Colorado Springs – In Colorado’s largest military community, opinions varied Wednesday on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Purple Heart recipient Nathan Taylor said he seethes when he sees Rumsfeld on television because Taylor blames him for the problems in Iraq.
“He’s responsible – he’s the secretary of defense,” said Taylor, who was injured when he served with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and is originally from West Virginia.
Harold Geer of Cortez, whose son George was killed by a car bomb while serving with the Army in Ramadi in January 2005, holds an entirely different view.
“I’ve always admired Rumsfeld. I’m convinced there have been mistakes made. I don’t blame anyone particularly,” said Geer, adding that he feared “the terrorists won a big victory” Tuesday.
Rumsfeld’s resignation, and his level of responsibility for the state of affairs in Iraq, drew a wide range of opinions from people in Colorado who are closely connected to the war.
Taylor, 27, has been medically discharged from the Army. He spent 2 1/2 weeks in a coma and suffered brain, bone and back injuries when a roadside bomb exploded near him in Ramadi during the summer of 2003.
“I imagine him (Rumsfeld) hanging from a tree with a noose around his neck,” said Taylor, standing by his statement when he was contacted a second time Wednesday.
Geer said he is not sure Rumsfeld deserves the blame he is getting and left it for history to decide.
“I think that you have to be adaptable. I’m not convinced we’ve made all the right moves, and I think we could’ve done some different things. … I blame it more on trying to be politically correct and back to the pulled punches and dealing with not having the support of the opposite side in Congress,” he said.
Soldiers interviewed outside the guarded gates of Fort Carson said they did not believe Rumsfeld’s resignation would have much impact on the war. The next presidential election, soldiers said, would likely have greater influence.
“Nothing is going to change until late 2009 or 2010,” said Sgt. Anthony Langer, 28, who has served two tours in Iraq. “We can’t leave Iraq right now. If we leave, it’ll just become a civil war.”
Since the war in Iraq started in March 2003, at least 28,000 soldiers from Fort Carson have been deployed; 174 have been killed.
Spec. Justin Hughes, 24, of Cherry Point, N.C., who returned last week from Iraq, said he believes that the Democrats taking the House on Tuesday and Rumsfeld’s resignation may mean a different approach to Iraq.
“There’s hope,” said Hughes.
“Democrats don’t want to be in the war, that’s how I feel. They know that we’ve been over there for three years and nothing has really been accomplished,” Hughes said. “We got Saddam Hussein – he’s going to be hanged. You got who you came for.”
Chief Warrant Officer Maxine Barela, 33, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., returned from Iraq last week. She said she doesn’t think Rumsfeld’s resignation will affect soldiers, who will continue to take orders just as always.
She said the Iraqi army needs to learn to be an army before there will be change. “We’ve been trying. We give them equipment, and they just tore it up. We fix it, and they blow it up,” Barela said. “Until they (Iraqi army) take over, we won’t be showing a decrease in troops. It’s the same, same, same. Nothing changes.”
