Recollection of Obama Uncle’s War Service Missing Key Details

Barack Obama was playing up to Joe Six-pack this past weekend, first announcing his support for a ban of protests at military funerals, then saying his uncle liberated the Jews from Auschwitz.

Problem is, his uncle couldn't have done that heroic deed..

Barack Obama is getting called out again for his knowledge of history, including his own family’s, after declaring to veterans on Memorial Day that his uncle helped liberate the Auschwitz death camp at the end of World War II.

Two problems with the tale: Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviet Army, and Obama’s American mother was an only child.

elections.foxnews.com...

The Los Angeles Times blog had to say:

The RNC seized the opportunity to fire off a news release, saying that “unless his uncle was serving in the Red Army, there’s no way Obama’s statement yesterday can be true. Obama’s frequent exaggerations and outright distortions raise questions about his judgment and his readiness to lead as commander in chief.”

The Obama campaign soon acknowledged that the Democratic candidate made a mistake. It explained that Obama’s great-uncle was in the 89th Infantry Division that helped liberate another notorious death camp, Buchenwald. Obama, the campaign said, “is proud of the service of his grandfather and uncles in World War II -- especially the fact that his great-uncle was part of liberating of one of the concentration camps at Buchenwald.”

All of which raises the question: What's worse, Obama's apparent gaffe or the RNC pouncing on a Holocaust-related historical mistake for political advantage?

The real significance of this misstatement is how it fits in a pattern of Obama's character and basic honesty.

As for the statement itself, it appeared to be just a misinterpretation of family lore. The important factors are correct.

He had a great uncle who served with a division that liberated a portion of a forced labor camp and who suffered emotional distress as a result of that and other experiences.

Obama confabulated the details.

On my father's side of the family, I have no uncles, only great uncles and during their lifetimes, they were as far as I was concerned, my uncles. I never made a distinction, because except in a clinical interview, it wasn't important.

I had a great uncle, whom I always refered to as my uncle, who returned from WWII in much the same condition as Obama's great uncle. The circumstances of his service were always vague to me until only recently, when I learned that he had been at Corregador.

I don't remember ever talking about Jakie that much outside the family, but if I did, I'm sure I mangled the details to some degree, as I was missing a key detail of his experience.

I think we can give Obama a pass on this one, taken at face value.


[edit on 2008/5/28 by GradyPhilpott]

Nothing to get excited about.

There is a 10 year difference between me and my sister. If you ask her where I was during my military years she'll tell you I was guarding the president.

And if you ask her how she knows.
She'll say she saw me on television.

And even I can't change her mind.
She saw it. She believes it.

Just when you thought all was quiet, Obama opens his mouth and creates more landmines for his campaign.



hotair.com...

In mid-January 1945, as Soviet forces approached the Auschwitz camp complex, the SS began evacuating Auschwitz and its satellite camps.

On January 27, 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz and liberated more than 7,000 remaining prisoners

www.ushmm.org...

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that this uncle probably wasn't in the Kenyan armed national guard. Most likely this was from his father's side of the family.

[edit on 27-5-2008 by dbates]

I agree that he probably just mucked up the facts and in the heat of the moment, trying to be all things to all people.

The overall problem I have with this is ...when Hillary mucked up her experiences in Bosnia, and no one really believes she was targeted by snipers...everyone howled, she's a liar, we can't trust her...blah,blah,blah

well he's doing the same thing. IMO he gets a pass that she does not.

I had made my mind up to vote Dem this time come hell or high water...tired of Rep shenanigans right now...but this guy is making it very hard for me to stick to this idea.

I don't necessarily want a everything to everyone man...or woman, I want a leader!!! sadly it looks as if there are none in this race.

[edit on 27-5-2008 by deadbang]

Originally posted by deadbang
The overall problem I have with this is ...when Hillary mucked up her experiences in Bosnia, and no one really believes she was targeted by snipers...everyone howled, she's a liar, we can't trust her...blah,blah,blah

well he's doing the same thing. IMO he gets a pass that she does not.

You're dead wrong.

Hillary was recounting an event in which she was a participant. The actual event in terms of the landing and the ceremony went off without a hitch.

Those who were there, Sinbad and military personnel, called foul because they knew that her account was a complete fabrication and a deliberate one at that.

Then, there was the video that confirmed that her story was a lie and one she never fully owned up to.

Obama was trying to recount events that happened twenty years before his birth that had filtered down through the generations of his family.

While the discrepancies were minor, to those who have lived the experience or are avid students of history those discrepancies were glaring.

Just as soon as the inaccuracies came to light, Obama issued a correction and an apology and not only that, his explanation was perfectly credible.

From an anecdotal perspective, the errors were insignificant relative to the point he was trying to make.

There are big differences in Hillary's "war story" and Obama's confusion of facts that occurred long before he was born and may have become distorted prior to his birth.

[edit on 2008/5/28 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by dbates
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that this uncle probably wasn't in the Kenyan armed national guard. Most likely this was from his father's side of the family.

I think you must mean his mother's side of the family.

reply to post by GradyPhilpott


I like your take on the issue Grady. I see this being blown up by the anti-Obama crowd. It is looking like they are giving a trial run on how they plan on swiftboating him. They are trying to blow this issue so far out of proportion and make this the crux of the election.

I am not an Obama supporter but I find this gaff less offensive than Hillary and her sniper or McCain and his breaking campaign finance laws that he helped put in place.

Originally posted by Mescalero
All of which raises the question: What's worse, Obama's apparent gaffe or the RNC pouncing on a Holocaust-related historical mistake for political advantage?

Obama's political pandering, of course.

Exposing Obama's political pandering is vetting and expected during a POTUS campaign.

Originally posted by garyo1954
If you ask her ....

Is she running for POTUS? No? Then it's no big deal for her. But it definately IS a big deal when Mr. Change/Hope/Unity continues to pander and lie in order to get himself into the Oval office.

Originally posted by Karlhungis
I see this being blown up by the anti-Obama crowd.

Vetting the pandering fool isn't 'blowing up'. It's vetting and exposing the guy for what he is - NO change, NO hope, NO unity.

BTW - This uncle was supposedly on his fathers side? (or now - a great uncle?) Just an interesting historical note - Obama's grandfather, being a 'good muslim' and all, had 14 wives. I'm sure any brothers grandpa had also had mulitple wives. Obama most likely has a TON of muslim relatives running around the African and Arab nations. I highly doubt that the family sits around the campfire telling war stories from WWII. I also doubt that Obama ever actually met the guy (if he even exists). The 'family' is massive.

reply to post by FlyersFan

BTW - ......................... 'good muslim' .......................... muslim .....................................Arab nations. ...........................

Come on man, was that necessary? What in the world does his statement have to do with Muslims? Yes, I still think this is getting blown out of proportion.

It is on his White family side and he has never met this Great Uncle.

Many of our Grandfather's and Great Uncles served in WWII. My Grandpa did as well. He served under General Patton.

Obama is trying to counter McCain's military service and establish some perceived Patriotism on his Great Uncle's behalf.

Flip-flop you don't stop ..

Um. I haven't met any of my "Great Uncles" either, considering both sets of my Grandparents were dead before I was halfway through my teenage years. It is not normal to meet your Great Uncles..

Some people are so quick to bash Obama that they don't even realize the folly of what they're saying. But I do like your avatar pic, it is genuinely frightening in that.. ghetto / trailer park conjuction sort of way.

reply to post by runetang

Originally posted by runetang
But I do like your avatar pic, it is genuinely frightening in that.. ghetto / trailer park conjuction sort of way.

For a while there, I thought his avvie was Val Kilmer...

reply to post by jsobecky


Nice catch. Eerie resemblance there.

And here is a thread about another Obama gaffe. This time he seems to be claiming that he can see ghosts.



Remember how so many here pounced on Bush's every word and then created thousands of posts about what he said when he "mispoke" or was "tired" or was just using a "figure of speech"? Remember "Curious George" in aan attempt to show how stupid Bush was? Well, no matter how badly Obama makes a fool out of himself, I guess no one will be creating any "Curious Barack" cartoons ...

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
I think you must mean his mother's side of the family.

O, right. I should keep my Obama Family Tree handy for occasions like this. This gets confusing at times.

[edit on 28-5-2008 by dbates]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

From an anecdotal perspective, the errors were insignificant relative to the point he was trying to make.

Surely the point he was trying to make could have been made without citing his own family's personal mythology. He transparently used the uncle myth in an attempt to create a connection that he is somehow patriotic by his association to his uncle.

Why does this particular relationship have any relevance to the point he was trying to make? How can he claim with a straight face that his relationships to Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, etc., don't matter and then turn around and cite his relationship with his uncle as if it has any relevance to national policy?

So there's a family "story" about a crazy uncle who server in the war. Obama comes across as so self-absorbed that he actually believes people would find this story about his uncle to be important. The fact that he exaggerated the details for dramatic effect only compounds this impression. I.e., it's not good enough that his uncle liberated any camp, he had to liberated the MOST WELL KNOWN camp, and been one of the FIRST to be there. Obama is a walking example of narcissistic personality disorder.

Originally posted by jamie83
Obama is a walking example of narcissistic personality disorder.

You may very well be correct in that assessment, however, there is nothing wrong for a candidate to draw upon his family history in the context of Memorial Day and, as I said earlier, I speak of my great-uncles as my uncles and I'm also a little fuzzy about one of my uncle's military service, so if one day in a conversation, I confuse the battle of Corregidor with the battle of Leyte, these facts alone would prove nothing at all about my character in and of themselves.

I'm not here to defend Obama as a candidate. I wouldn't vote for him if I had a gun barrel pressed to my temple, but it is ridiculous to fault candidates for mere slips of the tongue or simple confusion of factual details.

Such adds nothing to a cogent discussion of the important issues of this election.

[edit on 2008/5/28 by GradyPhilpott]

Thank you Grady, for trying to stick to the real issues at least.

I wish this campaign was going to be about issues - instead it's shaping up to be "lets throw a lot of weird allegations and guilt by association out and see what sticks"

I'm an Obama supporter, but you won't see me posting a bunch of BS threads defaming McCain's character, his service, his church, his family, etc... you won't find me spreading FUD that he's some sort of Manchurian Candidate...

Fact of the matter is that I respect McCain, and I think he's a decent sort who takes public service seriously, I simply think his positions on the key issues are wrong.

But sadly we've come to the point where the American voter isn't supposed to think about real issues, just a bunch of "wedge issue" nonsense about who wears a flag pin or whose favorite preacher said the craziest stuff...

[edit on 5/28/08 by xmotex]