Veteran compares candidates and chooses Obama

This article appeared in the October 27th issue of the Burlington, NC Times News. I wrote this piece and submitted it to the local paper because this is a conservative area and the tone of many letters to the editor makes the assumption that Senator McCain is far superior to Senator Obama when it comes to anything military related:

Six months ago I was in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq as a medic going out on convoy logistics patrols. My unit provided security to Army personnel and civilian contractors transporting supplies across western Iraq. I am proud of my service and time in the military, I love the United States, and I am truly proud to be an American. I am also concerned about the direction of this country and the misconceived notion that Sen. John McCain is the best choice for president when it comes to foreign affairs and veterans' issues. Senator McCain should be commended for his exceptional service to our country and the sacrifices he has made. However, just because he served does not automatically make him the champion of veterans' issues or the best candidate to lead our nation in this trying time. When questioned by a Vietnam veteran at a rally about his support of veterans' issues, he responded by saying, "I have a perfect voting record from organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the other veterans' service organizations." This statement was misleading since the VFW and American Legion, both of which I am a member, do not provide records of congressional voting on veterans' issues. Two of the organizations that do, the Disabled American Veterans and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America both give more favorable ratings to Senator Barack Obama. Most recently Senator McCain's lack of support for veterans was over the updated GI Bill. He was not present on the day of the vote but promised to oppose it. McCain said he would rather increase the benefits to those who re-enlist since we are in need of soldiers. However, the overwhelming sentiment from both sides of the aisle was that if you sacrificed a year of your life to serve our country, you were deserving of an updated benefits package for education assistance. As a veteran who has served and sacrificed, I feel I have earned the right to say to my fellow North Carolinians that Senator Barack Obama is the man we need right now to lead us forward, and I hope you will take the time on Nov. 4 to go out and vote for him.

ELI LOVELL Gibsonville