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Of Rumsfeld and Requiem

August 29, 2011 @ 2:05 pm

Ashley Joppa-Hagemann was escorted out of the book signing by former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. For what was described as a "minor disturbance" she was escorted out along with an leader of a Lakewood anti-war group.

When I first heard this, I assumed it was a typical, hyper-partisan code-pink kind of disruption. But having read more about this woman and her experience, I've been re-thinking my reaction.

Ashley is a war-widow. Her husband served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to Ashley, her husband went to a training exercise, placed his loaded weapon to his head, and pulled the trigger to avoid serving another tour. Army investigations continue are on-going into his death.

I can understand (understand? Perhaps "imagine" is a better word) some of the difficulties the army faces in trying to deal with suicides. Ashley is a woman who lost the love of her life, and it's understandable to want answers.

The stress and pressure of war can be overwhelming to the fiercest of warriors, and the military is struggling with how to aid those who return home struggling. I often urge listeners to support Heartbeat Serving Wounded Warriors, a local grassroots organization the aim of which is to aid those who come back wounded, mentally or physically. It's heartbreaking that Joppa-Hagemann could lose her husband to the enemy AFTER he was out of their range of fire. I seem him as a fallen hero. It's not the same as someone who falls in battle, but it's not entirely different to me either.

Ashley appeared at the Rumsfeld event with the leader of a Lakewood anti-war group and expressed satisfaction for having called Rumsfeld a "liar" to his face. I found this sad. I wouldn't argue that Donald Rumsfeld never made a mistake. All leaders do, and those propelled by events into war can make mistakes that cost lives. But I believe Rumsfeld was doing his best to serve the nation. The weight of decisions that costs lives would weigh heavy on any patriot, and I'm sure it pains Rumsfeld as well. The proceeds of his book go toward military causes, and he is a man of means who doesn't need to spend his time promoting a book.

Suicide is a particularly difficult kind of death to accept. I can imagine the horror of trying to come to terms with it. While the anger toward Rumsfeld may seem satisfying, I doubt it will provide long-term solace because Rumsfeld's not really responsible. It makes of ugly exploitation on the part of the anti-war group.

It seems to me that the pain of this woman was unnecessarily increased with what must have seemed like a posthumous condemnation of her husband when he was refused a military memorial service. I don't know what, but it seems like something could be done to better handle these situations and remind loved ones left behind in this manner that their loss was also the nation's.

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Comments (7)


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  • Habakkuk 1:9 wrote...
    No respect
    August 29, 2011 2:22 pm
    I saw this woman on the news in her confrontation with Rumsfeld, and also afterwards as she was sitting with the anti-war guy in what looked like a bar. In both situations, she looked like a barfly. She not only dressed that way, there was an ugliness to her facial expression that didn't look like it was a result of stress. Rumsfeld on the other hand, looked gentle and concerned. I don't lionize every veteran and war widow. They can be a random selection of people. Her behavior and her teaming up with an anti-war weirdo give her no credibility in my eyes. On the contrary, the incident emphasizes to me how longsuffering Rumsfeld is. Of course, she can always work her way out of this, the way Lt. Dan did in "Forest Gump." But until that time, no respect for her, and even more respect for Rumsfeld.
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  • cigarfan wrote...
    Response to Habakkuk........
    August 30, 2011 11:38 am
    I seriously thought I was going to throw up after I read your post. Rumsfeld should be in prison for his part in starting war.
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  • messiah101 wrote...
    Habakuk 1:9
    August 30, 2011 12:00 pm
    Spoken like a true Righty PIG!Her "behaviour"?How about the military's behaviour in sending this soldier on 6+? deployments several of which the wife stated her husband was being treated for a mental problem.Look Stupid Rumsfeld has been trained how to look and respond when the cameras are running the widow has not.Your easily taken in,try researching the FACTS on Donald Rumsfeld and when you get some actual FACTs then get back to us
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    She claims her husband enlisted in response to the lies about "Weapons of Mass Destruction"
    August 29, 2011 3:21 pm
    Rumsfeld was part of the conspiracy to invent and promote that falsehood. He and his co-conspirators falsified the intelligence that was presented to congress, which resulted in the convenient cover that politicians from both parties believed that Iraq posed an immediate and substantial threat to the security of the United States.

    Some memories may have faded, but I clearly recall how the propaganda machines cranked out innuendo after innuendo linking Saddam Hussein to Al Qaida and the attacks of 9-11. That campaign was very successful. For a long, long time the average "man on the street" felt that Hussein and bin Ladin (mortal enemies, actually) had conspired together and would continue to do so. I clearly remember a KIRO host crowing about the "proof" that Saddam Hussein had a viable nuclear weapons program- just before the war began.

    That glorious war in Iraq. May we never forget how we sent our soldiers into combat without body armor...(unless the folks back in Hometown USA took up a collection to purchase some on an individual basis)...yet Cheney's buddies at Haliburton were all awarded "no bid" contracts to provide support personnel and services at prices that were often 10 to 20 times higher the actual cost of the military personnel they replaced. $175,000 per year to drive a tanker truck in Iraq was a pretty sweet gig for the driver, and sweeter yet for the contractor who put another $175,000 into the corporate pocket. What if? What if we hired an E-6 to drive the darned truck, and spent the other $300,000 plus on body armor?

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  • Habakkuk 1:9 wrote...
    Any proof?
    August 31, 2011 10:29 am
    Any proof that Rumsfeld was conspiring to invent and promote a falsehood? Any documentation that Rumsfeld said to invade Iraq because he linked Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attack? Of course not.
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  • Drool wrote...
    "He is a man of means who doesn't need to spend his time promoting a book."
    August 29, 2011 6:37 pm
    If he is trying to get off the candidate list of the "Worst Secdefs Ever" (with Mcnamara)he sure does. This is nothing more than an attempt at rehabilitating his image for posterity.
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  • spanish johnny wrote...
    Questions for Dave
    August 30, 2011 3:13 pm
    Just curious why you said it "makes of ugly exploitation on the part of the anti-war group." How do you know it was the anti-war group that instigated this? Also Joppa-Hagemann has stated in interviews that her husband grew to oppose the wars. Why not say that both her and her late husband were "anti-war?"

    And why do you treat Rumsfeld with kid gloves? It wasn't just "mistakes." At best it was gross incompetence. He should have been fired, not lauded on a book tour

    Instead of buying the book people should donate the money to a charity. Rumsfeld's not worth the publicity

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