more on that tomorrow.t
Category: Antiwar crowd, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Phony soldiers
The irony is that the ISO/Mathis moonbat crowd will claim that the troops are pawns in a self-serving conspiracy of others when the reality is that the real IVAW deployed vets have become pawns with “veteran” credentials for outside, self-serving people who have no regard for the troops. IVAW developed a significant conflict of interest when it got tied up with these sketchy groups that have unabashadly rejected the individual soldier/vet unless that person became one of their drones aka “activist.” This is why IVAW used to be covered by mainstream press but has now been marginalized.
My favorite kind of post on TAH: Those demonstrating just how effectively IVAW is digging their own grave.
I identify with this. I have since devoted my energy to local veteran’s issues. Sure, people in IVAW may find it boring hammering out county initiatives and transportation for veterans to VA facilities, but that’s how you support veterans, which used to be one of their points of unity, but may as well not be now.
Daniel, et al, Please try to keep in mind Matthis is Matthis, Mr. Chiroux is my dad who served in the U.S. Navy honorably in the 1950’s. Matthis does not in any way represent the Chiroux family. It is important to us to make this distinction. Most Humbly, Rob Chiroux
Matthis and his like minded, self-serving drug testers and layabouts are a disgrace to any “outfit” they associate themselves with. No matter how low a group is considered, their presence in the group lowers it even more. In these days of a fully volunteer military, I have no sympathy for any protestor, unlike the smelly hippie sorts that were to damned chicken to serve in a draft military, who I could see heading out for Canada or some chicks Mom’s basement. At least they were running from the draft. Today, anyone who doesn’t care for what the warrior does, (fight wars, by and large), needn’t have joined in the first damned place. Those who did seemed to have done it to milk the cow, without having to shovel the cowshit. I copied a comment I made on another post at TAH on June 21st, for Matthis (and for his “fans”), and will paste it below. It still stands: Matthis: If I thought you were man enough to listen to some good adult style advice, I would offer this: It is not all about yourself. As a father, and having been a son, (dad’s deceased now. He was impressed into a coffin.), I know first hand that one of the greatest accomplishments a child, (especially a son), can make is to make his father proud. This comes way higher than pleasing ones self, even higher than pleasing some junkie chick with loose panties. Without having ever met him, I believe that I can say that your father loves you. That is an emotion that you apparently know little about, but one that cannot be altered. It is there or it is not. The one that can be altered is fatherly pride. And it can only be instilled by the child, not by distortion by the parent, not by some imaginary obligation. No matter what you ever accomplish, should you make your first accomplishment, (none yet, believe me.), nothing will be greater than to see the pride in a parents eyes. Not making that accomplishment makes you a loser of the first… Read more »
The Broad sounds like that Cnut Elaine Brower
Dear young Mr Robert C;
Those of us that chose to hang with Jonn Lilyea on a regular basis are very familiar with whom your father is. He has posted here before and do believe he and now, you are more than welcome here.
I could tell you what myself and brothers would do with a such a brother like Matt; But why fuel the problem? Rest assured the good Lord will deal with Matt at his end of time whenever that may be.
For all you all, I offer this simple prayer:
“Lord, I bow head and knee before you and your infinite wisdom. I pray that you will see fit to use me as your instrument in this god awful cultural war to protect against these people we are fighting; whom seek to impune and bring irreparable harm to the reputation of our country, troops and their families.
Oh yes? And one more thing dear Lord? I ask that you ignore our enemies heathen prayers for victory. Grant us strength and wisdom; and allow us to chase their worthless asses right straight back in to the depths of Hell from which they have emerged.”
Amen!
Mr Chiroux –
I respect your service and for speaking out regarding what I’m sure is a very difficult matter.
It pains me to see Matthis trash you in the media. As far as I’m concerned he doesnt have any credibility. Have you ever responded to his allegations? Sounds like he some NEEDED some discipline and in his mind he calls it physical abuse?
I posted this on Facebook, under the person who wrote this letter about why he left IVAW. I hope you take the time to read it…
Why is it if it’s not a concern of yours, it’s not a concern at all? That seems to be the attitude of you people. Instead of: “You should try looking at the way we do…” try: “You know, that is a serious problem and we will take care of it.” Matthis clearly has an impact; he’s caused how many people to leave IVAW? But of course if we follow the pattern of thought, once you leave IVAW, you are somehow lesser. If you don’t “go along to get along” then you are not welcome. I expressed concerns time and time again, in private, to two Executive Directors previous to Jose about Matthis, Carl, the ISO, and other issues. The reply was always the same: “We really don’t feel that it’s an issue at this time but we care about your concerns.” Yeah, care about them so much you blow them off. In a similar fashion to what you are doing here with Daniel’s note. While I understand that that is not the attitude of every person in IVAW, it can be applied to the BoD.
Regardless of what bubble you choose to live in, Matthis is the face of IVAW. He is easily your most public and outspoken member. If you can’t admit to that, and the negative impact he has on IVAW, then you are actively choosing not to see the truth. Hell, an Active Duty War Resister posted above as an outsider of what he feels in regards to this. He is not the only one by far. Matthis has lied or told half truths since day one. First he was an Afghanistan Vet, and now it’s worked it’s way down to a “shorter deployment”. What the hell does that mean? Then he makes a big stink over his IRR call when all he had to do was not show up. Then only after he gets his sentence he admits to raping a Woman, then being a party to another rape. Then he blames the Army for his actions. I don’t miss being in the Army one single bit, and everyone knows how I feel about the Army, but for people not to condemn him for these actions, and hold the Army, not him, accountable is insane. The crazy thing is, so many of IVAW members call themselves Feminists but give Matthis a slide. Of course the anti-war “movement” just eats this shit up because many of them have never deployed, or even been in the Military. IVAW and people like Matthis exploit the huge gulf between Troops and Civilians to justify unjustifiable actions like the raping of a prostitute, who by Matthis’ “CONfession” was in all likelihood a victim of human Trafficking. If he had the presences of mind to think of that, he had the presence of mind to say no. Or at least go back in the room and fake it. I have no doubt that poor girl was all to accustom to “faking it” for many dirtbags against her will. While most Women are accustom to having to fake it with Matthis. I love how IVAW jumps all over statistics about rape in the Military, which I have no… Read more »
I’ll give you an example of said gulf between Civilian and Soldier: A Director of a short film wanted me to be Director of Photography for it. For the project we need a Class A uniform and I knew a friend who had one. I got rid of mine. So I brought it into a shoot filled with people of all ages and backgrounds. They’ve seen my Iraq work so they asked me what some of the ribbons on the uniform meant. I pointed to the basic training ribbon, a rainbow, and said that is was for passing the “Homosexual tolerance and awareness course”. I also told them that while Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was still in effect the Army wants people to be tolerant of others and is surprising progressive in that regard. They all bought it. I laughed and said it was the BCT ribbon and explained why it’s of many colors. Activists on many levels can be just as easily fooled. Matthis capitalizes on this lack of knowledge.
But Matthis can not be blamed as the only person that exploits it. IVAW is just as guilty of this. How? Well the video that Daniel refers to in his letter has Matthis wearing a shirt that says “Iraq Veterans Against The War”. So the person who made that video credited him with being so. While I still feel filmmakers need to cover all their bases by doing research on a subject, this can not be blamed solely on the filmmaker. Common sense to most of the World would dictate that if one is to wear a shirt that says that, and be a member, and sits on the board, they must be a Veteran of the war in Iraq. Or, at the very least, a Vet of Afghanistan. Clearly, he is not. But some of the people tagged in this very note wear the same shirt and are actively misleading people by doing so. Now, to Jose’s credit, he did correct the host of GritTV when she referred to him as being a Veteran of Iraq. But Jose, you shouldn’t have too. Anyone who wears that shirt who has not deployed is in effect, lying. You might not be saying it with words, but you are doing it by action. While I am not filled with a sense of pride of being a Vet of Iraq you disrespect those who are by wearing that shirt. If you want to justify it or make excuses for it then it shows your true feelings about the level of respect you have for the Vets of both the war in Iraq, and Afghanistan.
As far as Adrinne Kinne’s post goes, the USSF 2010 was just another gathering of people of like minds to pat each other on the back. So many wonderful people attended it, like Matthis the rapist, Carl Dix, spokesperson for the the Revolutionary Communists of America, and Elaine Brower. You know, that lovely Woman that posts videos of herself calling Marines “murders” and “baby killers” on her own YouTube channel. Yeah, she cares about the troops alright. Also Adrinne, your ISO runs the IVAW show. At your conventions people are trained on how to infiltrate other groups and swing votes. You have a monopoly of power throughout that anti-war movement. Not very Socialist-like is it? Of course the typical response is to deny it and claim it is over exaggerated. Once again, an answer trained into ISO members. Truly a group that does not want to think for themselves and wraps their willful ignorance in the banner of truth and progressive thought.
Casey, it’s the Army Service Ribbon. You get it for service in the Army, not specifically BCT. It’s also usually awarded after completion of AIT/OSUT, not BCT. ^^
Sorry, I couldn’t help but correct you. Other than that, you’ve got it 100% as usual.
I am flattered at being referred to as young, thank you. Sorry to cause confusion but Matthis is my son. My father and I both served in the U.S. Navy, my Dad (Mr. Chiroux) served in the 50’s and I in the early 80’s. And yes, I responded immediately to my son’s allegations of 4/23/2009 with a legal notice from my attorney. Matthis made these allegations before, they were investigated and determined to be “unfounded”. Other than my letter exonerating me the details are in Matthis’ thick juvenile file, which is sealed.
Great stuff Casey. Now, if it would just sink in.
Goodness gracious, Casey! What ever happened to calling them just plain old communists? LOL! 😉
Dr. Chiroux, I keep trying to figure out what happened to Matthis. Please don’t be affended, but I was wondering, was he a forcepts delivery? Did the dog turn over his bassinet in a way that he fell out and hit his head? I just can’t figure out how he turned out to be such a narcissistic lying sociopath. You seem like a nice man and it sounds like you did all you could to teach him right from wrong and instill a little discipline in his life, thus my questions.
Carl:
There are many reasons people go to war. One of which is to protect their friends who are also going to war. This can be illustrated by the movie Blackhawk Down. Another reason is to protect your country, family, etc… then get sent to Iraq/Afghanistan. There are a lot of reasons why people have gone to war and continue to go to war that have nothing to do with wanting to kill people. It saddens me that a “vet” wouldn’t know this.
You’re saying exactly what Matthis has been slow to say. This is probably a reason why you were kicked out, though the love affair some have for Matthis is keeping him from a similar fate. I’m surprised you’re not calling foul. You should. It would be funny.
Susan, As matter of fact Matthis was a forcepts delivery to the point that it left a bruise on his head. Is there some scientific study that has shown a link between this and personality?
“IVAW is NOT an organization that is of the troops and for the troops”
Hey, I agree. But they certainly hold themselves out as such. See part three of their platform:
“From its inception, IVAW has called for … [f]ull benefits, adequate healthcare (including mental health), and other supports for returning servicemen and women.”
I’m going to post something now that I have not gone public with. I sat down some time ago with Seth Menzel, another board member, at his request. What followed was something I’ve always found odd… He went on telling me about IVAW in ways that could compromise the Organization. Telling me about financial fraud, his own disregard for the points of unity, how IVAW was nothing more than a means to an end, and general corruption at the hands of board members. I will do something also that I do not easily confess too; I felt like I got punched in the chest. I’m not sure how many fights the rest of you have been in, but the first time you get the wind knocked out of you remember it. I felt something I’ve felt before: used. I know IVAW used me, but I stand behind my films for what they convey, and I never did it for IVAW. But his callous disregard for what others believed in, and the risks they were taking in standing up while on Active Duty, was well, I felt like I was sitting across form that Battalion Commander who we all know laughs at the Soldiers in private. Only, I got to get an inside peak. I did however stay for as long as I could. It’s only when he had consumed a pretty good amount of alcohol did he start to compare me with Carl Webb. I packed up my gear and, I quote: “Go fuck yourself.” He than called my cell phone after I was on my way home and I told him to go fuck himself again. I informed Selena “Army Sergeant” Coppa about this and got the A-Typical IVAW answer: “He’s just one guy. It’s not IVAW as a whole. It’s no big deal.” You know, the usual B.S. Now, was Seth lying to me? Was he going to see if what he told me make it’s way to This Ain’t Hell? Since so many boneheads in IVAW seem to think I am some sort of covert Ninja working… Read more »
“IVAW is NOT an organization that is of the troops and for the troops.”
WELL SAID, KOMRADE Karl Marx-Webb, IVAW is a tool-bag of the ISO and other commie.orgs who hunger for a sluggish, unresponsive soviet bureacrapcy to micro-manage every last aspect of their slack assed lives… Now get your ass back to the deep fat fryer and whip up some fries for the komrade-students in the state run indoctrination/re-education facility.
BTW, Webb, your political god, Karl Marx was a bourgeois who never held a steady job, paid his rent on time or ran a business. He sponged off of Friedrich Engels until he obtained his inheritance (inheritance was to be abolished according to the commie manifesto, btw) and once he recieved his royalties for that heap of bovine feces known as Das Kapital, never worked a day, EVER, despite Engels and other commie sheep imploring him to fix flawed doctrine in their commie agenda.
Dr. Chiroux – don’t know of any scientific study – but have heard of forcepts causing brain damage. I am, from now on, going to assume that is what happened to Matthis.
#25 Susan:
Forceps delivery either does immediate damage, or none at all. It doesn’t cause latent damage that shows up suddenly in adulthood. Seizures are the most common sign that a baby has been injured this way. There can also be permanent scars from the use of the forceps.
I’m really disgusted to have read this post:
Robert Chiroux Says:
June 28th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Susan, As matter of fact Matthis was a forcepts delivery to the point that it left a bruise on his head. Is there some scientific study that has shown a link between this and personality?
WHAT is going on here?
Mr. Chiroux, you say Matthis is the one to bad mouth you, however it seems you are always speaking badly about your son on this blog.
What happened to FATHERS setting an example for their children. What happened to fathers, and even doctors, setting an example for the younger generations everywhere?
Saying that Matthis isn’t a Chiroux is disowning your son. Suggesting he is brain damaged as a result of a delivery using forceps is ridiculous. Weren’t most babies of your generation delivered with the help of forceps?
You clearly have a heart of coal.
Have some decency for crying out loud!
What are your grandchild going to think when they hear that Matthis spent his days exercising his 1st Amendment right, freedom of speech, while their grandfather spent his days on the computer bad mouthing his own son on blogs?!
shocked and disgusted:
You don’t have a clue. On the forceps part, Dr. Chiroux said nothing to suggest that Matthis, (the dipshit), was as he is because of forceps. The thread portions regarding that were obviously in jest, you dope.
That he clarifies that Matthis is Matthis and not Chiroux is because of the drivel that Matthis spews, the dumbassery that he participates in, and the outright lies he tells to make his way through his pathetic life.
He is a user, user of drugs, either past or present or both, a user of people, and a user of MY Troops. He is a user and a loser.
You write like you may be his latest chickie with the loose panties. Don’t know that to be a fact, but not many people in their right mind would support this douCHE. Don’t see why you would if you are not in his fan club.
“What are your grandchild going to think when they hear that Matthis spent his days exercising his 1st Amendment right, freedom of speech”
Sorry toots- Freedom of speech doesn’t protect lies. Matthis is a loser, a liar, a manipulator, and a rapist, and most of the world can see through his bullshit like a pane of glass. His father knows him better and knew him for longer than probably anyone else he’s ever known, so I’d say he’s in the best position to judge the content of his character. His willingness to lie and manipulate truth to spread propaganda is well documented, and many of his former friends and peers have had no scruples about revealing him publicly for the piece of shit he is.
And anyway, Dr. Chiroux simply posed a legitimate question the way I read it. I’m certain he’d like to know as much as anyone how the hell the rotten apple fell so far from the tree.
Southern Class……dumbassery? really? check yourself before you wreck yourself. You hardly sound intelligent nor is it even worth debating with someone who argues using pseudo words. You may want to look into a new user name…
Scott, please don’t call me “toots”…that’s disrespectful.
Many parents don’t really know their children. That is a fact.
We can’t protect someone solely because they aided in donating their dna that resulted in the birth of a child.
We have NO idea who Matthis’ parents are; no clue how they parented him.
We can only propose our two sense based on events that have occurred publicly.
Defending his father is ignorant. He could have been an absent father for all we know….
Well, we do know Matthis claims he is from a “poor Southern family” despite the fact that he counts millionaires and PhD holders among his blood relatives.
We know he refers to his six days in A’Stan as a “short deployment” for what one can only assume is to increase his legitimacy among the masses.
We know his ex-girlfriend has detailed explicitly how he threatened and abused her when their relationship was ending.
We know he has a criminal record.
We know he confesses to rape while insisting he’s not a rapist.
We know he blames the Army for causing him to rape, an assertion that is patently ridiculous to all of us who served and never raped.
We know he bought the services of at least four prostitutes while in the Army. Hardly the actions of someone as conflicted and instantly remorseful and disgusted as he swears up and down he was at the time.
We know he insists soldiers are not heroes, which is not inherently wrong, not all of them are, but a good many damn sure are.
We know he LOVES to talk about how he was messed up by his service; e.g.”gun in my mouth, ready to blow my brains out” crock of shit (I’m positive I read a permutation of that sentence among his writing somewhere; one remembers cliches that laughably ridiculous) without enumerating a single traumatic thing that happened to him, save his “woe is me, I raped a girl” prostitute story. I’m sure he got that erection out of grief and protest too.
Yes, we know quite a bit about Matthis; every time he opens his mouth, a veritable bounty of bullshit speweth forth.
And asking rhetorical questions designed to impugn Dr. Chiroux’s integrity is at least as disrespectful as calling you “toots”. As is assuming Dr. Chiroux was an absentee father without basis. Do you assume that of every parent who disagrees with a child’s actions?
Shocked and Disgusted: You have no idea what you are talking about. I knew Matthis in high school. I didn’t know him well, but I knew his sister very well. Dr. Chiroux definitely was NOT an absentee father. When Matt’s parents split up, he lived with his mother for a few months and then I heard he practically begged his dad to let him move back in with him. His sister moved back in with him, too.
Matt’s dad was a professor at Auburn and from what I’ve read and heard from people who know the whole family, he did everything he could to help Matt decide to become a decent human being. In my opinion, Matthis has made a conscious decision to be a user and a tool.
Regarding the forceps comment — Scott is right. Susan brought up something about forceps in jest. Dr. Chiroux was simply asking in response to that because as any GOOD PARENT would be, he was concerned that there might be some connection.
I don’t know you. You are probably a wonderful person. Just be sure you check your facts before lashing out at someone you know nothing about. The entire Chiroux family has obviously been hurt and embarrassed by Matt’s perpetual lies and theatrics.
Shocked and Disgusted: You have no idea what you are talking about. I knew Matthis in high school. I didn’t know him well, but I knew his sister very well. Dr. Chiroux definitely was NOT an absentee father. When Matt’s parents split up, he lived with his mother for a few months and then I heard he practically begged his dad to let him move back in with him. His sister moved back in with him, too.
Matt’s dad was a professor at Auburn and from what I’ve read and heard from people who know the whole family, he did everything he could to help Matt decide to become a decent human being. In my opinion, Matthis has made a conscious decision to be a user and a tool.
Regarding the forceps comment — Scott is right. Susan brought up something about forceps in jest. Dr. Chiroux was simply asking in response to that because as any GOOD PARENT would be, he was concerned that there might be some connection.
I don’t know you. You are probably a wonderful person. Just be sure you check your facts before lashing out at someone you know nothing about. The entire Chiroux family has obviously been hurt and embarrassed by Matt’s perpetual BS.
shocked and disgusted:
Listen toots, I used dumbassery because most of us here are sick and tired of the liberal/progressive use of profanity in their attempt at getting a point made. Rather than “dumbassery”, I will put it in words more likely in your vocabulary: “Stupid Phucking Shit”, more basal, more up to your reading comprehension level perhaps. That you feel that “toots” is disrespectful, and call someone on it is a suggestion that you believe in the progressive mantra that we should be politically correct in our writing/speaking effort. FYI “Politically Correct” may be one of the more damaging phrases invented in our generation. We prefer to call a Spade, a spade. (And that is not racist.)
Choose another user name? Not even considering it. On occassion I will use one other that I have used for years here, and at many other blogs: “Frankly Opinionated”. But as most of those who comment here, I have my info straight, I do not denigrate anyone who doesn’t beg for it, and I have been reading here, on this topic, for far longer than you it would seem, based on your comment above on the “Dumbassery” of Matthis.
This site often profiles heroes, (there are none in the IVAW), and does nothing to denigrate their name. It is only those who are disrespectful of the Military, such as Matthis, whom we see as what they are.
You have shown us nothing to suggest that you are any more than one of Matthis suckers, those who come to his defense when he is indefensible.
Now, go sit in a corner, and drink your rancid kool-ade.
Okay, I will respond directly. “WHAT is going on here? Mr. Chiroux, you say Matthis is the one to bad mouth you, however it seems you are always speaking badly about your son on this blog.” I kept my mouth shut or was neutral but supportive until my son issued his manifesto on 4/23/2009 in which he accused me of abusing him his entire life. This was a lie and possibly retribution for my not coming to his military hearing in St. Louis that day and generally being “supportive” of my son while not supporting him and his anti-war activities that started when he received his recall letter to return to the service for Operation Iraqi Freedom. I am very, very careful never to make a statement of fact about my son that is not the truth. Matthis attacked me with a lie, in public (winter soldier), and on the internet (Confessions of a War Resister). Accusing me, as opposed to Matthis, of speaking badly is partisan. “What happened to FATHERS setting an example for their children. What happened to fathers, and even doctors, setting an example for the younger generations everywhere?” Matthis has used, abused, lied, stolen, manipulated and now raped (by his own confession) and has a thick juvenile record, that is presently sealed, to prove it along with a series of heartbroken ladies that appear to want nothing more to do with him. I spent many agonizing years trying to turn my son towards the path or reasonable and decent. I warned him in his later juvenile years when he begged to move in with me that if I became aware of him breaking the law I would turn him in. I kept my word and he spit on the floor at me when I did. The lesson to my children, grandchildren, you and all the world is never take this kind of crap from anyone, not even your own blood. Attacking the example I set without first fully investigating the facts and history is ignorant and partisan. “Saying that Matthis isn’t a Chiroux is disowning your… Read more »
I’m not popping in for long, I’m really busy right now. I’m not going to crosspost my post in response to Casey, but I’m just going to say that Casey is making baseless accusations against someone who is a combat veteran, to whom both Casey AND myself are pogues. Seth Manzel and I may have very different political ideas and ideas about structured organizations such as IVAW. But he has worked full time supporting the troops for almost 2 years. He in no way laughs at the active duty soldiers who are struggling, and actually has contributed more direct aid than a lot of the rest of us combined, in terms of providing counselors, legal services, financial support, etc.
Just because Seth may have said that Casey was a destructive influence on IVAW, is no reason for him to be lambasted like this. Casey was a destructive influence on IVAW. He got the membership list from someone and emailed everyone negative stuff about IVAW. Good person, sure, but destructive to IVAW. I myself wouldn’t put Casey and Webb in the same category, but I think it’s just an example of how petty Casey is. Nothing offended him until he insulted Casey, and then it was all over. Just like nothing I did bothered Casey until he thought I was being rude to him, and then it was all over.
Casey, your ego is ridiculous. You were not the “best-looking IVAW member” like you used to call yourself, and you are not exempt from criticism. Please leave the innocent out of your tirades.
“Good person, sure, but destructive to IVAW.”
I really don’t see any contradiction in those two characteristics.
Besides, even w/o Casey, IVAW is doing a pretty good job of self-destructing. Keep it up.
If you re-read what I wrote I stated that I was hurt before he insulted me. You can accuse of me lying and being this ego driven loon all you want. I know what I heard and I don’t have to lie about it. The only one here who is lying is you. But, you are lying to yourself. Well, and others when you wear that IVAW shirt.
Tankers never refer to Tank Mechanics as POGs. There is a mutual respect between the two and often times jobs overlap. Tanker will help fix their own Tanks to learn more about them, Mechanics will go out on combat patrols in the loaders hatch, sometimes driving, and gunning. Myself and several on my team did so in our first deployment. I was also the Operator/Driver of an M88 A2 Herc and recovered several Tanks, Brads, and various other vehicles outside the wire.
So don’t ever call me a POG or a liar. Your the one that can not even tells us the nomenclature of your job or give us a straight answer in regards to it. Also, you never deployed anywhere you “Iraq Veteran” Against The War.
If you do not like the to hear the truth, that’s your problem. So please, just shut the hell up.
Tell yourself what you like. I’m betting I can call up a lot of dudes who will say you had a POG job. You should own it. I do, and I’m not offended when people call intel weenies POGs. We /are/. We are People Other than Grunts.
You don’t know my military history at all. You don’t know my job. And you don’t know much if you think I haven’t told my MOS. It’s all over the damn internet and was spoken of at Winter Soldier and elsewhere.
However, again, this isn’t about me. It’s about you and the fact that you are denigrating a combat veteran because he didn’t lick your boots and thank you for making movies, and are now “coming forward” like you have something relevant to say. You don’t. My statement about Manzel only being one person was about the politics. If you had said then that he didn’t support soldiers I would have called you on your shit then.
Once and for all, a failure to adequately promote Casey Porter’s films so big directors can see them and Casey Porter can get good connections is NOT failure to support the active duty.
Can’t say as I’ve ever refered to any of my mechanics as a POG….and being the driver I was ALWAYS helping the mechanics for exactly the reason you said. Hell, an 88 came into a mine feild I was plowing to make a recovery!
AS–nice to see you’re not even trying to defend IVAW’s stands anymore–just trying to tear down the critics.
Nice job.
‘Port Operations Group’ (US DoD), and ‘Psychological Operations Group’ are a couple of legitimate uses for the acronym ‘POG’, using the acronym ‘POG’ in it’s unofficial guise to mean ‘persons other than grunts’ is generally accepted to be derogatory much like ‘REMF’, meaning a person somehow less important than the sharpened end of the spear. In Casey’s defense it’s fair for him to be upset when someone who won’t publicly qualify their own bona fides makes statements regarding his service. It’s also traditionally accepted that those non-infantry combat support troops that work ‘outside the wire’ receive an honorary respect that removes the imaginary ‘REMF’ or ‘POG’ stigma.
Additionally A.S., if it’s true that your own service was so sensitive as to limit your ability to speak of it, I would submit that you’ve already said too much and probably shouldn’t be engaged in discussions of this nature at all, and by extension, if you really are committed to that level of secrecy and devotion to duty, you really shouldn’t be associating with an organization with so many extremist and subversive ties regardless of how many good people are in it. Actions to the contrary are logically hypocritical. If you are in fact only concerned with doing good works for good people there are many Veterans organizations that do wonderful things for the troops, serving and discharged, there can be no excuse for continuing to associate with the likes of the IVAW in light of their flawed leadership and questionable membership.
Jacobite:
You make some good points, and I should stop getting baited by Casey definitely.
“Tankers never refer to Tank Mechanics as POGs.” Neither do the grunts who use uparmoreds. My pouge REMF ass saw mechanics on many a convoy and “deep in the shit” in the little bit of combat I actually experienced.
Same here AG. Mechs manned my .50 in the lead security vehicle on many of our convoys, and it was usually a 3 man mechanic team that opperated our rear security and recovery vehicle.
Wait wait wait… Casey wasn’t the best looking member of the IVAW – I clearly was.
…Or is that what you were trying to say, Army Sergeant?
It’s so funny to see AS getting all fired up like this! If you notice, when someone can not counter with anything real, they accuse me of lying, having a big ego, blaa blaa blaa. I really don’t care what she thinks.
I do however want to thank those who replied and shared their brief stories about Mechanics they’ve worked with. Clearly, for those of you who have deployed, you know that “staying in the rear with the gear” is not always the case. I however am not trying to take anything away from those who signed up for Combat Arms.
I wonder how the Ordinance Corps and Tankers would feel if I shared AS’s comments about me being a POG? Mmmmm… 😉
Another bright spot on IVAW’s record. hahaha
Love me some Ordinance Corps! 62B here. And I was outside the wire daily. Guess I’m a POG too.
Since Army Sergeant said I should “own it” in regards to being a POG, I thought I’d post some pictures to “own” my place. Let’s start out with my first combat recovery. This was in the very beginning of our deployment and this Tank got it from under with an I.E.D. It was a night recovery in the “Sunni Triangle of Death” and the fuel cells on both sides on the front were leaking fuel and we had to drag it back to the T.A.A. across hardball.
Well try to lift this.
http://news.mainetoday.com/war/photos/02dozer.jpg
I’d make it happen one way or another. In my picture above the kid driving the Tank was wounded with shrapnel, but he is doing just fine…