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Is this the best low flying complaint re-buff ever?
I found this while going through some old paperwork. It was written during GW1 but it would still be great to use today.
San Diego News (letters Feb 4th) Reply to "Is harassment of residents the role of the military?" Statement from Capt John F Peterson USMC Pacific Beach Responding to Maura Harvey's letter wondering if the Marine helicopter training flights that passed above her Del Mar home were simply to harass residents. I can say that, yes, our mission is to harass residents, specifically Mrs Harvey. We do not train 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide freedom and security to all residents of the United States. We exist only to annoy the very people we are sworn to protect, against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We spend months and years overseas, away from our families and loved ones, in some cases making less than minimum wage, choosing to live a life in which many qualify for food stamps, just to have the chance, one day, to annoy people like Mrs Harvey. There is no more sought after position in the military than the Maura Harvey Annoyance Task Force. As a matter of fact, the marines who spent christmas dug into fighting positions in Northern Kuwait and their brothers in the sky, braving anti-aircraft missiles and artillery, were just training to come back to the States and fly missions over Mrs Harvey's house. It has nothing to do with the security of the nation. It has no impact on our ability to carry out missions in Africa, The Middle east and Eastern Europe, and it has no bearing on Mrs Harvey's ability to enjoy "nature and peaceful quiet living". The "strange almost scientific war scene" she described was put on solely to make noise and to destroy her "scenic view corridors" in Del Mar Terrace. It certainly was not valuable and necessary training to help sustain the lives of those who assure the nation's freedom, should they ever be sent into harms way just to do that. Next time Mrs Harvey may want to look upon those loud machines and think about the men and women who fly, ride in, and maintain them. Ponder the sacrifices they make in providing this nation with the warm blanket of freedom we all enjoy. Maybe she might even imagine how much more disturbing it would be if she were not sure what country the helicopters were from, or whether they were going to attack her beautiful neighborhood. But she shouldn't worry too much about that, because we will not let it happen. |
Priceless!
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reminds me of Jack Nicholson's speech in A Few Good Men about "You want me on that wall, you need me on the wall" etc
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Brilliant! He must be the USMC PR Director by now. :ok::ok::ok:
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There's a well known complainer that can be directed to near Shawbury !:ok:
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Saw one many years ago from a British MP along the lines of "if I thought your views were held by even a minority of my constituents, I would give up my seat in disgust". Anyone got a link to the original, would love to read it again.
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wasnt the Shawbury gangs HQ co-ordinates posted up here for "purpose" harrassment :E
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Bl**dy marvellous. Well done Capt Peterson. Our freedoms have not been won easily, but how easily some people take those freedoms, and the sacrifices that have won them, for granted.
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Apologies - thread drift
The cousins allow much more creativity in their responses to to the less reasonable critics. Link to a radio interview transcript I hope is true. http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/memb...28079712.shtml |
The one I liked was heard on Radio 4 a few months ago, when a reporter asked and Army sniper:
"When you shoot your weapon at a person, what do you feel?" Answer: "A slight recoil" |
My old mums still complaining bitterly about low flying.
"Not enough of it", she says. pb |
As Orderly dog one night, fielding off complaints on the first evening of night flying, I took one especially concerned call.
I promised her a call at 2200 by the Orderly Officer. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in her house when she received her call - from the pilot who had just landed, and whose opening gambit was along the lines of " Yes, it was me " Actually, he was probably the best guy to deal with it as he explained extremely eloquently the when’s, the whys and the wherefores as only a pilot could. |
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I always thought a good way to handle this would be to invite the complainer around to the base in the morning for a cup of tea. When they get there ask them to point out on a big picture of the airbase where their home is. Of course the photo should be taken from when the airbase was first built there. I always wanted to see the reaction when they say "my house wasn't built there then!"
I know what my reaction would have been..... probably one of the many reasons i wasn't promoted to far! |
My mother worked in a bakers shop in North Wales and, because the locals knew that my father had been in the RAF and that I was still serving in the RAF, they would complain relentlessly about low flying jets, C130s etc. Strangely, when GW1 started the locals couldn't heap enough praise on the RAF and said they loved seeing the jets and liked the noise and said that my mum must be very proud! Cue end of hostilities and, within a week, we were back to the complaining etc. Funny old world.......:ugh:
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I recall an MP's letter to a complainant after GW1 along the lines of:
- thanks for your letter expressing concern about noise from low flying near your house - for me personally (the MP) I am delighted that they are back in UK skies making this noise, as it means they are no longer being shot down/at over skies in the ME and risking their lives for the freedom of Kuwait - and when they are back here making this noise, it enables them to train sufficiently so that when they go overseas again, there is more chance of them returning alive, so that they can continue to make this noise in our skies! Or words to that effect. Someone must have a copy to hand? |
More thread drift but apposite to this link:
Originally Posted by Riskman
(Post 4128299)
Apologies - thread drift
The cousins allow much more creativity in their responses to to the less reasonable critics. Link to a radio interview transcript I hope is true. http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/memb...28079712.shtml |
Serial Complainer
We had a serial complainer. He used to write letters with whole serials of complaints and sent them to the Ministry. Eventually someone worked out that maybe they should tell us.
I went out and found that his house was not where his address suggested it was. I called and explained why his house was indeed overflown so often - we didn't know it was there. It was a little Lincolnshire single story cottage built flat on the ground, flat green roof in a strand of trees. Also I found that a low level 'avoid' had been removed so crews were no longer diverted over his house. Nerry a complaint since. 'Nother time a complainer suggested that the noise would be avoided if our circuot direction was reversed. OC Ops arrange to visit and at the same time ordered the suggested alteration to the circuit. Afternoon tea was disturbed as the house now got the full benefit of the aircraft engines under full power pointing at it. Another satisfied customer. And another horsey one this time. "Where exactly are you?" She told me. "Ah, your husband did some welding work for me." No more complaints, her husband was on benefits :} |
This thread reminds me that just prior to Granby a local lady complained to Marham, then, upon the outbreak of the air campaign had the decency to compose an apologetic change of heart in the form of a poem. The then CO replied in kind, and both were read at a dining-in. Anyone still got copies??
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