Late Largo Soldier's Letter Changed Congressman's Mind on War
Matt Sitton wrote to U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young about his concerns regarding improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan. Last month, he was killed by one.
A letter from a Largo soldier who was killed in action in Afghanistan helped change a Congressman's position on the war, TBO.com reports.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matt Sitton wrote to U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, who attended the same Largo church, regarding his concerns about his men being forced to walk through fields full of improvised explosive devices, according to TBO. Sitton, 26, was killed by an IED last month.
Since then, Young has reversed his position on Afghanistan — in part, he says, because of Sitton's letter. As TBO reports:
In a position opposite that held by most leaders of his party, the influential Republican is now calling for U.S. troops to leave the country ahead of the 2014 deadline called for by President Barack Obama.
Young had scheduled a hearing Thursday morning to question the agency in charge of protecting troops against IEDs, TBO reports.
Read more about Sitton's letter and Young's response in TBO's story.
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Beuford Tunnell
12:02 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
These are two wars the Republicans have caused and should be accountable for needless for all the death and wounded this country have lost not only the thirteen trillon the tax payers are owed by the Republican Party.
Roy K. McGinnis
1:52 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Apparently, you weren't in NYC or Washington DC on 9/11. Please stay on your world with green skies with purple polka dots, your statements here are idiotic. The war on Al-Quida war passed by both parties. Announcing a withdrawl date ahead of time in Afganistan, Obama is responsible for all the deaths by "friendly forces". Not only do the troops have to worry about Al-Quida, now they have to worry about all the Afgani forces who feel angry and betrayed by us leaving.
Beverly
12:36 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Stop rewriting history. The Democrats voted for it and voted for the funding too. The fault is bi-partisan.
Thomas Rosenbaum
1:42 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Beverly, the democrats voted for it because because the republicans lied about wmds. That is the only way they could get congress to go along. Had they not lied, we would have never gone to war in Iraq.
joseph bercsik
6:06 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
three words cowards in congress when obama took office he had a dem senate and house total control seems to me he could of done brought them home did you hear what i said total that is total total total if anybodys fault democrats democrats democrats case closed they failed they failed they failed.obama administration has failed our country playing golf partying with hollywood he doesn't care men are dying and our country is bankrupt if his golf game is like his job he is terrible
Victor Crain
9:51 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Trying to rewrite history again. Like folks in the south claiming they freed slaves before the Civil War started. For the record, there are two wars, not one. Afghanistan was the response to 9/11. According to books written by Bush White House staff, planning for an invasion of Iraq began 7 months before 9/11. Afghanistan was justified; shorting troops and artillery in Afghanistan in order to invade Iraq was not and resulted in failure both places, unnecessary losses of life and a huge expense that we could not afford. Obama inherited a no-win situation? Yes he did. Do I think he made the best decisions about it? Probably not, but we don't have all the facts. Would McCain have done things differently? I really doubt it.
Bigdawg
4:32 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
Young should have found out right away why that detail was being done and caused a stop. He visited hospitals in talk with some soldiers. An opportunity available to him for a long time. We don't need to stay till 2014 even. It's arguable if we should have never been there but now that bin Laden is dead, immediate withdrawal would be acceptable.
Bigdawg
4:48 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
It's important to look at the positive that young is doing now, but he got the email in June! Who is he trying to help now the soldiers or his own conscience? Was waged over ridiculous lies. I'm so happy my sons didn't fall for the bs high school recruiters wanted to feed them. And we are Americans and we are patriotic but people need to be taught other ways. Sink your own country financially and kill your youth, there are better ways to be an American than that - one would hope...Cheri Honkala and Jill Stein Have a few things figured out