Feb. 14, 2009


To: All who value Freedom and Democracy
From: The Spirit of General John Pershing, US Army, Retired
Re.: The “Closing” of Camp X-Ray, “Gitmo” Cuba




I am John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, born September 13, 1860 . I passed on July 15, 1948. I was an officer in the United States Army and the only person to be promoted in his own lifetime to the highest rank ever held in the United States Army—General of the Armies. I led the American Expeditionary Force in World War I and was regarded as a mentor by the generation of American generals, who include George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar N. Bradley, and George S. Patton.

During the Philippines campaign of the Spanish- American War I was a captain under the command of General Leonard Wood. I established communications with and improved relations with the highest ranking Muslim Tribe and Elders during my service in the Philippines. I can also tell you war is Hell, it is not pretty or civil and it is a business not best left to those who are not experts. The difference between criminals and War combatants is criminals are equal citizens until they break a civil law inside their nation- state, where a war combatant is engaging in war with another people from another nation-state not recognized as an equal. Not an equal because they are at war with one another. A terrorist is not a war combatant because he is not conducting his acts under the rule of a nation- state. Not a criminal because his acts are not within a nation- state. He also kills across sovereign boundaries and beyond recognized territories.

In the Philippines I know acts were conducted by military personnel that outsiders would call torture. I also know how that war was won and by what means were necessary. A civil U.S. Court would not have won that war. Acts of war by warriors won that war, like all wars.

Camp X- ray at the U.S. base in Cuba is NOT conducting acts of torture. The Terrorists there are not Citizens or War Combatants. They are Terrorists. Terrorists are real. They are Fanatics and they need to be either killed or processed for information. They are not citizens who are due rights and respect. That was traded away for fanatic motives to kill innocent civilians who live in a civil sovereign country. They do not represent any recognized country when they carry out their evil acts so they cannot be treated like citizens of any country when held responsible for those same acts.

No other time in history has a nation fought so hard against such a deadly, motivated enemy and then given away such an amount of human fighting capitol for nothing. For what, to be the moral superior on the higher moral ground?
We were on that higher ground on moment one when the first terrorist act was waged. Terrorists are always below uniformed warriors who represent their country.

The U.S. President is the highest ranking member of the U.S. Armed Forces. He is the Chief Executive in charge of all the military. What military leader releases terrorists caught in battle? Whose interests is such a President working for?

Closing Camp X-ray for any reason will be giving up valuable sacrifice. Brave soldiers of the highest caliber risked and gave their lives to capture this enemy scum and now we are going to set them free to fight us again. Any war Veteran will tell you nothing is harder than taking battle field ground that was previously won and surrendered.


From beyond my grave,

Gen. John Pershing