Rob McAllister (2'nd from Rt.) Color Guard Amherst July 4 Parade Amherst native Rob McAllister (5th Core, Team 6, Airborne Long-Range Reconnaissance And Surveillance team. RTLW) is one of those genuine Small-Town heroes who would equally stand tall as a hero in any Big-City in America. After watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11, he joined up at age 30--rather late in life for that kind of a job description where when used as directed you can die a horrible death.
Rob parachuted into Iraq two days after the “Shock and Awe” bombing campaign started in March 2003. He was wounded in an ambush a year later and awarded a Bronze Star with Valor. “His actions on the .50 caliber machine gun saved the lives of his fellow team members and allowed for the medevac of the wounded."
This morning I heard his familiar voice over the drone of a vacuum at the Golden Nozzle Car Wash on the Amherst/Hadley border. I was cleaning the inside of my Van because my wife was going to use it for the first time in a while and Robby was coming in for a car wash.
He said “I’m trying not to let this ruin my day, but obviously somebody resented my license plate and spit on my car.” I simply could not believe it and actually went to the back of his car to check, figuring it must me bird droppings. But sure enough, the rear-window exhibited a large glob of spit and on the side-window (a 90-degree angle away) another large glob.
Now if it were just one impact, I would think it was a mistake and the Nitwit spit in the air and the wind accidentally carried it to window and they were too lazy to clean it off. But two distinct hits at two distinct angles leaves little doubt it was intentional.
Rob McAllister's license plate is also very distinctive: A limited edition Veteran/Purple Heart plate that the state of Massachusetts issues (and does check the paperwork to ensure you are deserving.)
The Bully reported:
22 comments:
A day without an affront is like a day without sunshine.
Actually, otherwise, today was a beautiful day.
Dear Diary
Yeah, a Twitter moment (you Cowardly Anon Nitwit)
Seems to conveniently to fill a slow news day on the Larry blog. This stuff only happens in Larryland.
Yeah it was pretty odd considering Rob's connection to 9/11.
BUT, unlike Cowardly Anon Nitwits like you, he's obviously a stand up guy (winning not just the Purple Heart but also a Bronze Star) and I think he would back me up on this account.
Personal note to those who think I sometimes go too far: I have to live amongst the schmucks who do stuff like this. It tends to wear on one...
Oh, and, I have no doubt it happened.
None.
The anon nitwits are the cowards who make me ashamed to be an
American. I know Rob very well and, yes, he put his life on the line so those punks would remain safe. Who in the hell do they think they are? Were they there, or were they hiding, like they are now? Sorry, I have no pity of assholes who think they are too good to thank a Veteran.
Until later.............
I don't think it's anonymous blog posters that spit on this veteran's car.
Well, Ed, we know it didn't happen to you. You would never put yourself in a position where you might be in danger....of winning the Purple Heart.
I don't see much of a demonstrated link between the insult to the car and the license plate. A bit of a stretch, really.
As a lefty type who knows a lot of people way farther to left than myself, I don't know anyone who who spit on a veteran, or on his car, or whatever. Ed seems to know these people - but I have to wonder how conservative activists know so many of these people while the rest of us never run across such people.
Well Xenos I guess you had to be there to see the car: A beautiful neon white 4 door SUV (that looks brand new) and the plate is also of course white with the little purple heart and word veteran simply jumping out because of the background.
I know a lot of Vets and I'm well aware of the old saying about Viet Nam vets being spat upon when they come all those years ago, but I have never actually found one who said it happened to them directly (always a fellow Vet quoting a fellow Vet)
That is why I was at first incredulous. And, quite frankly, still am.
I hope you collected a sample so that you can do a DNA test to determine exactly who was responsible for this. And who knows, maybe it wasn't one person?
I'm not condoning spitting on someone's car, but there could be a whole host of reasons why someone might be compelled to do such a disgusting thing. Maybe the SUV was parked poorly, maybe the owner cut someone off in traffic, maybe other cars were spat upon. In other words, jumping to the conclusion that someone spat on the car because of the license plate (why didn't they spit on the license plate then?) seems like faulty reasoning. It's kind of like a ___________ person (fill in whatever category/description you like) saying that __________ happened to them just because they're ___________________.
Actually I was bummed because I left my camera home--something I almost never do these days.
I doubt, even in Amherst, two different people would do such a disgusting thing in tandem.
Robby is a nice, ultra-polite kid; well okay he's in his late 30's but I still remember him as a rambunctious teen-ager doing karate with his younger sister.
So I doubt that he parked bad or cut somebody off--and even then the usual response is to use a car key to scratch the paint.
i did it, but i thought it was the amherst 250th committee's car...my bad.
Joseph Moroco said Well, Ed, we know it didn't happen to you. You would never put yourself in a position where you might be in danger....of winning the Purple Heart.
First, they won't take me; second, we have a 234 year history of civilian control of our military in this country (which true military men are very quick to recognize); and third, what makes you think that I haven't fought equally important battles on the home front?
Never forget that we won in Vietnam, we lost that war on our college campii. Never forget that the strategy of the NVA/VC (and the Confederacy a century earlier) was to win the war in American cities.
One other thing - I would just once like one of these anti-American veterans (as opposed to all veterans who prefer not to have a war, and seek to defer it through strength) who wasn't a total screwup in his/her/its unit.
Take John Kerry - he was essentially relieved of his command for the good of the Navy. Got his purple heart through stupidity and careless use of grenades. Etc.
Blogger Xenos said...
I don't see much of a demonstrated link between the insult to the car and the license plate.
I bet you would if it had been a gay pride sticker on the car instead of this. Or a "Free Mumia" one. That would be a hate crime (actually, *this* technically is a hate crime too...).
As a lefty type who knows a lot of people way farther to left than myself, I don't know anyone who who spit on a veteran, or on his car, or whatever.
"He always was such a nice boy" the friends and neighbors always say. Remember Timothy McVeigh - there were people saying similar things from the right.
Ed seems to know these people - but I have to wonder how conservative activists know so many of these people while the rest of us never run across such people.
Simple. They come out of the woodwork spewing vile hatred. Often out of the blue, so you find yourself wondering (the first few times) "who the f*** are you and why are you screaming at me?"
The personal is the political and the political personal -- something that one on the left isn't going to experience.
And I really am quite serious about the campus center auditorum being full of them all chanting "F*ck The First Amendment." That really happened a couple years back.
"what makes you think that I haven't fought equally important battles on the home front?"
You would have bragged about it by now.
Go ahead, tell us of your noble sacrifice at home. Until then, one can be forgiven for thinking you a fraud.
"we have a 234 year history of civilian control of our military in this country (which true military men are very quick to recognize)"
irrelevant to the discussion.
Ed- this may not be the time and place to argue out all the details of history, but you are making arguments that are based on assertions of fact, and those facts are not generally accepted as such.
Like the war being lost on the campuses. Like the assertion that the military won the war, and the civilians lost it - yes, you are right, but not in the way that you mean.
And as an argument, the fact that people did not appreciate the danger of McVeigh does not really apply here. I hear, in person, on the news, in forums like this, conservatives express bitter hatred against liberals and 'the government'. I have never run across liberals, much less main-stream Democrats, who hate soldiers and hold them up for contempt.
Now that I think of it, I did know this punk from Cooperstown, NY back in the 80s who thought himself a marxist, and thought along those lines... but that was about it.
I am not saying these people do not exist, Ed. Just that they are relatively rare and their existence has been greatly exaggerated by people trying to smear anyone even slightly left of center.
I hear, in person, on the news, in forums like this, conservatives express bitter hatred against liberals and 'the government'. I have never run across liberals, much less main-stream Democrats, who hate soldiers and hold them up for contempt.
First, Conservatives (who are far more liberal - small 'l' than Liberals) distinguish between people and people's views. I will hate what you say but I will defend your right to say it, and unlike the Left, the political is not personal.
Second, talk to some of the secretaries who have been put into fear of their physical safety by the rabid leftists. When was the last time that conservatives stormed Whitmore?
Third, talk to some of the folks in ROTC - any of the folks in ROTC - about some of the grief they get. They sure are getting it from *someone*....
Sorry, facts matter.
Joseph Moroco said...
"what makes you think that I haven't fought equally important battles on the home front?"
You would have bragged about it by now. Go ahead, tell us of your noble sacrifice at home. Until then, one can be forgiven for thinking you a fraud.
There are things that I will take to my grave unspoken.
I am admitted leftist who respects the soldiers. I don't know anyone who would spit on a veteran or his/her car.
I think you and Rob are a bit paranoid to think that the person who did spit on Rob's car was intent on his veteran status.
That is the same as me saying any damage done to my car and my house/property was done by a right wing facist because I wasn't flying the flag.
Frankly, I find this very shallow evidence. Would you accept such dot connecting without concrete evidence in any case brought against you?
I doubt it, nor would any rational person.
I praise Rob for his courage and willingness to put his life on the line for his country, as I've praised all of the veterans of these current wars.
That doesn't mean for a minute that I agreed in the least with their commander in chief, who risked tens of thousands of American solders, soldiers from other countries and Iraqi citizens for this war that had zero connection to 9/11.
Not one ounce of wmd were ever found in Iraq, let the 500 tons that Sec. State Powell said there was.
There are plenty of punks in town spitting on things without needing a reason.
Has Rob been publicly accosted for his service?
I ask that you examine the many leading military people who spoke out against the pitiful decision to make war in Iraq.
Because our leader sends soldiers to war does not mean the war is a good cause. I'm not pissed at the soldiers, but if I think our last president should be tried and convicted of war crimes.
"There are things that I will take to my grave unspoken."
Undone as well.
Keep sending young people to die and pretending to be a hero. You fraud.
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