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Article: Marines fear scuttling battleships
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- December 5, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2005 Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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U.S. Marines, while fighting valiantly in Iraq, are on the verge
of serious defeat on Capitol Hill. A Senate-House conference on the
Armed Services authorization bill convening this week is considering
turning the Navy's last two battleships, the Iowa and Wisconsin, into
museums. Marine officers fear that deprives them of vital fire
support in an uncertain future.
Gen. Michael W. Hagee, the current Commandant of the Marine Corps,
testified on April 1, 2003, that loss of naval surface fire support
from battleships would place his troops "at considerable risk." On
July 29 this year, Hagee asserted: "Our aviation is really quite
good, but it can, in fact, be weathered."
The Navy high ...