Audie L. Murphy Memorial Website Message Boards

Today as well, I reecived the returned petition endorsed by former Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird.
Secretary Laird served as Secretary of Defense under Richard Nixon from 1969-1973, and through his leadership at the Pentagon he helped broker the end of America's involvement in Vietnam.
He was a major Washington power-broker and attorney as well.
He was slso a memeber of Congress for over 16 years representing the State of Wisconsin and was the person who went to VP Agnew and told him "you have to go."
In addition Secretary Laird is a WWII veteran having served in the South Pacific during the war and having been awarded the Purple Heart.
Secretary Laird was 6th in line of succession to the Presidency and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Nixon in 1974.

Here is his bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_R._Laird


Here is some additional info ref his biography:










Here is his endorsement:

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"I believe in all the men who stood up against the enemy, taking their beatings without whimper and their triumphs without boasting. The men who went and would go again to hell and back to preserve what our country thinks right and decent."

Dave ... GEEZ! This is a big one ... you are getting close to having every political office (except the presidency) represented by someone. Melvin Laird is BIG.

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Richard L. Rodgers
Webmaster
Audie Murphy Memorial Website

Richard:

Well, thanks again for the compliment.
You're going to think I am kidding, but I'm not.......earlier in the year I sent one to the Pope........ knowing of course that I would not get a response, but thought it was amusing anyway.
Would be a shock from hell, pardon the pun, if it ever did come back signed.

Dave

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"I believe in all the men who stood up against the enemy, taking their beatings without whimper and their triumphs without boasting. The men who went and would go again to hell and back to preserve what our country thinks right and decent."

A good friend (Liam O'Connel) of mine in the Army and a fine officer, a West Pointer, decided to get out and go to law school. During his last year and a half in the Army, we worked together as assistant S3's in an air defense battalion at Fort Hood. Liam spent a lot of time sending in law school applications during the duty day and I covered for him while he did so. No problem ... he was a great guy and you always cover for your buddies.

Anyway, one day he brings in an expensive and beautifully hand-framed, matted letter and hung it on the wall. I get up from my maps and planning and said "Liam, what the heck is that?" He says "That's my rejection letter from Harvard." He went on to say he was really proud that he tried to get in and wanted a reminder that you should always do just that ... try. He was shortly afterwards accepted to University of Virginia Law School... probably the finest public law school in America.

I sense the same spirit in you, Dave, with your request for endorsement from the Pope. At least you tried! If the Pope sends you a rejection letter, you should frame it too.

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Richard L. Rodgers
Webmaster
Audie Murphy Memorial Website

Another very educational endorsement, Dave-this was another gentleman I had only dimly heard of before this.