CBS News
LAS CRUCES, N.M.
Despite not having served in the military himself, Barack Obama used his Memorial Day remarks to speak about his family’s service. “My grandfather marched in Patton’s army, but I cannot know what it is to walk into battle like so many of you,” he told a small group of veterans here. “My grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line, but I cannot know what it is for a family to sacrifice like so many of yours have.”
Obama also spoke about his uncle, who was part of the American brigade that helped to liberate Auschwitz. He said the family legend is that, upon returning from war, his uncle spent six months in an attic. “Now obviously, something had really affected him deeply, but at that time there just weren’t the kinds of facilities to help somebody work through that kind of pain,” Obama said. “That’s why this idea of making sure that every single veteran, when they are discharged, are screened for post-traumatic stress disorder and given the mental health services that they need – that’s why it’s so important.”
UPDATE from CBS news:
Obama’s campaign clarified the comments about the candidate’s great-uncle liberating Auschwitz, saying Obama was “mistaken,” and was referring to Buchenwald, not Auschwitz. “Senator Obama’s family is proud of the service of his grandfather and uncles in World War II – especially the fact that his great uncle was a part of liberating one of the concentration camps at Buchenwald,” said spokesman Bill Burton.
.
And this one…………..
Obama mistaken on name of Nazi death camp
Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet forces as they marched across Poland in January 1945. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum says Americans liberated several death camps in Germany, including Buchenwald, Dachau and Mauthausen.
“On April 4, 1945, the 89th overran Ohrdruf, a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. Ohrdruf was the first Nazi concentration camp liberated by U.S. troops in Germany,” according to the museum. “A week later, on April 12, Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and Omar Bradley visited Ohrdruf to see, firsthand, evidence of Nazi atrocities against concentration camp prisoners.”
Obama’s mistaken mention of the camp on Monday quickly generated Internet chatter, ranging from puzzlement to outrage. The Republican Party demanded an explanation.
“It was Soviet troops that liberated Auschwitz, so unless his uncle was serving in the Red Army, there’s no way Obama’s statement yesterday can be true,” said Alex Conant, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee.
Wild Thing’s comment……..
Stolen Valor is an ugly thing. He is stealing valor to become POTUS
Sheesh Obomber is a disaster just waiting to happen.
Who’s writing his speeches? That person wouldn’t know his head from a hole in the ground! And shame on Obamanation for not catching the mistakes. Doesn’t he proofread anything given to him? Does he sign contracts without reading them thoroughly?
Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!
Now when convenient, he is embellishing the ‘White’ side of his family. The typical ‘white side’.Because it wasn’t until 1947 that the services were integrated. There were no black soldiers in the Front line Regiments of World War 2. For example, the ‘Red-Ball Express’ was a motor transport group made up almost entirely of Black Soldiers that delivered supplies to the front line units.
Spike Lee is now condemming Clint Eastwood for his portrayal of Iwo Jima, for Eastwoods lack of using Black troops in his movie.
That movie was about the Flag Raising and the taking of the Island, not the supply section of the various Divisions who were supported by non-combat troops.
But this gaffe seems to be typical of Obama, make it up as you go along and no one will know the difference because the press will gloss over it because they are in his corner. That is exactly what they did.
This says volumes about this Obama, first he doesn’t care about what happened in the concentration camps and second he will use any tactic to get votes, even if he has to lie about it to get them.
Mark stole my thunder. Obama is suddenly using the White side of his family now. The side he has rejected numerous times in the past because at best they were just racist “typical White people”. What a sorry individual Obama is. But, he is just a “typical Democrat politician”.
He made these statements about his grandfather and uncle because I am sure he will jump on that popular Democrat bandwagon of suddenly finding out that he has Jewish ancestory.
TomR
Just a question? Did he have a Hispanic relative that fought on the side of Texas at the Alamo. That might be next. Perhaps some Chinese ancestory that helped build the railroads in the early west.
The Adventures of Pinocchio.
Even if his uncle was white, he should know his family history better than that, he sure knows the Rhodesian – Muslim side. Then we find he caims it was his great uncle. Does he even have an uncle that served in Europe? Perhaps it was an Uncle-In-Law, next he’ll claim that he’s his own grandpa. For a puppet, unlike Pinocchio, he’s an ignorant one.
Lynn,yes, he might not proof read his speech beforehand. He beter start to and just a guess here he may have told the writer of his speech to put this wrong information into the speech.
Either way he is responsible and this kind of thing is more then a gaffe it very typical Obama and his twisting the truth for the occsassion.
Mark, good one!
Tom, exactly, now he is reaching out to the white side of his family…all of a sudden to Obama that side of the family is not typical white but something he wants to brag about and hope it helps him. What a total jerk.
Bob, haha he will probably dig one up for that battle too.
Jack…….perfect title…… “The Adventures of Pinocchio”.
Barack Hussein VOLKOV Obama? … 1/4 white, 1/4 Russian and 1/2 black? OBAMA IN 2008 and OSAMA & VLAD PUTIN IN 2009!! Make up the sh*t as you go, eh Obamessiah? Your letter is on the way WT!
Darth, oh thank you so much.