They gave their all; U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock,

They gave their all

BY ROBERT L. BAKER, Wyoming County Press Examiner 11/07/2007

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It was a day that U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock, says he will never forget.

Back in 1969, his dad, then a school teacher and football coach, called the 10-year-old Chris and his brother aside.

There, his father wept.

"It was the first time I had ever seen my dad cry," Carney said Friday as he reflected on his most stark memory of the Vietnam conflict. He recalled that at the time his dad had just received word that one of his former football players, Randy Shackelford, then a 20-year-old Marine, had been killed in a cross fire.

The first term Congressman and member of the U.S. Naval Reserve has had time in his 10 months of congressional service in Washington to reflect on the continuing sacrifice that soldiers make on behalf of the United States around the world.

And, he says he is humbled to be allowed to read the names Thursday of persons identified on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Originally dedicated 25 years ago this weekend, Carney said he vividly remembers first seeing the massive monument right after it was unveiled in the nation's capital back in 1982.

"Of course, the first thing I did was looked for Randy's name," Carney said. "I found it and touched the etched name and felt a real connection."

"What a spectacular tribute the wall has been," Carney added. "You can trace the outline of a name and feel a real spirit in your fingers."

Now, with 58,253 names of those servicemen and women who gave their all during Vietnam, it is arguably "the most visited memorial in the country," according to the Website, www.virtualwall.org

Carney acknowledged, however, that as spectacular a monument as the wall is, "it was "quite a travesty a generation ago" when returning soldiers were treated by many with anything but respect.

"Acknowledgment of their sacrifice has helped us mature as a people, and if you look at the way they were treated compared to our soldiers returning from Iraq today, you can see we have really grown up," Carney said.

"You can never underestimate the importance of a strong military and what it means to peace and security in the world," he said.

"I never understood why people would not honor the service and sacrifice of another," he said, noting that his uncles, father, and brothers have all served at some point in the military.

"It is our tradition, and something we most certainly respect in others," he said

The Tunkhannock Area High School marching band is one of six nationally that has been invited to play during the Saturday festivities marking the 25th anniversary of the wall, and band director Ryan Zellner says the Tigers' performance will consist of a respectful 'You're a Grand Old Flag' and the 'Liberty Bell March.'

Saturday festivities in Washington will focus on a rededication of the Wall at 10 a.m.

At 11 a.m., a parade will start at Constitution Avenue and continue for about 1.5 miles.

Zellner anticipated as many as 100,000 people may be on hand.

For those who cannot get to Washington, a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Wall is traveling to Northeast Pennsylvania and will be on display 24 hours a day, at Nay Aug Park in Scranton, from Thursday through Sunday.


©The New Age Examiner 2007

Hackett declares Support for War in Iraq

Hackett blasts Carney, announces candidacy
By James Loewenstein, Staff Writer
09/19/2007
In a speech in Towanda on Tuesday, Chris Hackett, who is running for Congress in the 10th District, said he would be a strong, conservative voice in the House of Representatives, and he blasted his Democratic opponent, incumbent Chris Carney.
"This district needs the right representation," said Hackett, a Republican who is lives in Shavertown in Luzerne County. "It doesn't have it now."Approximately 25 people - including local Republican officials, supporters, and people interested in finding out about Hackett - heard his speech, which he made on the front steps of the Bradford County Courthouse in Towanda.While the next congressional election in the 10th District will not occur until 2008, the race is already heating up and is expected to draw national attention.Hackett owns four businesses. He owns an insurance brokerage, called OneSource Benefit Solutions; a temporary staffing agency, called OneSource Staffing Solutions; a professional recruiting firm, called SHS Tech Staffing; and an administrative services firm, called OneSource HR Solutions. The four businesses have a total of 25 offices, Hackett said.Hackett was introduced to the audience in front of the courthouse by Republican Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko."We as Republicans believe that the government is too big, too intrusive, takes too much of our money, and wastes it," said McLinko, who added that Hackett would work in Congress to address those problems.In his speech, Hackett said the United States needs to "continue to have persistence" in Iraq."We have a moral obligation to do what we can to make the best of the situation (in Iraq)," Hackett said. "If we pull out today, there will be genocide in that country, and there will be a safe haven for terrorists to attack us in the future, and it will not be safe for our military to exit the country.""It's a very, very difficult set of circumstances (in Iraq)," Hackett said. "So we do need to continue to have persistence in dealing with this."I think this is the challenge of my generation," said the 44-year-old Hackett, referring to the war in Iraq."Generations before us have had the fortitude to follow through in these types of conflicts," such as World War II and the Cold War, Hackett said. "It is critical for my generation to step up and really start to recognize what is important for this country."Hackett, who has never held or run for public office before, said Carney was "involved in a lot of the ... research that was done to decide if we should go into Iraq. He (Carney) was part of the intelligence community that provided that information to the president."
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