Message from:
BG Roger W. Scearce,
USA, Ret, Honorary Colonel of the Finance Corps Regiment
TO: All members of
the US Army Finance Corps Regiment, RAFINO and RAFINCO, Greetings.
It was 11 September
2001! I’ve never felt so helpless and inadequate in my life.
As fate would have it, Debbie and I were in Europe when this unbelievable
atrocity occurred. As such, we experienced every possible negative emotion
known to man “ helplessness, gut wrenching sadness, fear, rage, resentment,
wonder, surreal
reality, alarm, empathy, sympathy, yearning, ignorance, frustration, sorrow,
distant anxiousness, loneliness, emptiness, and the all encompassing constant
ANGER, just to name a few.” Along with all of these emotions came this
unrelenting inner desire for immediate vengeance and extreme retribution to
those responsible. However, as the first week passed, I am very thankful
cooler and calmer heads are leading our country through this tragic, yet
historic time in our Nation’s history. I want to share some of my
beliefs, thoughts and feelings with you - - our Finance Corps family - - so that
we not only remember, but also move ahead together, and hopefully stronger.
I believe this horrific terrorist attack has touched every single American in
some way. Indeed, I believe once the dust has settled that potentially
every country on the planet may have lost someone, either in the World Trade
Center, or in the Pentagon, or in the aftermath. Thankfully, as best
I can determine, no Finance Corps personnel were lost in this attack.
I’ve also been made aware that there were a number of FC folks who were
literally heroes, especially in the Pentagon, and I want to publicly say thank
you to each of you.
As I mentioned earlier, Debbie and I were in Great Britain and Ireland, and we
ended up talking to many of their citizens. Those countries certainly are
feeling the sorrow as are we - - many of their sons and daughters working in or
visiting NYC or DC perished in the attack. And, everyone we encountered
was just as horrified and upset and concerned and frustrated as we were.
But, to the person, they were also very worried that the USA, with all its
might, would launch a military strike that would kill or injure thousands of
innocent people, and plunge us into an engagement that would not be in
anyone’s best interests. I
countered with what I knew: our President is an honorable and just man who
will act ‘rightly’ through all of this, that he is being advised by key
leaders [Cheney, Powell, Rumsfeld] who have already been “baptized under
fire”, that our Congressional leadership would be consulted prior to any
action being invoked, and lastly, that while our country had many retaliatory
options [military, economic, diplomatic, political, etc], we normally acted in
concert with our allies. Bottom line: I shared my fervent belief
that we wouldn’t head out on
our own and put the world in peril. Conversely, this deed and those
responsible could not and would not go unpunished.
On that note, I believe we must maintain the moral high ground; we must not give
into what the Greeks called the “delicious and intoxicating drink of
vengeance.” We must mandate that
our political and military leaders compile a compelling case of evidence that
clearly shows who was responsible... and then and only then should we move
out smartly with overwhelming force to bring them to justice. If the
country or countries that supported or harbored them stand up to protect them,
and happen to be in the line of fire, well, that’s an unfortunate choice they
most likely will regret. Point is that we should, as a Nation, be as sure
as we possibly can that who and what we go after are indeed the perpetrators and
that we have developed compelling evidence that they are responsible for this
tragedy, and are most likely guilty. There is a process the USA undergoes
to identify someone or something as a “legitimate military target” and we
should adhere to that process. It is methodical, it is disciplined, it is
grounded in international law and it works, as we saw in Operation Just Cause in
Panama when we went in and captured Mr. Noriega. The USA must be right on
this one - - this is simply too important for us to act prematurely; once the
bullets have left the rifle, or the bombs have been released, it’s too late to
get them back. If we’re wrong, then we’ll be judged as not much better
than the terrorists, at least as the world sees us, and we certainly can’t
afford that as the world’s only remaining superpower.
Lastly, I believe we must gather around our family, friends, colleagues and
share with each other. We all need to vent a bit, talk about all this,
process it, pray together and most importantly, grieve. Tragically, I lost
several good friends in the Pentagon attack. I am so very sad, and so very
sorry for them, and their families. What
a tremendous loss to our country, and our Army.
Conversely, I am so truly thankful and happy that the vast majority of
all those I was worried sick about are OK, and back at work doing the Nation’s
business. I’ve thanked God
countless times already that most are safe and unharmed physically, to include
the many FC folks in the building.
I think it was Dickens who said it, but the phrase, “it was the best of times,
it was the worst of times” keeps coming to mind. As we have seen so many
times before, when the going gets tough, the USA gets going. Make no
mistake, the USA will come through this, and in many ways will be better for it.
Why?
Because GOODNESS ALWAYS PREVAILS, that’s why. Without question, our lives have
changed and will continue to change as a function of this momentous, horrible
event. But, in the end, as always, our values, our heritage, our lineage,
our patriotism and our love for this land, our flag, our families and
communities and our ideals will shine through. In due time, we will have
justice; I am confident. Meanwhile, I believe that we must try to move
ahead and gradually return to some semblance of consistency and normalcy in our
day-to-day lives. To do otherwise
almost sends a signal that the terrorists "won" this round, and we all
know that's not the case.
Keep the faith, share with each other and trust in our Nation’s leadership - -
they will do the right thing. Finally, keep in mind that our military are
about to be called upon to embark on yet another needed and noble mission in
response to this awful cancer we call terrorism. They will also do
what’s good, and what’s right; and, they will sacrifice yet again for us;
some probably paying the ultimate price for our freedom. Please keep them
in your daily thoughts and prayers.
All the very best and may God bless each and every one of you,
Roger