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Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Generals owe their loyalty to the rule of law, not to Trump
The firing of National Security Agency chief, Gen. Timothy Haugh and his deputy, Wendy Noble, has gone largely unnoticed amid the chaos over tariffs, even though it sets a dangerous precedent. The dismissals occurred after a White House meeting between the president and his staunch supporter, Laura Loomer, and appear to have been done at her request. 'NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump,' Loomer posted on X. 'That is why they have been fired.' The allegiance of military officers is to the country, not the president. As Trump has made abundantly clear, however, he values loyalty to him above all else. 'We're always going to let go of people — people we don't like. … or people that may have loyalties to someone else,' the president said in reference to the dismissals. Haugh's firing follows the dismissal of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman CQ Brown, Jr., allegedly for supporting DEI in the military. Trump also removed two female admirals, Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti and Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan. He also fired the top judge advocate generals of the Army, Navy and Air Force. As commander-in-chief, the president does have the authority to replace generals and admirals, but this usually occurs during wartime as a result of command failures or disagreements over strategy. Adm. Husband Kimmel and Gen. Walter Short were relieved of their commands and formally admonished following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During the Korean Conflict, Harry Truman fired five-star general and WWII hero Douglas MacArthur, primarily because he ignored the president's direct orders and openly criticized his policies. Truman faced a storm of criticism for his decision, but history has been kinder to him, recognizing MacArthur as an out-of-control general who might have gotten the United States into a conflict with China. During the Vietnam War, the Johnson administration fired generals who criticized its strategy, and in 1971, Maj. Gen. James Baldwin was removed from his command and admonished for 'substandard performance of duty.' President Obama replaced Gen. David McKiernan with Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the senior military officer in Afghanistan, but he based that decision on McChrystal's expertise in counterinsurgency, which was the new focus of the campaign. In none of these cases did the president cite disloyalty as a reason for removing a senior officer. The uniformed services occupy a unique position in the federal government. Officers and enlisted personnel must obey the lawful orders of the commander-in-chief. However, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which regulates their professional conduct, explicitly requires members of the armed forces to disobey an order that is 'contrary to the constitution' or 'the laws of the United States' or that is 'patently illegal . . . such as one that directs the commission of a crime.' This guidance puts the soldier in the unenviable position of having to determine, perhaps in the middle of a crisis, whether an order is legal or illegal. That reality makes the selection of officers for their competence and integrity, not their personal loyalty to a particular president, all the more important. Trump has made no secret of his desire for an officer corps that will obey any order he gives them, just as he has demanded a compliant Department of Justice that will do his bidding. Legal scholars fear that the president might use the 1807 Insurrection Act, which grants him broad latitude to deploy the military to 'enforce federal authority' against legitimate protestors or anyone else who opposes him. In his executive order 'Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States,' Trump called on the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to make 'recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.' If he gets away with using the act on the border, experts believe, he may employ it within the country. During his first administration, the president wanted to use the military against Black Lives Matter protestors, only to be thwarted by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley. Would senior officers chosen for their loyalty show the same restraint? The concern also exists in the arena of foreign policy. Trump has vowed that the U.S. will 'go as far as we have to' to gain control of Greenland. Seizing the island by force would be tantamount to declaring war on our NATO ally, Denmark. Would a Pentagon staffed with presidential loyalists obey an order to invade, or declare it illegal and refuse to comply? The founders of the Republic rightly feared a standing army that could become an instrument of tyranny. As soon as they ratified the Constitution, they insisted that officers swear to uphold it. In addition to their role in defending the country in a time of war or national emergency, senior military officers advise the president on national security. They must be apolitical and free to speak their mind, even when the commander-in-chief does not like what they have to say. Yes-men chosen for their unwavering loyalty cannot do that. A politicized military committed to supporting the president, no matter what, poses an existential threat to democracy. Once he consolidated power in Germany, Adolf Hitler changed the oath taken by members of the armed forces. They had previously sworn 'loyalty to the constitution' and vowed to 'protect the German nation,' but now had to 'render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler.' We do not live in Nazi Germany, and Trump is not Hitler. However, the lessons of history should not be ignored. A soldier's ultimate loyalty is, and must always be, to the Constitution, the country and the American people. Tom Mockaitis is a professor of history at DePaul University and the author of 'Conventional and Unconventional War: A History of Modern Conflict.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
10-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Generals owe their loyalty to the rule of law, not to Trump
The firing of National Security Agency chief, Gen. Timothy Haugh and his deputy, Wendy Noble, has gone largely unnoticed amid the chaos over tariffs, even though it sets a dangerous precedent. The dismissals occurred after a White House meeting between the president and his staunch supporter, Laura Loomer, and appear to have been done at her request. 'NSA Director Tim Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble have been disloyal to President Trump,' Loomer posted on X. 'That is why they have been fired.' The allegiance of military officers is to the country, not the president. As Trump has made abundantly clear, however, he values loyalty to him above all else. 'We're always going to let go of people — people we don't like. … or people that may have loyalties to someone else,' the president said in reference to the dismissals. Haugh's firing follows the dismissal of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman CQ Brown, Jr., allegedly for supporting DEI in the military. Trump also removed two female admirals, Chief of Naval Operations Lisa Franchetti and Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan. He also fired the top judge advocate generals of the Army, Navy and Air Force. As commander-in-chief, the president does have the authority to replace generals and admirals, but this usually occurs during wartime as a result of command failures or disagreements over strategy. Adm. Husband Kimmel and Gen. Walter Short were relieved of their commands and formally admonished following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. During the Korean Conflict, Harry Truman fired five-star general and WWII hero Douglas MacArthur, primarily because he ignored the president's direct orders and openly criticized his policies. Truman faced a storm of criticism for his decision, but history has been kinder to him, recognizing MacArthur as an out-of-control general who might have gotten the United States into a conflict with China. During the Vietnam War, the Johnson administration fired generals who criticized its strategy, and in 1971, Maj. Gen. James Baldwin was removed from his command and admonished for 'substandard performance of duty.' President Obama replaced Gen. David McKiernan with Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the senior military officer in Afghanistan, but he based that decision on McChrystal's expertise in counterinsurgency, which was the new focus of the campaign. In none of these cases did the president cite disloyalty as a reason for removing a senior officer. The uniformed services occupy a unique position in the federal government. Officers and enlisted personnel must obey the lawful orders of the commander-in-chief. However, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which regulates their professional conduct, explicitly requires members of the armed forces to disobey an order that is 'contrary to the constitution' or 'the laws of the United States' or that is 'patently illegal . . . such as one that directs the commission of a crime.' This guidance puts the soldier in the unenviable position of having to determine, perhaps in the middle of a crisis, whether an order is legal or illegal. That reality makes the selection of officers for their competence and integrity, not their personal loyalty to a particular president, all the more important. Trump has made no secret of his desire for an officer corps that will obey any order he gives them, just as he has demanded a compliant Department of Justice that will do his bidding. Legal scholars fear that the president might use the 1807 Insurrection Act, which grants him broad latitude to deploy the military to 'enforce federal authority' against legitimate protestors or anyone else who opposes him. In his executive order 'Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States,' Trump called on the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to make 'recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.' If he gets away with using the act on the border, experts believe, he may employ it within the country. During his first administration, the president wanted to use the military against Black Lives Matter protestors, only to be thwarted by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley. Would senior officers chosen for their loyalty show the same restraint? The concern also exists in the arena of foreign policy. Trump has vowed that the U.S. will 'go as far as we have to' to gain control of Greenland. Seizing the island by force would be tantamount to declaring war on our NATO ally, Denmark. Would a Pentagon staffed with presidential loyalists obey an order to invade, or declare it illegal and refuse to comply? The founders of the Republic rightly feared a standing army that could become an instrument of tyranny. As soon as they ratified the Constitution, they insisted that officers swear to uphold it. In addition to their role in defending the country in a time of war or national emergency, senior military officers advise the president on national security. They must be apolitical and free to speak their mind, even when the commander-in-chief does not like what they have to say. Yes-men chosen for their unwavering loyalty cannot do that. A politicized military committed to supporting the president, no matter what, poses an existential threat to democracy. Once he consolidated power in Germany, Adolf Hitler changed the oath taken by members of the armed forces. They had previously sworn 'loyalty to the constitution' and vowed to 'protect the German nation,' but now had to 'render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler.' We do not live in Nazi Germany, and Trump is not Hitler. However, the lessons of history should not be ignored. A soldier's ultimate loyalty is, and must always be, to the Constitution, the country and the American people. Tom Mockaitis is a professor of history at DePaul University and the author of
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Honoring women veterans one story at a time
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Honoring women veterans one story at a time. A local Air Force Veteran holds an Annual Tea and Talk during Women's History Month to highlight female military achievements. 'These ladies were World War I veterans, and they were women. They were called the Hello Girls,' said Air Force Veteran Janice Gavern. Gavern is committed to women's veteran issues. 'The more I tell the message and the more I get out to my sister servicewomen, the more they are inclined to go out and do the same sorts of things,' Gavern explained. For the 17th year, Gavern held the Women Veterans and Friends Tea at the Gino J. Merli Veterans' Center in Scranton. 'She was a veteran. Her name is Iris Critchell. Iris Critchell was very unique,' Gavern said. Gavern hosts the event each year to recognize fellow women veterans' service. 'If I don't come out and do this, who is going to thank women veterans for their service?' Gavern asked. 82-year-old woman reaching new heights in PA skies Three women were recognized this year, including Helen O'Hara, given a rose plant as a memento and a salute. 'During the war, I was Korean, the Korean Conflict, yes,' O'Hara said. A Navy veteran, O'Hara says she enjoyed the tea and learning about the servicewomen who came before her. 'It's true, everything she said, 'I was shaking my head yes.' That's the way it is and that's the way it was,' O'Hara stated. Gavern also presented yellow roses to the other women in the room: Veterans' spouses. 'This is my effort to make sure that they get thanked as they get older,' said Gavern. Gavern says it's important to honor the women veterans who came before them and paved the way for the women veterans of today. Born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Gavern enlisted in the Air Force upon graduating from South Scranton Central Catholic High School. After four years spent on active duty, she joined the Air Force Reserves, serving another 22 years. She continues to serve her country as the Deputy Commander for Women Veterans' Issues at the 15th District American Legion Department of Pennsylvania. 'What we're trying to do is say that women did this. This is history. It is not something they were handed, believe me,' Gavern explained. Gavern is also the historian for Gardner Warner American Legion Post 154 in Montrose. She's also the Acting Historian for Gladys Watkins American Legion Post 550, which once existed in Scranton. Additionally, a breast cancer and brain aneurysm survivor. 'I'm not ready to quit. I'm still doing this,' Gavern added. Keeping the stories of her sister servicewomen alive, Janice is a Remarkable Woman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Leslie H. (Bob) Mead Leslie Harrison (Bob) Mead was born on
Mar. 24—Leslie H. (Bob) Mead Leslie Harrison (Bob) Mead was born on September 8th, 1929. He was born in La Junta, Colorado to Lilly Vivian McDaniel Mead and Henry Harrison Mead. This was one month before the Stock Market crashed in October 1929. Bob passed peacefully and quietly on March 22nd, 2025 in his home in Tucumcari, New Mexico with his family. When Bob was one year old, his father died of appendicitis after which his mother Lilly moved Bob and his sister Serena back to Tucumcari, New Mexico to live with his Grandmother Nellie, Grandfather James W. McDaniel, and Aunt Edna McDaniel until 1943 when he moved to House, NM. In 1943, Bob's mother, Lilly married George Griggs who had a son, Garland Griggs. In 1948, Bob graduated from House High School. During this year, his brother Carry G. Griggs was born. During the Summer months, Bob lived with his Uncle Wes and Aunt Tina McDaniel in House, NM where he learned to work on their corn and bean farm. Bob joined the 41st Armored Infantry Battalion in 1948, for one year. While he was on inactive duty, he worked on the farm in House, NM until the Korean Conflict broke out and was called up to the 321st Army Medical Depot. In 1951, Bob went to work for the Mountain Bell Telephone Company, starting on the Line Crew, installing telephone lines across New Mexico then worked in the switch office in Taos, NM where he retired after working thirty-two years. Bob and Joanne met in Trinidad, Colorado. They fell in love and were married in Taos, NM on January 3, 1953. They celebrated their seventy-second Anniversary this year. They moved to Taos in 1957 and lived there fifty-one years. They had three children, Lynn Esther Mead-Boelke, Martin Leslie Mead, and Regan Curtis Mead. In 2013, they moved back to Tucumcari, NM. Bob and Joanne raised Registered Angus Cattle from 1957 to 2008. Bob was a member of the New Mexico Angus Association and was President for two years, was President of The Taos Grazing Association, Membership Chairman for Taos Community for New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, and was President of the Tucumcari Bull Test for one year. Bob and Joanne have been members of First Baptist Churches for seventy years. Bob was not afraid to take anything "on". He rodeoed, raised Angus Cattle and horses, rebuilt a Model A Ford and covered wagon, built southwestern style furniture, built and learned to play the fiddle; wrote and published two books (Get That Gate and Route 66 Through New Mexico), painted oil landscapes, carved Santos and Nutcrackers. The list goes on. He was a very talented man. After moving back to Tucumcari, Bob enjoyed meeting people from all over the world at his 'Two-Bit Museum and Trading Post' where he sold odds, ends, and antiques. Bob loved to read books of all kinds and subjects. He read about one book a week despite his poor eyesight. He loved to tell stories and good jokes. Leslie Harrison Mead (Bob) was preceded in death by his father Henry Harrison Mead, stepfather George Griggs, stepbrother Garland Griggs and wife Sue Griggs, mother Lilly Vivian McDaniel Mead Griggs, two premature babies, Robert H. Mead in 1954 and Justin Lee Mead in 1956, and son Martin Leslie Mead in 2024. Leslie Harrison Mead (Bob) is survived by his wife Joanne Mead, sister Serena Mead McDonald Goar and nephew Roy McDonald and wife Cathy, brother Carry Griggs, sister-in-law Linda Sollberger Griggs and daughter Amy Griggs, daughter Lynn Mead-Boelke, son-in-law Chris Boelke, and granddaughter Katelyn Ann Boelke, son Regan Mead, daughter-in-law Melissa Mead, grandson Preston Mead and wife Breanna Hall Mead and great-grandchildren Clover, Rez, Haizen, and Poppy Mead, Grandson Wesley Mead and wife McCall White Mead and great-grandchildren Brooks and Palmer Mead, granddaughter Sara Mead Perkins and husband Kenton Perkins and great-granddaughter due in May 2025. Bob is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. The funeral of Leslie (Bob) H. Mead will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2023 at 10:00AM at the First Baptist Church of Tucumcari, NM. There will be a graveside service to follow at Tucumcari Memorial Park in Tucumcari, NM. In lieu of flowers, please send to First Baptist Church in Tucumcari, NM or New Mexico Baptist Children's Home in Portales, NM.
CBS News
19-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
U.S. Army veteran remembers his family's history on Japanese American internment anniversary
February 19 is a solemn day of reflection for the Japanese American community. Exactly 83 years ago, President Roosevelt signed an executive order that forced the removal and imprisonment of people of Japanese ancestry. At 99-years-old Takashi Hoshizaki said he's lived a full, eventful life. Though there's no record of it now, he's a proud two-time prisoner. Born in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo and raised in a segregated area formerly known as the "J-Flats," or "Japan Flats," Hoshizaki was the eldest of six kids, born to Japanese immigrant parents. Everything changed after the Pearl Harbor attacks on February 19, 1942. President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. The then 16-year-old was just two classes shy of graduating from Belmont High School when suddenly the government told them, he and his family needed to move. Hoshizaki was one of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast, imprisoned in desolate internment camps. There was no trial, no reason for arrest, just racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. "We were a small powerless group. And for the other group, it'd be an easy group to pick on," Hoshizaki said. The Hoshizaki's were sent to the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. He remembers working in the mess halls to pass the time, until one day, the newly turned 18-year-old was drafted into the U.S. Army. "They take everything away, put us into these so-called relocation camps, and then with our families still behind barned wires, they try to draft us out of the camp, and I thought, this is crazy," Hoshizaki said. "This is all wrong." Hoshizaki refused to go to the Army's physical exam. Within weeks, the FBI arrested Hoshizaki and several dozen draft resisters, who became known as the Fair Play Committee. At the federal trial in Cheyenne, they were tried and sentenced to three years at McNeil Island Penitentiary in Washington state. "In camp, we had barbed wire, searchlights, so forth. We even had armed guards there, and so I felt that there was no difference coming into McNeil Island," Hoshizaki said. "The only difference was that I'll probably miss my family." While he was in prison, the war ended, and his family returned to LA. In 1947, President Truman pardoned all members of the Fair Play Committee. Just a few years later, "Uncle Sam" came calling again, but this time, Hoshizaki answered. "The very things we used to refuse to go, was now gone. So, we would gladly serve," Hoshizaki said. After two years in the Army during the Korean Conflict, Hoshizaki used the GI Bill to get his PhD at UCLA. He and his wife Barbara raised two children, while he worked with the Space Program until his retirement. Nowadays, the 99-year-old keeps busy as a board member of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. Every year on February 19 he shares his Executive Order 9066 story, with the hope of never repeating that shameful episode of American history. "On Day of Remembrance, we bring these points up as to how to fight back some of these things that are occurring and may occur in the future," Hoshizaki said.
