10 Things You Didn’t Know About Gen. Eric Shinseki

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I met General Shinseki briefly on the flight line while serving as the Lihue Airport Manager on Kauai. I was awe struck by his professional demeanor and mannerism. It is just amazing that a "local boy" born and raised in such a small town like Lihue, who attended Kauai High School, and left the island to pursue and achieve such an astounding career. Simply amazing and a source of immense pride for all of us local folks who were born and raised in Hawaii. Much mahalo and gratitude for his service to our county and for enhancing the image of Kauai as a land of "aloha" and prestige.

Stanley Sekimoto of HI 4:57AM October 10, 2010

I wonder if he got this post by helping Obama hide his real birth certificate?

andrew of CO 2:04PM July 10, 2010

He was a disappointing General when on active duty and did a horrible job as Army chief of staff. I am sure it will continue to carry on with this job with vet affaires the best he can do is retire and just stay at home he done nothing to help troops on active duty what make you think he will help any troops now. All he wanted was a fed job for just a few more years to get a big pension ?

Brian of HI 1:37AM April 27, 2010

I recall very clearly the moment that General Shinskei told Congress his estimate of the number of troops it would take to occupy Iraq. For giving his professional opinion he was punished in that ever so Pentagon way, most Pentagon notables skipped his retirement ceremony. I am proud to say I watched it on C-Span and now salute General Shinskei for his past service, being truthful and now serving his country again in a very difficult job.

Joe Hall, LTC US Army Retired of CA 3:45PM April 26, 2010

Secretary Shinsecki.
I too,as well as you have a serious love for my country,our troops,and our veterans that have been injured on and off the field. You impress me. I pray that my voice will be heard. Thank you for being a leader.Leaders are hard to come by in this day and age. Together "WE CAN" make a change.
Lisa Pearl Black(Pro-se) vs Dept of Veterans Affairs
(Racial discrimination within the Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
U.S District Court,Middle District of Tennessee,at Nashville
2005 case,still not addressed...I have been denied representation.
tel# 615-977-0228
address 715 Cedarforest Circle
Orlando, FL 32828
***I am very sick from not having my voice heard. Thank you.

Lisa Pearl Black of TN 11:48AM April 19, 2010

I remember talking with some other veterans at a VA clinic when the last Secretary of Veterans Affairs came up with the phrase, "Nothing is too good for the veteran". We all laughed and agreed, "...and Nothing is what you are going to get". Those were the dismal days when President Bush liked to cut a couple hundred million dollars every year from the recommended budget of his own experts - his way of "sportin'" the troops.
Eric Shinseki is such a breath of fresh, honest air at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This guy is taking care of business! I hope he addresses PTSD next.
Now if he can just get the VA to stop pretending they don't know what to do about Iraq and Afghan veterans with PTSD!
They have 40 years of clinical notes and experiences - already having dealt with the PTSD problems of Vietnam veterans.
But if you say "PTSD" today the VA pretends they don't even know what you are talking about.
That 30%plus suicide rate of Iraq and Afghan veterans should be speaking loudly and clearly.
But so far the bureaucrats of the VA don't want to hear.

John of CA 1:07AM April 05, 2010

We were at Duke and USMA (West Point faculty) together.As a young Major in those days I found Ric to be a consummate professional. He cared about people, soldiers in particular, his country and his family. As our careers separated, I was proud to watch him achieve rank and justified reputation for integrity and strategic competence. The treatment he received from the Bush administration bordered on crass negligence, at the least. Ric was trained to "never settle for a half truth when the whole can be won" and "to choose the harder right rather than the easier wrong". He did these things even at the expense of his career. I suppose there are people, West Pointers among them, who have shirked these obligations, but in my experience, Ric set the standard. We citizens more than got our money's worth from this soldier.

Mike Taylor of MO 2:09PM March 31, 2010

I am a little confused, with the comments WHEN VIET NAM WAS DECLARED A WAR. I do not claim to know everything and I certainly can be incorrect. It was always referred to as THE VIET NAM CONFLICT. COngress never proclaimed it a war. the viet nam vets were treated like crap when they returned, one had to keep quiet if at a bar, one could not say hey I served in nam, cause the chances were you would either be harrassed ask to leave or someone would start a fight with you.as for agent orange, in the beginning the govt and the armed forces did all the denying and would not take any blame or responsibility, for all the sickenesses and cancer and heart problems etc,over time they actually have taken the responsibility, at least technically. there are now a list of things that should qualify as being automatically connected as a result of agent orange, one being diabetes. if your have dd214 and are documented as being diabetic, than you should contact your dept of veterans affairs and make a claim. will you get it automatically no waiting to find out NO absolutely not. DO YOU HAVE MORE OF A CHANCE OF NOT BENG DENIED YES if you contact the VA and you start a claim, they will send you all the info about agent orange that they used to deny but make it clear if you stepped foot in viet nam and have a qualifying illness, (THERE IS A LIST) YOU EVENTUALLY BE SENT TO ONE OF THEIR DRS. AS WELL as have to send them alot of documentation. is it an easy and short tiem process, but what is with the govt. but the point is- if you have whats on the list and are willing to put forth an effort to at least try and get some compensation for it. what have you got to loose, if your not getting any thing now worst scenario is you could end up with some kind of compensation. i am a viet nam vet, was exposed but i was a lucky one I have been dealing with insomia since i was 20 and headaches and now diabetes. am still going throught the process and ironically the only thing i have been to their dr for was the headaches, now i have to contact the VA and let them know i am being treated for it, it took them far to long to own up to it, to many vets died after they got home from illnesses that were not acknowledged, after making it back from the NON WAR rewmember folks-- we didnt have a choice if we wanted to go in the service we had a draft, and unless you were rich enough to go to college, when u turned 18 you could surely expect the letter from uncle sam- GREETINGS UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU so vets get your papers together, get a copy of all your medical records from your drs, there are sites you can go to to get your military records, to prove you served there, you can get your dd214 medical records are requested once you start the claim, they get them give a shot I did and Im still waiting.as for the secty am proud to be american and served in viet nam even though I wqs brainwashed it was the right thing

gill of VA 9:41PM March 28, 2010

Now he is the right stuff. What a great American.

Edward Ratican of PA 9:49AM March 28, 2010

Most people in the public probably heard of Gen. Eric Shinseki's name when he was fired by President Bush for speaking of the true cost of invading Iraq. He was probably the only general telling the truth about the war and stood by it. History proved he was correct. If Bush listened to his advice, and others joined him, we could have avoided a unnecessary war and saved 100s of billions dollars.
Our countrymen can learn a lot from this honest and admirable man in dealing with today's problems we face in this country.

Mark of PA 12:55PM March 27, 2010