As we approach the big presidential election, the fatal benghazi attack isn't grabbing national headlines. But it is on the minds of many war veterans, including local vets.
Bend Heroes Foundation President and Band of Brothers member, Dick Tobiason believes the anger over how the situation was handled could spill into the voting booth.
And regardless of who is election on Tuesday, the military morale issue may be a problem that the adminstration will have to deal with in the future. Tobiason spoke to 1110 KBND news on Friday.
"IF WE SEE THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE WHITE HOUSE NOT TAKING CARE OF OUR VETERANS AND BEING PUT IN HARMS WAY BY THOSE VERY PEOPLE I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A MORALE PROBLEM- I THINK THERE'S A MORAL PROBLEM RIGHT NOW."
Tobiason says he's talked to and received email from local veterans who are upset over Benghazi.
They don't like what appeared to have happened in Libya, the different explanations from government leaders over what happened, and what they perceive as the continued silence from the administration on the attack.
"the veterans i talk to are not at all pleased.....i don't know if this will affect their views on the election- i already voted- i don't know how it will affect their vote but i suspect that what happening in libya will affect their vote....i'm really concerned that i think we all are - that we've had this belief - this credo in the military that we don't leave anybody behind- but now we do that."
A US Senator from Kansas, who is the most senior marine in Congress, says he usually hears about the national debt, the fiscal cliff, the effects of the drought or the Farm Bill during his district Town Hall meetings. But now, most are talking about Libya.
Republican Senator, Pat Roberts, wrote the President a letter last week explaining how serious it is to leave a soldier behind. He warned about a future morale issue and how it could undermine the strength of the US miliatry.
Tobiason watched the Senator's comments Thursday on Fox News and says he is hearing similar thoughts expressed by veterans in Central Oregon.
"the veterans i talk to...and i get emails from are very upset that for the first time in history- our credo of leaving no one behind- has been violated. we have 2 navy seals who were killed in a coordinated terrorist attack on american property. and their plight was known in advance in washington the state department the white house....they all knew what was going on and they were meeting beforehand and knew that the consulate could not sustain a coordinated attack and that's in fact what happened. -
Senator Roberts also said as a "former newspaper man" he was very shocked over the lack of coverage by the mainstream media over what happened in Libya.
