On Tuesday, 1050 retired general and flag officers presented a statement to the White House, Congress and the Pentagon expressing their strong support for Section 654, Title 10, U. S. Code, the law making homosexuals ineligible for military service. This distinguished group of retired Flag & General Officers for the Military, includes 47 four-star officers from all branches of the service. Among them are a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, several service chiefs, numerous U. S. and combatant and allied forces commanders, and a Medal of Honor recipient. With absolutely nothing to gain, these distinguished men and women have affirmed strong support for this law based on many decades of experience at all levels of our armed forces.

Of course, dissent from the mainstream media-favored, politically-correct, gay-activist agenda requires swift retribution. Enter the Palm Center, a "research institute" originally known as the "Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military [CSSMM]," and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay-activist non-profit group with a primary objective of repealing Section 654, Title 10. The inestimable years of leadership and sacrifice that these officers' signatures represent mean little in the face of the single-minded, intolerant agenda of Palm and SLDN.

No, what Palm and SLDN really can't stand is that after lifetimes of selfless service during and after distinguished military careers, a few of them happen to be in their 70s.

SLDN, in a post on its "Frontlines" blog dated April 1 by its Executive Director, Aubrey Sarvis, goes on to take gratuitous shots at one of the statement's signers, former Commandant, General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., USMC (Ret.). Never mind that General Mundy's record of leadership, both as Commandant and for many years in an active life of public service, have made him one of the Marines' most respected leaders. The gay activists' name-calling reflects far more badly on them than on him.

Sarvis lamely questioned the number of signers on the Flag & General Officers for the Military statement, even though all of their names are posted on www.flagandgeneralofficersforthemilitary.com and 54 pages of hand-written signatures were presented to the White House, Pentagon, and Congress. Instead, Sarvis tried to change the subject by mentioning the Palm Center-assembled "hundred plus admirals and generals who have called for repeal" of the law. We do not know and did not ask if any of these are in their 70s. As far as keeping Section 654, Title 10 is concerned, today there are over 1,100 general and flag-rank supporters. And counting. It has been an honor to work with them, and we will continue to build on their impressive work.

--Tommy Sears