All Things Soldier: Bravo, General Bergman!

It brings my heart great joy to know that a former Marine Lt. General by the name of Jack Bergman is going to be representing the First District of the State of Michigan in the United States Congress. He defeated a Democratic opponent who had huge and powerful backing on the national level, and just as Michigan was a battleground state for the presidency, so it was for the US House. His campaign slogan was, “If you want change in Washington, send a Marine. I’ll get the job done!” OK, that’s a great sentiment, but is it just a slogan, or can the guy deliver?

I am inclined to think that he can. General Jack commanded the largest force-level organization in the USMC, and he also started two medical equipment companies. Early in his career he flew choppers in Vietnam, and also served in Japan as well as stateside. He has 17 medals, including a Bronze Star and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross. As a Marine, he was on the business end of incompetent career politicians, and he knows firsthand what kind of damage can occur when there is leadership that does not have the interests of our troops as a top priority.

While the election and its aftermath was one of the most tumultuous in our history, there was one thing that brought Bergman’s battle into the national spotlight. The Detroit Press reported,
“A northern Michigan state House candidate was caught stealing campaign signs from his Republican opponent and GOP 1st Congressional District candidate Jack Bergman.

Harrisville Democrat Robert Kennedy, who is running for state House District 106 in Alcona County, apologized Monday for taking the signs. He said he took them because they were too close to the highway.

A local resident caught Kennedy taking the signs supporting Bergman and his Republican opponent Sue Allor, who is also a friend of Kennedy’s, according to a Presque Isle Sheriff’s Department report filed about the incident. The witness took photos and reported the incident to the police, according to the report.

“I apologize for my actions over the weekend in removing two political yard signs that did not belong to me,” Kennedy said, reading a prepared statement on the telephone. “They were placed too close to the U.S. 23 Highway. “But it is not my role to remove them. And for taking on that role, I am sorry. Before the police contacted me I had returned the sign to my opponent.”
In his report, the Sheriff said that Kennedy “didn’t seem to have an explanation” about why he removed the Bergman sign. At the end of the day, Bergman garnered 55% of the vote, and I can only guess that it actually helped that he had experienced what has come to be referred to as “sign warfare.”

Why is being a Marine important when it comes to facing down Washington? Well, Alabama State Senator Bill Holtzclaw, who is also a retired Marine, explained it to me recently at a Coffee Call when he said, “I am not a good politician. I am a Marine, and I don’t compromise.” If General Jack is of the same ilk, I think Michigan might just be able to begin to dig out from the load of stuff under which they have been buried. And, I think it goes without saying that our troops will have someone who is truly in their corner.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner